Does my Gearbox have a fault?

[jaymanek]

Right well i came across this on the W126 mailing list.

COMPLAINT DESCRIPTION:
After engaging shift selector into reverse gear position, transmission seems to momentarily freewheel during throttle application. Reverse then engages with harsh engagement quality.

Now my SL has always done this when going into reverse... my SEC does it but not as harsh.

Ive always just thought it was a characteristic... it has never got worse and many older MB's that ive owned have done this... So never thought any more until i read this post...

The american guy that posted this says the solution is

This sounds like it could need a different intermediate plate. My '88 420SEL had the same problem and this fixed it right up. The car probably had this problem for seveal years before I acquired it, now has only 80k miles, and the car showed lots of signs of missing recalls and updates and maintenance. The new intermediate valve body plate P/N is 140.277.14.14, its about $100. Need to block off one hole in the new plate and reinstall. Transmission doesn't need to be removed, just the valve body. Alldata has the procedure,

Now before i go taking my auto box apart, has anyone heard of this and do you think i should bother... My SL does less than 2K miles a year.

Is this even something to be worried about?

 

[television]

Right well i came across this on the W126 mailing list.

COMPLAINT DESCRIPTION:
After engaging shift selector into reverse gear position, transmission seems to momentarily freewheel during throttle application. Reverse then engages with harsh engagement quality.

Now my SL has always done this when going into reverse... my SEC does it but not as harsh.

Ive always just thought it was a characteristic... it has never got worse and many older MB's that ive owned have done this... So never thought any more until i read this post...

The american guy that posted this says the solution is

This sounds like it could need a different intermediate plate. My '88 420SEL had the same problem and this fixed it right up. The car probably had this problem for seveal years before I acquired it, now has only 80k miles, and the car showed lots of signs of missing recalls and updates and maintenance. The new intermediate valve body plate P/N is 140.277.14.14, its about $100. Need to block off one hole in the new plate and reinstall. Transmission doesn't need to be removed, just the valve body. Alldata has the procedure,

Now before i go taking my auto box apart, has anyone heard of this and do you think i should bother... My SL does less than 2K miles a year.

Is this even something to be worried about?

Yes that fault is listed in WIS as a cure

 

[jaymanek]

is that p/n correct for UK cars as deoesnt show on the price website?

 

[television]

is that p/n correct for UK cars?

I cant answer that Jay without turning on the MB computer. I have seen the blanking off a hole and changing a valve, under extreme conditions drive is lost in reverse or D or may take a long time with little drive.

If I turn on tomorrow, I will try and find it. I cant remember the plate being changed just the blanking

 

[LastMinute]

I found it on a 140 gearbox here (item 504).

 

[bolide]

I think that's common to all MB boxes of that era and the problem is exacerbated when the box is cold

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Sp!ke]

Hmmm... I have a bit of flaring on my w123 between second and third but only on a cold engine. Oil level is correct and gearbox oil is reasonably fresh, is that a common issue also Nick?

 

[jaymanek]

Hmm well the part numbers are totally different for the 107 from what i can se...