Early 230SL Engine

[Jordan]

I came across this photo of an early 230SL engine (manual, probably a 63) in a sales brochure I have.  Thought I would psot it for interest sake and hopefully it is large enough to see some of the detail.  How many people still have the bracket for their windshield washer pump?  I guess I'll have to paint mine black.  I notice the clamps on the heater hoses at the firewall look like fuel line clamps and there is a noticable lack of decals from this angle, certainly none on the coolant overflow tank.  There are also 4 rubber pads at the top of the firewall pad instead of the 3 that most have, including myself.  I'm also not seeing the air hose between the brake booster and exhaust manifold.  Maybe these are some of the things that changed with time.

[J. Huber]

Hi Jordan. This photo has surfaced a couple times here (but it never gets old!) It is instructive for seeing how the earliest cars looked. Possibly even pre=production? [Achim?]... Things started to change soon thereafter -- in fact, by my 63 #871, many items were already modified. My tank is not smooth, the wiper bracket is different, I have three rubber pads, etc. You would be wise to find a specimen closer in number to yours to use as a template. I'd say!

We even had some fun playing spot the differences here... Anyway, thanks for sharing the photo again!

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=10399.0

[jacovdw]

There is a hose from the manifold to the brake booster, but is is very different from what we know...

[Jordan]

Thanks gentlemen , I figured it had been posted somewhere but could not find.  The search function only looks for topics and not pictures.  Plugging in something too generic just brings up umpteen threads.  I don't know if anyone has a photo of a late 230SL that is unmolested.  It would have to have been taken in late 66 or early 67 otherwise who knows what little things were altered.

[paults1]

I have seen this photo before in the 1963 sales brochure.  My early '63 is engine #195.  The vac hose goes over the valve cover & the Behr radiator fill/overflow tank is not smooth on the top just like many others.  I have always wondered if this a prototype engine before production. Also many engine parts are not gold cad. 
Paul

[Tomnistuff]

Jordan, your first post comment leads me to believe you still have the washer pump bracket shown in the photo.  Is that true?  Even the EPC doesn`t show that bracket - ever.   Does anyone have that washer pump bracket?
Among the things that seem "not right" about the photo are:
   o   The washer pump bracket (mentioned already)
   o   Brake vacuum hose routing (mentioned already)
   o   Smooth top coolant overflow tank (mentioned already)
   o   Black oxide linkage (mentioned already)
   o   No hood safety strap
   o   Number of hood bumpers on the weld seam
   o   No throttle dashpot
   o   No cold start valve wires (maybe done for photo purposes)
   o   Is there supposed to be a "tower" on the windshield washer reservoir cap like shown in the EPC ?  

I suspect that paults1 is correct and that this photo is of an early prototype cleaned up for publicity photos.
Tom Kizer

[Jordan]

Tom, yes I have the washer pump bracket.  I have not seen another one and would be interested to know if anyone else has one.  There were so many small changes made to the 230SL during its production it is hard to know what is or is not correct some times.  It's one of the reasons I wanted to see a very late unmolested 230SL engine.
Marcus

[glenn]

More evidence that MB never built two alike...   Makes each any every one unique...  and much more valuable.  One of a kind.   Corvette, Mustang, etc  guys can't say that. ..