authenticity opinion

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

I was recently criticized for two items on my 230sl engine bay as circled on the attached picture:

(1) I was told the tubing shown with the check valve is to be white plastic type tubing, not black type hose 

(2)  I was told there should be a shroud covering the items circled on the right in the picture.

I cannot find any engine bay pictures (other than the "suggestioner's" car) that shoes this

Ideas an opinions are welcomed

[MikeSimon]

Whatever the reasons were for him criticizing you, well, he was correct about the parts. I will never let anybody judge my car and tell me what is wrong. I like it and that's what people have to live with. if the guys with the straw hats and blue blazers do not, fine with me.

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

Thank you.  I see your pictures are from a 280SL. 
True also for a 230SL. 
If so, suggestions for parts procurement?

[Shvegel]

I think your car is correct but I am not positive. Both the white tube and the rubber cover are for later cars.  Starting with the 250(I think?) the throttle body was heated so there was an extra line running in the area.  On the 280 the lines were relocated and run along the crankcase vent.  I would assume they put them in the common cover to keep the crankcase vent from freezing up.

Here is a picture I found of a 230SL.  It has a lot of issues but it confirms your suspicions.

[114015]

I think your car is correct ....

Dear Sadie,

Pat (Shvegel) is correct on your car.

Can't find anything incorrect on the first quick glance.
Clearly the both circled tubes/hoses/lines) are correct.

Your throttle housing is the only thing which appears to be to me the later style.
Not unlikely...; often distributors and throttle housings were replaced for the later style once during the car's life.

All changes/differences you'll find on any car are usually due to the individual parts change history - which does not necessarily is a question of 230 versus 250 or 250 versus 280. It's always an "up to VIN..." and "from VIN+1..." question.


No reason to worry about....

Achim
('64 230)

[mbpaul]

I have a 1966 230SL which I bought new.  I do not think he person who gave you his opinions is correct.  You did not give the year of your 230SL but I will tell you how it was on the 1966 model.

The hose for the brake booster looks exactly like mine.  Mine has the hose that has been there since new and I say yours is the original one, not a replacement.  If it has been replaced, I doubt if they would have used the type of hose clamps that are shown.  Note that the 280SL picture shows the connection to the manifold is in an entirely different place.

I do not think there was ever a shroud over the hose on the right on my car.  Also, I cannot find one in the parts book that came with the car.

This right hose might or might not be correct.  My car has a gold metal pipe going across the engine and to the intake manifold.  Yours is black and from the picture, it is not obvious if it is metal or plastic.  There was a recall on the 230SL concerning this line not too long after I bought the car in February 1966.  The connection to this pipe was removed, the pipe was plugged and a plastic pipe for the fumes was placed that just ran along the driver's side of the engine to the bottom of the engine.  Pollution laws were not as strict in those days!  What might or might not have been done in this recall is probably not known.  I have reconnected mine like I think it was from the beginning but I am not sure if the connection to the valve cover is correct.

[DaveB]

Hi JB,

I don't think your booster vacuum setup is factory original. The original vacuum hose was fibre-covered rubber as pictured in the 230 engine bay photos above, and the photo below from my May 1965 230. The hose is available new from MB or Authentic Classics. The original style check valves are NLA, the new replacements look like yours. Your hose clamps do look original.

Your crankcase ventilation looks right for the 051 distributor, is your distributor 051? (last three digits on the id plate). I thought the distributor change from 048 to 051 was in 1966, but not sure. It may be as Achim says, the distributor and throttle body have been updated. Below are diagrams from edition B (November 1964) and C (January 1967) parts books.