heater levers replacement

[JamesL]

Take pictures of everything - I know you'll do that for you. But if you have them, keep them and/or post them as you go, others coming behind you can use them as reference.

[yves]

I have worked hard with my fingers    and now the levers are on the Bench . It is a challenge to take them out  almost for the left nut of the chrome strip .
I founded a broken plastic lever at it's junction with the black rubber  and i broke also while i was dismantling the white transparent cylinder which hold the levers together ...
It's the first time for me  to have a look Inside the bulkhead…. and i saw some little problems…  the "air ducts " are very damaged at their Bottom
Above the right one which seems to be easier to remove than the left one      I think i must remove the tacho and wipers to replace the left one…?













the car begins to be a mess !


I think i'll take out the tacho and rev counter so i could replace the left air duct, but i am quite afraid to begin that job….
I'll see tomorow ..!

[jeffc280sl]

all of your issues sound familiar to me including the duct work.  i think i used fiberglass to repair the duct and then painted surfaces flat black.  you might as well keep going and clean and address everything you can from under the dash.  my way of thinking is to do the work once because you don't want to tear it all apart again

[Benz Dr.]

I agree that you can repair small portions of the defrost ducts but if the whole left side needs to be replaced you will find that dropping the steering column will make it a lot easier to work on. New ducts are made out of ABS plastic and they won't break or fall apart like the originals do.

[yves]

 I have ordered new plastics ones ….  I'll have a look to know the better way for the left one, i have not yet thought about taking he column away ! It seems agaijn a very hard and difficult work 
But i have not the technical manual to follow the process  . The BBB is not the good book for !

[mbzse]

.../...you might as well keep going and clean and address everything you can from under the dash.  my way of thinking is to do the work once because you don't want to tear it all apart again

I reason the same way when I take some area of the SL apart - then, the work and refurbish that has been performed will last, many decades, until I no longer can use the car...
You may want to clean out the fresh air ducts with their flaps also, see:
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=28566.msg206707#msg206707

[jeffc280sl]

Good idea Hans.  I thought of refinishing the dask wood while in there.  I took my dash wood to an auto paint shop and had them clear coat the wood.  Has not peeled or weathered in 20 years.  Recovering the dashboard if you have any cracks is also worthwhile

[yves]

I have tried to take out the tacho but i just touch with the end of two fingers the main cable and the knurled nut …! it seems impossible  and i Wonder how i'll  put it back ?  i must do that to have acces for the left air duct .
the technical manual says to do that with an Under dash blind acces  ……. i am sceptic ! is there another way ?  i thought i'll be more easy if i take out the left chrome louvres  but Don't understand also how to do that !



After 2 hours trying ….. i am quite disapointed 

[ja17]

Your on the right path. There is a small round air duct going to the small vent, It slides off and out and will give you a little more room. Removing the chrome vent face will not help at all. Some like to remove the front seat so you can lay on your back and see where you are working.

[jeffc280sl]

good luck.  this is a pain in the a.. job.  worth the effort though

[yves]

Thank you for your encouragement thoughts…..So i'll go this WE ! i hope i'll be able to put back every part...

[yves]

 I have made some progress this early rainy Saturday Morning….:


I am very precautionous  (as say the members in the technical manual) with the capillary line. My wish is to take out completely the central cluster for a better acces to the speedo and for that i must unplug this line….  Can i pull gently and fermly  the brass connector from the housing?



Waiting a advised respons ... i deserved a good coffee ...

[jeffc280sl]

 i dont think the tube can be disconnected from the gauge.  i think you need to pull the engine temperature sensor through the firewall.  an alternative by Joe A is shown below

Disconnect the oil pressure line  (10mm) if you have not yet. The wiring harness in the center can remain installed. Follow the wire harness to the plug under the dash and un-plug it there. Yes, as mentioned, after the small slotted, counter-sunk screw is removed (top center), the back portion of the center cluster can be removed. Next carefully  remove the two slotted screws holding the engine temperature gauge in the cluster. Now the engine temperature gauge can be left in the dash and the center cluster can finally be removed !  Be careful handling the fragile capillary line going to the engine temperature gauge.  You may want to have a speedometer person install the chrome ring it takes some care or you will ruin it or break the glass! I suspect that the professionals have a special tool.
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Joe Alexander

[yves]

So now every thing is almost out…. i have now to pull out the two air ducts …


 
Is there Something i'd forget in my to.do.list:
-Replace the bulbs : BA6es  ( 12V 4 W )   is there another reference for the cluster bulbs ? i have seen some smaller than the BA9ES   but Don't know exactly the reference !
Spray some contact stuff on the dimmer switch
-Lubricate the rods with a syringue
lubricate the wipers mechanism

I have also an issue with the cigar lighter :  the ceramic isolation is broken , is there a glue for ceramic ?




 i have also an erratic speedo needle, is there Something to do on the cable  from the bulkhead end ?

And i forget  the primary Reason why i have taken the speedo out …  it's for adjustment after modification of the axle ratio.
I tried to calculate the ratio by myself because there is no identification plate on it. I found 1.7 round for the drive shaft for 1 Wheel round …
That ratio seems odd , i calculate by jacking the car, block one Wheel up and turn the other one by 1 round and see 1.7 round on the drive shaft. Is it the right way ?


May be my questions are stupid for some of you but i must be sure of the conclusions
That's a lot of questions….Thank's in advance for your advised respons

[mbzse]

.../...taken the speedo out …  it's for adjustment after modification of the axle ratio.
I tried to calculate the ratio by myself because there is no identification plate on it.../...

Here is a posting with some info about identifying the ratio for the speedometer installed in your Pagoda car.
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=26303.msg188344#msg188344

[Pawel66]

When I was assembling the instruments in the dashboard, I used painters masking tape to protect dashboard paintwork.

You may want to replace ALL the bulbs in all of the instruments. Not just those that do not work.

I am sure others will come with advise what other maintenence things to do "once you are in there" - you are going through hell and maximizing benefits may be a good idea.

[jeffc280sl]

I put these pics in another post.  In the future it may be helpful to have the pics as part of this post

[yves]

My speedo counter will be back home soon after adjustment by a specialist.  I have mesured 50 Wheel rounds  and 31.7 drive shaft rounds  , with a Wheel radius of 30 cm,  he has adjusted the speedo by dipping in acid  !  the spiral spring Inside the speedo  which makes the spring more weak  and test on the Bench . He done that four times and check at each test.     
Meanwhile i have replaced the speedo cable  and tested it turning a Wheel , car jacked.
I replaced all the bulbs with leds ..
I  have precautiously fixed the clear plastic of the levers with some "mastic glu" and threaded the worn holes with a heated screw very slowly. I have ordered 2 new very little led bulbs for the levers.

[jeffc280sl]

Great progress being made.  thanks for the update

[yves]

Before reassembling the electric parts of the dash i tested the central cluster and particularly the rhéostat. An Ohm test showed an issue of course…!
So i decided to fix it. When i opened the rhéostat after unwelding its connections , the surprise was to see a jump wire already welded ! so the problem is an old one !
Anyway i went further in the process and i took apart every parts which were all corroded.
As the technic manual says….. i dippped the copper parts  in HCL Acid , and brushed them with a steel wool after water bath. The spring coil was very dirty and had the same process. It needed to be glued in its groove with époxy so it keep its shape in the groove.
I fitted all the refurbished parts together and test with the Ohm tester. Surprisingly it works !














Test with the lever on one  side



And with the lever turned in the other side:

[JamesL]

Awesome skill!

[jeffc280sl]

great work!

[450sl]

Since you are deep in there already, you might want to grease and check the window wipers assembly.

Mark

[yves]

Done…!    i have my speedo back in the garage... i'll put all that in the bulkhead when i'll have time…… after work 

[yves]

This WE is a rainy one , so it's good for working in the garage…!
I have fitted  back the revs counter , central cluster and speedo…  at their place i have prepared the work by a better acces Under the dash :
clutch pedal pushed completely forward , the wiring loom tieted up, the counter holded in place with a foam pad, and a round piece of wood pushed forward with a long wood stick.  a mirror is  also very usefull .
With all that in place,  i was able to go Under the dash and had a direct look for the rev counter  and it was quite "easy" to screw the counter on the dash.
 











Job done  ,