Author Topic: Windshield wiper fluid reservoir. (Read 7433 times)

MikeSimon · « **on:** August 01, 2018, 18:53:27 »

Stupid question:

I own a 280SL since 1982 and I am going through a major repair right now.
One thing that has always bothered me, but I never addressed, was the reservoir bag for the washer fluid.
It is just stuck/squeezed between the brake booster and the inside of the fender.
Is this the way it is supposed to be?

Pawel66 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 01, 2018, 19:18:29 »

There are no stupid questions, there may just be stupid answers.

On 280SL it is often just stuck there. Sometimes it is stuck there and hangs on a "would be" hanger. From what I know the later the car the lower probability there is for a hanger to be there. May also be a difference Europe vs. US.

I think if you have late and US, chances are it came without a hanger.

On the picture is my car, Euro March 1970 with something like a half-hanger attached to brake booster base. I saw some late 280SL with bottle just stuck there.

MikeSimon · « **Reply #2 on:** August 01, 2018, 19:27:20 »

The car is a Euro spec. I bought it in Germany in 1982. And it has a serial number 22774. So it's a later model, built in November 1970.

Pawel66 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 01, 2018, 19:47:46 »

Very late, I think that it is quite likely it was without a hanger. I really could not spot regularity other than the one I listed before. But maybe someone chimes in who has a car closer to yours than mine.

Here you can see how it looked like: https://www.sls-hh-shop.de/main/de/mercedes-230-280sl-w113/82-beleuchtung-scheibenwischer/82-d-scheibenreinigung

On the picture they show the bracket for clamp for clutch fluid tank. If you have manual transmission, you probably have this bracket and traces of the additional hanger attached in the past to it. If you have an automatic, you may not even have this bracket attached to the brake booster. But if you have it, you can also take a close look if you do not see traces of the small hanger attached to it in the past.

Mike K · « **Reply #4 on:** August 01, 2018, 20:13:46 »

I secured mine with cable ties as per the pic below.

Best
Mike

MikeSimon · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2018, 20:16:18 »

Interesting! Thanks! It says in the description, that LHD cars did not have the bracket. RHD cars had bracket no75. It has to do with the elimination of a "clutch reservoir". But mine is an automatic. Would assume it came without the hanger.

Pawel66 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 01, 2018, 20:35:07 »

Number 75 is a different story - for RHD they had to come up with a different solution, so this is the bracket that is attached to chassis.

You are LHD, so we are talking bracket no. 74 - for the clutch fluid resrvoir. On Mercedes part list it is marked M (for Manual). I think then that you are correct in your conclusion.

Then why I have seen it on some automatic cars, including mine? I do not know

. Someone fitted it over the last 50 years? Because this bracket was also used for additional fuse box? No idea. Not everything there is 100% regular and easy to explain...

My unsupported or almost unsupported theory is: Mercedes used this bracket in the cad plated nice version on both automatic and manual cars up to a certain moment. For automatic cars they used it for washer reservoir support. Then they changed the bracket to a cheaper one - black painted (there is another part number for it). Used it for automatic for some time to make it more "elegant" for the washer bottle to hang on something. Then they decided: ok, if we do not have the clutch fluid tank, we can delete this bracket because we can just stick this washer bottle and it will hold good enough. We will save a couple of DM.

But it may be wrong. I would have to have some statistics on older cars M or A with or without bracket, assuming they are in original state.

Shvegel · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2018, 20:39:13 »

The later cars had no bracket. The earlier ones did. I have the earlier bracket that you can have(we are both in CLE) You would have to drill the bracket for the small fusebox.

neelyrc · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2018, 23:52:46 »

I do not recall this bracket being present on my car from new. Could have been removed by someone servicing the car over the years without me catching it. Nevertheless, I got dinged 1/4 of a point at the StarFest2018 concourse in May for not having it!

Serial 007749 four speed manual LHD.

MikeSimon · « **Reply #9 on:** August 02, 2018, 00:07:38 »

From what you guys know and say, I guess mine, being an automatic LHD, never had it. Will leave it as is and should get points for being original

Pawel66 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2018, 05:59:11 »

Quote from: neelyrc on August 01, 2018, 23:52:46

Serial 007749 four speed manual LHD.

What is your clutch fluid reservoir attached to?

MikeSimon · « **Reply #11 on:** August 02, 2018, 13:20:44 »

Quote from: Shvegel on August 01, 2018, 20:39:13

(we are both in CLE)

Cool! Do you know whether Ted Gottfried from Hudson and John Grm from Lorain are still around?

neelyrc · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2018, 20:01:25 »

Quote from: Pawel66 on August 02, 2018, 05:59:11

What is your clutch fluid reservoir attached to?

Pawel
Unfortunately I can’t give you an answer right now. I am in Italy 5000 miles away from my car and will not see it again until December. I can’t visualize this accurately from memory. I thought I might have a picture in my lap top but could not come up with one today. I will be happy to reply when back in the US late in the year.

Pawel66 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 02, 2018, 22:37:26 »

Ralph, thank you! This is just out of curiosity - it is good sometimes to chase some of the cases to beter understand how things looked like. If were so kind, you might consider checking it when you are back - just to add to this thread.

Shvegel · « **Reply #14 on:** August 03, 2018, 07:56:30 »

Mike,
I met Ted once at a show about a year ago. Never met John. Not sure how deep you are going with your repairs but I have quite a few of the special tools and things like rolling racks for front and rear axles etc if you need anything.

MikeSimon · « **Reply #15 on:** August 03, 2018, 11:47:43 »

Awesome! Thanks a lot! I may take you up on that offer. I am in North Royalton.
Currently I am only considering to finish the cylinder head (see my other thread "engine cuts off") and then the fuel tank and lines.

Jonny B · « **Reply #16 on:** August 03, 2018, 13:30:34 »

Ted is a good friend of mine, and we stay in contact, he is in fine fettle in Hudson.

neelyrc · « **Reply #17 on:** August 03, 2018, 18:44:03 »

Quote from: Pawel66 on August 02, 2018, 22:37:26

Ralph, thank you! This is just out of curiosity - it is good sometimes to chase some of the cases to beter understand how things looked like. If were so kind, you might consider checking it when you are back - just to add to this thread.

Pawel, will do. I am convinced my car came without the bracket and I want to be prepared if I am penalized again at a Concours.

As you may recall, back in 2016 and 2017, Pagoda Notes included in chronological order the changes instituted in our cars over the years. These issues are available in the Technical Manual. Today I went back to see if I could find any relevant information there. Please take a look at Pagoda Notes, Volume 11 No 1. of January, 2017.

Please note the changes on November 28, 1968, starting with VIN 6619 regarding the change in the Brake Servo diameter increase on LHD cars. Please also look at the two pictures that follow. In the pre-change picture the bracket for the washer bag can be seen. In the post-change picture the bracket for the washer bag does not appear to be there. I suspect that this is when it was discontinued for LHD cars. Perhaps the authors of this listing, Hans Strom and Achim Ahlert can shed some light on this. My car is 7749 and was built in January of 1969, about two months after this change.

Pawel66 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 03, 2018, 21:31:34 »

Ralph, the left picture there shows a car with manual transmission - that may be important as you have to hang the reservoir on something. The rght hand side picture does not show any resrvoir. But... there is some kind of bracket for fuse box.

Also: the part number for the bracket changed over time.

So we have factors:
- time
- manual/automatic
- change of part number
- fuse box
- perhaps US/Europe

I would be surprised if the change of a bracket was so organized and observed: up to/as of certain VIN and 100% adhered to. I am curious what is your clutch fuel resrvoir hanging on.

Hope it is not too hot in Italy now... I love Italy and I wish I were there too

.

neelyrc · « **Reply #19 on:** August 04, 2018, 05:20:11 »

Highs in mid 30s here for the last week. After all it is August! Supposed to be trending downward now. Evenings great!

Pawel66 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 04, 2018, 08:03:51 »

Then it is the same as Central Europe these days.... And evenings are nice indeed!

neelyrc · « **Reply #21 on:** December 05, 2018, 04:25:24 »

Quote from: Pawel66 on August 02, 2018, 22:37:26

Ralph, thank you! This is just out of curiosity - it is good sometimes to chase some of the cases to beter understand how things looked like. If were so kind, you might consider checking it when you are back - just to add to this thread.

Here is a recent a picture I shot showing the area.

Pawel66 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 16, 2021, 17:04:29 »

Thank you. It is not hooked to anything as far as I can see. Just stuck there.

News:

Author Topic: Windshield wiper fluid reservoir. (Read 7433 times)