Installing rebuilt engine

[DavidBrough]

Hi Guys, I am about to collect and install my newly rebuilt engine and was thinking about using a load leveller attached to four head bolts after seeing such a device in use on the Motoring Investments web site. http://motoringinvestments.com/RestoLog5.htm

I have been advised by my engine rebuilder not to disturb any head bolts for this purpose. Is this sound advice ignored by Motoring Investments or is it just over caution. I would welcome any comments as I am sure it would be much easier to replace the engine with a load leveller.

[RBurg]

Dave: off the same subject. did you not have HIGH oil usage before your rebuilt? What did the main and rod bearings look like? Would be interested inseeing a photo if you have one.

Ron - Minnesota
71 280SL Tobacco "O GIGI"
97 E420 Silver Mist

[Benz Dr.]

I use strong nylon straps around each motor mount arm. I also use a bolt through the hole on the end of each arm to prevent the straps from slipping off.
Lifting this way will make the engine tilt back but you need about a 45 degree angle to start it into the engine bay.
I've found that the bolts will bend if you just screw them into the top of the block if the head is removed. I'd tend to agree that you probably should leave all the head screws alone and not try to hook on to them. I also remove the rear throttle linkage on the fire wall before removal or installation. This thing can get in the way, the head will get caught on it and bend it badly.

Dan Caron's
 SL Barn
benzbarn@ebtech.net
 slbarn.mbz.org
  1 877 661 6061

[DavidBrough]

Thanks Dan that’s saved me a lot of heartache.

Ron, I didn’t undertake the rebuild myself so no photos unfortunately. However, I am told that the crank wasn’t too bad but the pistons and rings were shot and showing heavy blow by. I first tried to fix things by just changing the valve guides and seals when the oil consumption was around 1 litre every 200/250 miles. However, this only seemed to make matters worse, probably the extra compression with ground valves etc and I ended up using 1 litre every 150 miles or so. Still hopefully this should solve the problem.

[Rocket]

David,

Having reinstalled my engine recently I can offer some suggestions which may assist.

I rebuilt the entire engine including manifolds, head, power steering, gearbox etc as a unit before install so the engine was ready to run once the fuel lines, water pipes and other linkages were complete. This makes assembly much easier than doing these things once in the engine bay. I think the only thing I left off was the fan.

As Dan says you can use straps but I routed them under the belly of the engine, one loop at rear and one at the front as you can't very easily use the engine mounts with the manifolds on. If you are using an engine crane, make sure the front of the engine doesn't touch the boom and hydraulic ram when at a steep angle. A crane with an adjustable boom is easiest (I had this problem).

Some items also worth reattaching with engine out to make life easier but ones you might not necessarily think about are:

Speedo cable to gearbox
Bolt through the engine mount under the manifold.
Air pipe from manifold to FI pump which runs around the back of the engine (if you have one mines a 230sl)
On rhd cars you also worth doing the solid throttle control linkages under the exhaust manifold, and double check powersteering lines/joints which are a pig to fix if they leak once engines installed as again they are under the manifold.

The engine is very heavy, so I wouldn't use the headholts myself.

I also retorqued the headbolts after only 100 miles which were quite loose, rather than waiting for 600 miles to pass. I repeated this at 600 miles and they didn't really need any further tightening.

Rocket

230SL 1965

[DavidBrough]

Thanks Rocket, useful stuff. I have already put the engine back in the car with most ancillaries fitted but decided to leave the manifolds off for better access to mountings and power steering. All went well until I tried to re fit the throttle linkage on the bulkhead and found it would only go back with the engine out. Thankfully I hadn’t bolted up the gearbox and a small swing to the side with the crane proved enough. So anyone refitting a right hand drive engine remember to put the bulkhead throttle linkage back as the engine goes in.

However, I am currently having difficulty with the Speedo cable, I did try to refit it as the engine went in but it just would not go and I got worried with the unit hanging over the car for so long I decided to do it afterwards. This is still proving troublesome; does anyone have any tips for doing this in situ? Still, many more jobs to keep me going for a while.

[Naj ✝︎]

David,

 

quote:Still, many more jobs to keep me going for a while

Plan to bring the car to the MB club SL day at Ragley Hall 30th July.  

http://www.ragleyhall.com/1-visit/1-map.asp

Does not the inner speedo cable have to be aligned to the drive slot in the box before the outer cable goes in all the way?  :?:

naj

68 280SL

[DavidBrough]

Hi Naj, Unfortunately I am away then so not able to go.

I think that aligning the inner cable my be my problem as there seems to be no way of visually checking. I have tried pushing the cable in its mounting whilst slowly turning the gearbox output flange but so far have had no joy. I’m hoping that someone may know a trick to try instead of endless trial and error turning the inner cable a bit at a time.

[Naj ✝︎]

I think you can pull out the inner cable an inch or two and engage it and then push on the outer one back?

naj

68 280SL

[DavidBrough]

Thanks Naj, I had pondered that but didn’t want to pull the cable out of the speedo head if it could be helped. I think I will fiddle a bit more and then try  pulling the cable out a bit at time and see if I can do it without disengaging the head end.

[DavidBrough]

And the moral of the story is it always fits first time when you go away and have a rest. Success, speedo cable installed.

[Rocket]

David,

Glad you've sorted the speedo as I can offer no useful advice here as mine speedo isn't working for some reason. It is either not fitted to the gearbox correctly, the cable is stretched too much (which naj thinks it might be), or that little shaft is broken in the gearbox itself. I'm planning to sort this shortly.

As to the solid throttle control linkages, you can install these with the engine in place even with the manifolds on but I recall it was a right pain hence why I mentioned it earlier. Having said that my brake servo cyclinder might not have been fitted at the time which might otherwise have been in the way, I can't remember.

Hopefully your return pipe to the power steering won't leak as mine did, as it is very difficult to get your hand and screwdriver up in there to tighten. I ended up putting a second jubilee clip on.

Also before you put the manifolds on (if you haven't already), make sure your starter motor is working fine and wired up correctly. Again another very awkward thing to get at, especially the electrical connections.

Rocket

230SL 1965

[DavidBrough]

Thanks Rocket, manifolds not on yet so I will test the starter first, good tip.

[DavidBrough]

Many thanks to everyone for helping with my engine rebuild, everything is now fully back together and operational. Whilst I did leave the actual internal bit to the experts, I did the rest myself and overall it was not too tricky. Had a few teething problems with the speedo cable and firewall throttle arm but not too bad. However, the main issue was the lack of digital photos during dismantling. I thought I had taken enough but when it came to putting things back together I needed about three times as many. In the end I spent a lot of wasted time using trial and error, searching through the manual for drawings and the motoring investments site for more photos. So, my tip of the day is take a photo of everything you remove, before, during and after to include the pile of bits that go together as well, AND I DO MEAN EVERY LITTLE BIT.