Engine Detailing - Wire & Tube

[Abbas]

Hello,
  While detailing my engine and trying to change some of the old tubes and wires I thought about changing the cotton covered tube that goes into the brake system. Before doing that I checked various other engine pictures and found that all have this small connector (please see picture). Is this connection necessary - what does it do? Or I could just have the tube running from the manifold to the brake system.

Also in the attached picture I have put a small arrow towards a wire that goes into the engine I wanted to know what it does and how can I pull it off then change its position to tigh it well.

Rgrds.

Abbas

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

Download Attachment: PC0801450.jpg
46.32 KB

[hands_aus]

The 'small connector' is a check valve (one-way valve) used to maintain the vacuum in the brake booster, so yes it is necessary.

The 'wire' is the tacho cable and needs to remain straight with no kinks in it.
That doesn't mean you can't secure it as shown in the picture, but it must remain straight or your tacho won't work properly.

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[Abbas]

Thanks Bob,
  I have attached also another picture for the other side of
the brake tube and you see a small container holding both ends.
This seemed strange to me - could it be to compensate for pressure
or does it have another utility?

Also, what does tacho mean and where does the wire
end on both sides, and how can you take it off from the
engine side.

Abbas
Download Attachment: PC1000830.JPG
61 KB

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

[al_lieffring]

Abbas

The plastic piece in photo #2 is a catch basin to prevent any brake fluid that might leak from the brake master cylinder into the vacuuim booster from getting into the intake manifold.

The tachometer is a mechanical gage and is driven by a rotating cable (inside the black tube) that goes from the front left corner of the engine block through the fire wall to the back of the tachometer. There is a threaded collar that twists off where it attaches to the drive fitting on the engine block.

Al

66 230sl
113-042-10-014715
904/396 blue, Ivory Tex
condition: not-as-rusty-as-before-bucket

[66andBlue]

quote:Originally posted by Abbas

 ... Also in the attached picture I have put a small arrow towards a wire that goes into the engine I wanted to know what it does and how can I pull it off then change its position to tigh it well.

Abbas,
take a look at this topic here: http://sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=3097
there are very informative pictures and text posted by Joe Alexander describing how to shim the tachometer drive.

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[Bearcat]

ehh Abbas...what's rust doing in a car in the UAE?....thought it was hot out your way and rust was the devil that lives in our region.

rgds

280SL 1970

[Abbas]

Thanks All,
  Al is the container in the second picture necessary?
I looked at so many other engine pictures non - had it -
which means I can do without it and connect directly to
the master brake cylinder.
 
  As for rust I bought the car from NC, USA a few months ago.
This is the only spot - Warm up device - where some rust shows.

  Alfred thanks for the link quite interesting how it works.

Abbas

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

[hands_aus]

quote:Originally posted by Abbas

Thanks All,
  Al is the container in the second picture necessary?
I looked at so many other engine pictures non - had it -
which means I can do without it and connect directly to
the master brake cylinder.
 
  As for rust I bought the car from NC, USA a few months ago.
This is the only spot - Warm up device - where some rust shows.

  Alfred thanks for the link quite interesting how it works.

Abbas

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

Abbas,

I checked the MB parts catalogue and the little moisture trap was not installed on the RHD cars like mine.

So I figure you will be able to remove it if you want to.

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[al_lieffring]

I have never seen any trapped fluid in these pieces on the cars I serviced, even on cars that had a leaking master cylinder. It is just another of those redundant systems MBZ likes to install on a car.
You would not gain anything by leaving it off, and it would not be any more dificult to reinstall it in the new hose than to remove it, so I would say leave it in.

Al

66 230sl
113-042-10-014715
904/396 blue, Ivory Tex
condition: not-as-rusty-as-before-bucket

[66andBlue]

Al,
I am curious. Looking at engine bay pictures I have seen this plastic bulb only on M127 (230SL) but not on 280SL engines. Is this correct?  Is the trap function perhaps built in somewhere else in the later models?

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[al_lieffring]

Alfred

I realy don't rember at what point in the production the trap was removed from the booster hose.

But a 69 280sl does sound like it would be in the "after" category.

So I change my mind: leave it out.

Al

66 230sl
113-042-10-014715
904/396 blue, Ivory Tex
condition: not-as-rusty-as-before-bucket

[Naj ✝︎]

Al and Alfred,

Do your 230s have this trap?

I think it was a very early 230s thing.

My '65 230 (chassis 009084) did not have one but still had the original vacuum hose with the correct band type hose clips.
I believe Mr. Huber's early 230 (chassis # ?) has one.

naj

68 280SL

[RCS Coupe]

OK, one more voice: my early '67 250 (1519) has that little plastic trap, complete with original hoses still secured by the factory band-and-key hose clamps. Its function is not known to me.

Ray
(268)Green 250 Coupe

[Abbas]

Let me clarify that this is for my second 280 year 1968 chassis
# 113 044 12 002098 which makes it an early 280. My other 1969
#113 044 12 008005 does not have this trap.

Sorry Al for the confusion  

Abbas

280SL W113 1969 Ivory
E280 W124 1995 Silver

[J. Huber]

Hi. Naj is correct on mine -- #871 has the trap. I recall someone once saying it was a "condensation" recepticle or the like.

James
63 230SL

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by J. Huber

I recall someone once saying it was a "condensation" recepticle or the like.

My car has one, built Sept. 1966.  If it's function is to collect condensation, perhaps nobody sees anything because it's seldom a problem, or evaporates again later.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[66andBlue]

quote:Originally posted by naj

 .. Do your 230s have this trap?

Yes Naj,
my 230SL (built Aug. 1966) has the plastic bulb with original clamps. But now I am very much tempted to leave it off when everything gets reconnected again. Frankly, it looks somewhat crummy.

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic