Engine Build Pictures and Descriptions

[bjdg]

Hey All.  I have been a member for a couple of years.  I have recently started my own business, and recently done a rebuild of a 280sl Motor and Transmission.  I have had training in Germany, plus lots of life experience as a mechanic, but I have used this site for a lot of valuable information. 

I thought it may be good to make a post on the engine build as it may help others with pictures and their own work, give back some.  I am a Vender on this site, but any Vending is to be done at https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?board=21.0.  Or https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?board=19.0.  Thanks to Garry and Hugh for the guidance in this area.  (please let me know if I have to change anything about my posts!)

This is not a sales pitch, so if people are interested in my work, I would love to have that discussion outside of this thread. I would ask that a topic be started in the Venders section, or by PM if you are interested in the business side of things.

Although I am a professional, I do not claim to be more knowable about some of these things then others.  I also build under the constraints of a customers will, and budget.  But I do my best, none the less.  I would love feedback on things as it can only make me better, and give insight to why I would choose one thing over another.

I can't post all at one time, but will do so over weeks or months as there is a lot that goes into a build.

Happy browsing!

[bjdg]

Here are some before Pictures and removal pics. This engine was using oil on #6 cyl. which was fouling the plug, as well as had a 15psi higher compression than the other cyl.  It was not running great either, but running alright. 

I removed the Transmission, and the front end to get the engine out.  I have done it from the bottom before as well, but do to the nature of this project, the client wanted a rolling chassis, plus a full engine compartment paint.  As I was removing so much from this car, I just opted to remove the engine complete with manifolds and all.

[bjdg]

Here is the Engine out, and start to disassemble.  You can see lots of rusting fittings, tired paint, and leaking gaskets.  Something to note is the yellowing of the Brake booster line.  This is quite normal, but as you will see later, I rebuilt this hose, and it fits will fit right in. 

The Injection pump will not be done during the job, nor will I do metal treatment on the body of the injection pump.  It will have its covers removes, and backflow valve fittings removed to get plated, it will also be resealed, but I did not take the pump apart beyond that to get the levers plated.  I ended up painting the levers, which looks good, but is not period correct.  Budget had a lot to do with that.

It did not look to old, and the Alternator compensation device is still working, so I didn't feel it was necessarily the most important thing to add to the budget, which became more constrained as time went on. 

The Altitude compensation device often start to leak and then it throws the whole pump fuel curve off as it leans out the whole thing.  It acts as if it is on top of a mountain where there is less oxygen, therefore less fuel needed.  It has a bellows in it, the bellows has a lower than atmosphere pressure in it, what can be referred to as a Vacuum compared to the outside air around it.  This causes it to shrink, or compress.  It is attached to a pintle that seems to shrink back into the body when at lower altitudes, acting on a lever in the pump to add more fuel.  Conversely, as the car gains altitude, the pintle comes out of the body, pushing on the lever in the pump to reduce the amount of fuel injected.  .

This device is a bit of a time stamp on a pump, roughly speaking.  If it has leaked and no longer works, there is a chance that the pump needs to be done, specifically because, as far as I know, this cannot be purchased separately, and must be set up in the base settings when a pump is built.  This is one of the key components to a working pump.  It is the round gold device sitting on top middle of the pump in the last picture below.

There are ways around a failed altitude compensator, but they are guesses at best, and should be done only when there is no budget or time to do a pump.  Its  a stop gap measure, that takes all compensation out of the pump so it will no longer change fuel needs based on barometric pressures.

[doitwright]

I am looking forward to following your posts on the engine rebuild. It looks like you will be including descriptions and tips along with the sequencing of the process. As an added bonus, if you use a machine shop or outsource other tasks such as plating,  it would also be nice if  they document their work too. And lastly, if you feel inclined, to include your resources for plating, parts and contributing vendors. Probably too much to ask, but it would provide a complete picture of the entire process.

[bjdg]

I will do my best to share what I can.  I do most of the work and supervise the machine work as well.  I use a machine shop in Victoria B.C. besides being good at what they do, the best machine shop you can find is one you can communicate with.  I use them because, although they do not specialize in European old and rare engines, I have used them for a long time.  We communicate well, I give them all the specs and information, they give me suggestions on best practices from an engine machinists perspective, and we work well together that way.  They are called Alpine/Cords Engines.

I used to work at a machine shop machining and building engines, so I know my way a round a bit.  That helps a lot.  I was an Apprentice at the time, but I learned a lot and have done engine building since.  I also have a engine parts washer, and a Vapor Blaster for finishing parts to new condition.  I do the complete build after the parts come back from the machine shop.

As for parts...  I use CAD software to build gaskets and parts that are not available.  Then I cut gaskets on a plotter.  Any parts that need building I send to an engineering/machine shop and they can recreate for me.  Other options are to build a 3D printed model, use it directly if need be, as you will see later in the build, or use it as a casting mold as needed.

I just moved from Victoria to Vancouver, so this was a good project to try and find some local suppliers.

For all the parts I can get, I source from all over the place.  Some sourcing takes a really long time.  Prices are hard to get around, ordering from out of country is hard enough up here in Canada, ordering off Continent makes it even harder.  I do make money on Parts, so there are a few that I hold close, but many I am glad to share my sources.

For this build I used George at Authentic Classics a lot.  He was very helpful and had a line on almost everything I needed.  I also used Pelican, Metric Motors, Buds, Worldpac, and Amazon.  I never found a time in this build that I needed to use Mercedes to get OEM parts for this build.  But I did find a lot of suppliers that supply to Mercedes, so that was cool.  I talked with engineers in Germany at Erling about custom building gaskets, learned a lot from them. 

Plating was local, but I would do that differently in the future.

I rebuild my own hoses, you will see that work as well, its the only way to get the finish I want, using authentic parts for connectors.  I have a hose crimp tool, so that makes it nice.

[bjdg]

The Valve cover comes off after the throttle linkage comes off.  Its important to check that all the ball joints, and shafts are not to loose before you take them apart.  Making sure the towers that hold the cross shaft are not worn out either.  Its good to start making a list of things you will need.

Getting the lines ready to plate is a job of its own.  Cataloging pictures and sometimes measurements for all the clamps that hold the lines together is pretty critical. Its a big job to get them back together again so it fits like it did new. 

I also try to note at this time what parts I want to be Vapor blasted, Plated in Yellow, plated in clear (also called white), or painted.  Disassembly can take a while, not because its hard, but because thinking about the reassembly and marking it down is important at this point.  I find I take hundreds of pictures, and there is always one angle I miss! 

There will be stuff, after 50 or so years, that will be missing out of place, worn out, or broken.  Figuring that out now is important as well.

Taking off the Distributor housing is interesting as there is a small spring hidden in the base of that cover.  So its important not to forget it.  It will be important to have TDC set up, Distributor housing angle set, and rotor in the correct location.  It may take a few tries to get it right.