Author Topic: A Puzzle: Top Handle Ball Bearings  (Read 3008 times)

49er

  • Full Member
  • Platinum
  • ******
  • USA, CA, El Dorado Hills
  • Posts: 1426
A Puzzle: Top Handle Ball Bearings
« on: January 22, 2012, 00:37:58 »
Before I stowed my soft top, I removed the locking handles to give them a polish (did the HT handles before putting it back on). When I loosened the set screw on one of them and pulled out the handle, a small ball bearing popped out. No ball bearings in the other three and I will darned if I can figure out where it came from. Any ideas?

John

BTW, putting the HT back on did the trick. We had much needed rain last night:-)
« Last Edit: January 22, 2012, 10:45:24 by 280SL71 »
1969 280SL 003820
Un Restored, All Original, including the paint
Original Owner, Purchased September 18, 1968
4 speed manual, PS. 77217 miles
7280 miles since awoken from her 20+ yr "nap" in 2010

66andBlue

  • Full Member
  • Platinum
  • ******
  • USA, CA, Solana Beach
  • Posts: 4735
Re: A Puzzle
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2012, 01:36:07 »
John,
check whether the ball is in the hole in both locks.
There should be a set screw underneath (I believe) to adjust the tension.
Alfred
1964 230SL manual 4-speed 568H signal red
1966 230SL automatic 334G light blue (sold)
1968 280SL automatic (now 904G midnight blue)

hank sound

  • Guest
Re: A Puzzle
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2012, 02:36:43 »
 ;D Hey John, Don't feel too stupid (after all these years), I doubt that even Paul Bracq would know where that ball bearing came from.   Well, then again..................

Love the rain ;D,

Hank

49er

  • Full Member
  • Platinum
  • ******
  • USA, CA, El Dorado Hills
  • Posts: 1426
Re: A Puzzle
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2012, 03:12:08 »
Alfred, you are the man! I unscrewed the set screw on the other handle and sure enough, there is a ball bearing in the bottom of the threaded hole. Makes sense to me now because there is a detent in the handle and no scratches from the set screw are evident. Pretty clever those MB engineers:-)
 Hank, like said in other post, I learn something new about these cars everyday, thanks to folks like Alfred.

John
1969 280SL 003820
Un Restored, All Original, including the paint
Original Owner, Purchased September 18, 1968
4 speed manual, PS. 77217 miles
7280 miles since awoken from her 20+ yr "nap" in 2010