quote:
Originally posted by Sphe
Hello there. I have just begun the long road to get my 1965 230 Sl running again. It's been sitting in my garage for 7 years, and I was just wondering what I should expect in my future for this project. I've already been working on it for a few days, and after a good cleaning, I found the front rotors to be rusted to the brakes. Any good advice to quickly getting these rotors free? Also, what are the steps to just getting the thing running? I heard there's quite a process to start the engine back up. Note, this car has not be touched for 8 years 
) he he. Thanks for any advice.
A word to any one who will listen. never let any car, much les any Mercedes Benz product sit for this prolonged period of time. The cost of repairing the corroded brakes, Rusty gas tank, and possibly frozen engine and stuck fuel injection pump rack can be extremely hazardous to your checking account.
All of the advise you have been given is spot on. I would assume you will have rust in your tank, so before you do anything else, pull out the sending unit and peer inside. If the tank was full of fuel when stored, you may have lucked out. But surely the fuel has started to revert to varnish so it must be drained and ew fuel installed. Before starting up the fuel pump, I would also inspect the condition of the fine fuel filter to see if there is any rust or pther particulates in the fuel filter.
If you wish to attempt to start the engine. First make certain that it is free. A good bit of advise is to squirt a tiny bit of oil in each cylibder than attempt to turn it over by using a 27MM socket on the front crankshaft bolt. Turn the bolt in a clockwise direction.
If the engine is free, the next thing I would do is turn it over a few more time with the plugs removed to expell the oil so you can expect the plugs to fire if you attempt to start the engine.
The next thing I would do is the check to see of the fuel injection pump rack is frozen as the car will not run well if at all if that rack is stuck. At the front of the pump there is a ten mm nut that appears to be attached to a larger shaft directly behind it. It is a plug that exposes the rack. You must remove that nut then insert a samll punch and push inward to see if the rack is moving and then returning to its original position. it should move about 15 mm total travel.
If the rack is free and you can ascertain that the fuel delivery system is not contaminated with rust, you can then replace plugs, points and try to start the engine.
It will most likely difficult to start as the feul injectors may be
stuck and the lines may be air bound. What I would recommend perhaps before even attempting to start the engine is to lossen each fuel injection line a bit and pump fuel througout until you can see if exiting the area at the injectors. You may wish to disconnect the coil wire at this time to guard against the engine firing prematurally.
Each injector should squirt a perfectly circular atomized pattern. You can observe this by disconnecting them from the head and observing gthe spray attern as soemone turns the engine over. If they donot atomize well, the engine will not run well at all.
You can take them to a fuel injection repair facility and have them pump diesel fuel through them in roder to get them to atomize properly. I do not knowwaht pressures should be used to do this, but perhaps other readers have their TDM books wioth them and can advise.
If all is well with the delivery system, the injectors, and the gnition system, make certian that the fuel injection linkage is operating freely and not binding.
Keep us informed of your success.
Of course you may have a costly problem at hand with the brakes as well. But I would start with the engine first to see how eell it runs. If it does run well and the body didn't suffer too badly during the storage. you may wish to proceed with your project.
If the body is rusty, the engine stuck, and the brakes frozen, you may wish to sell this project as a parts car, as the cost to bring it back may far out pace the end value of the car.
This all depends on how skilfull you are at doing your own work and how inventive you may be at saving dollars on parts, and services.
Good luck and keep us informed,
Pete Lesler
