failed fluid coupler

[dsilvest]

Hi Matt, Dave here. We've met in person once or twice. I'm facing a similar problem. Not a pagoda, but similiar transmission on a '72 w114. Swapped out the transmission with one from a w108. Drove it around for a day before it started slipping again. Since I kept the same FC, I'm thinking it may be the problem. Going to pull it back out and have a look. I've never had ATF leaking out of the FC though. I've tried to contact the transmission guy in Sunland, CA and also have been talking to one in NJ. Hoping I don't have to get the whole transmission rebuilt.

Is there any way to check the FC from the outside, without pulling it out? Also how would I check the pump pressure.

Dave
'72 250C

[ja17]

Early FCs had riveted hubs. The riveted seam begins to leak on some.  Latest versions were steel with welded hubs, these never leak or break in half.

[TheEngineer]

I often wondered why Mercedes used a "fluid coupling" instead of a torque converter. They used torque converters in tanks in WW2 and certainly knew all about them. A torque converter can multiply the engine torque at slow speed up to two times. A story I heard many years ago was that the Germans were prohibited after the war to build torque converters. It gave Borg Warner an opportunity to develop an automatic transmission. I have a transmission from a later model MB in my shop and found that it fits just fine to the engine. I just have to make a bushing for the shaft. It is longer and I have to modify the linkage for the shift pattern, but I believe I can make it fit. Your comments are invited!

[merrill]

Dave
hi,
i responded to your yahoo  e mail.

anyway, you could always contact marc at mercedes dismantlers otherwise known as sun valley dismantlers.

matt

[merrill]

well transmission is back in the car with a "new" rebuilt 4 bolt fluid coupler.  drives like a champ.

turns out the brass front pump had welded itself to the FC.  i believe the front pump was damaged when the FC blew.  it was not working when i re installed the replacement FC and thats that.
unfortunately the bell housing was cracked when sun valley transmission was trying to pry off the FC.
so transmission is back, new bell housing, front pump and FC.   

i hope i never have to do that job again. its not hard but it takes a lot of time and i am getting old

[turbinmech]

  I had a  67 250sl years ago that the torque or fluid couple split in half, it was the aluminum type. It did the same thing fluid all over the ground.
I thought the transmission was blown. The weld fails on this type of coupler. replace coupler and your good to go.
  benzmech43  Livermore Ca