W108 Internal Details

[neelyrc]

I’m trying to educate myself on some of the details of my recently purchased W108.  It is a 280SE 4.5, Sept 1971 build date. The heater controls are similar to the W113 but the levers are of metal.  Are the levers pictured standard or are these non-standard after market levers?  If standard, should they have rubber or plastic tips?

Also, what is the appropriate material surface for the rear parcel shelf below the heated rear glass?  Present material appears to be a fine weave carpet.  Somehow it doesn’t appear to be appropriate.

Comments will be appreciated.

[rwmastel]

Google image search.

https://www.google.com/search?q=w108+4.5+heater+levers&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjd9JuszOv9AhX5Mt4AHZasDSMQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=w108+4.5+heater+levers&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzoECCMQJ1DVDFjYPmD6RWgAcAB4AIABzgGIAbUOkgEGMS4xMi4xmAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=guMYZN2rIvnl-LYPltm2mAI&bih=851&biw=360&client=ms-android-verizon

[Jonny B]

Those are not the correct levers. There are other levels that are plastic and are flat as the ones in your photo.  They should not be metal, that was switched out back in mid-1967 (as seen in the list of differences between the mid-1967 250 SLs.

The lever should look sort of like a hook. There is a disc behind it, and I don't know if you can just replace the actual lever or you have to replace the whole disc.

Here is some further information and help on taking the unit out - http://www.jaimekop.com/2012/02/w108w109-heater-levers/
Or contact him - http://www.jaimekop.com/contact-me/

Or have one of the folks attending the NJ event just posted. They are meeting up at his shop

Here is a listing ID number on eBay: 194598893458

I have attached a photo of the exterior lever.

[neelyrc]

Thanks for the feedback fellows.  I had read up on these controls and their replacement and googled a lot of  suppliers of parts.  I had not  seen any offered that look similar thus my question. 

Looking closely they almost have a homemade appearance.  Functionality is perfect.  I’ll put this item on my list of minor gremlins that need sorting out.

[Jonny B]

Ralph

I think that is a very practical approach. I am guessing that pulling the heater controls out of a 108 is not much easier than the 113 (which is a royal pain in the butt).

[Benz Dr.]

That lever shown is for a 111 coupe. 108 levers are similar to a 113 and use some parts which are quite similar.

[ja17]

Good response from Dan. Also, it looks like the previous owner improvised and probably fabricated parts of the heater levers themselves. They should be nearly the same as all the USA delivery W108 and W109 sedans from 1968 on. They are closely the same, as Dan indicated, to the USA delivery W113 cars. The shape of the control tab is different on the slider for the W113 from the sedan versions. The USA cars after 1968 had to follow US DOT regulations and use "soft materials" for knobs etc. on the dash for safety reasons. It is the soft rubber parts of the controls on USA cars which disintegrate and fail from age. Earlier USA MBs, used hard acrylic controls which are more durable and less prone to fail. Most non USA delivery MBs of the era also continued to use the hard acrylic controls into the70's and to the end of the model run. 

[neelyrc]

Thank you Dan and Joe for pitching in here. We are indeed fortunate on the forum to have the input from your broad experience with the Mercs of the period.