My 124 - 300TE 4Matic Restoration

[Charles Morgan]

Ha - entirely by coincidence I ordered some of that on Sunday. My M535i grilles need doing properly - those have come up very well Bruce, much much nicer than the handle covers.

Now, all you need is some nice satin black for the cam cover...

 

[brucemillar]

Charles. When you get it? Don't get over excited and throw away, what appears to be an empty box. Borrow some binoculars, you will see the dolls house sized bottle hiding behind a spec of dust in the wrapper. It is very good stuff and does only require a few drops (thank God).

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[Doodle]

Bruce, are you sure it's G3? That's a glass treatment (and now called G5) - C4 is the trim restorer.

 

[Charles Morgan]

It's like a Citroen Dealership - it's C4 according to my order details.

 

[brucemillar]

Bruce, are you sure it's G3? That's a glass treatment (and now called G5) - C4 is the trim restorer.

Damm those drugs.... C4 it is.

 

[brucemillar]

So last night was all about a bit more fettling. I may have cracked the "rocking" issue when under acceleration when I discovered that what I assumed (and so did others) were four identical tyres? are not identical. two are P1's and two are P6's. I have a P1 & P6 on each axle. An easy swap to be tested at the weekend when we fir the new discs & pads. It sounds ridiculous that we would miss this. But be assured that the tyres do look so new and so alike, we just never checked (note to self, check, check & re-check)

 

[Charles Morgan]

I saw her today and she is utterly fabulous, in showroom condition. Utterly splendid work that Bruce has been doing!

 

[WDB124066]

I am interested to see how long the door handle treatment lasts Bruce.

I bought a new one for the left side but can't seem to get an IR one for the right side, and like you I have tried a few blackener products but they don't last long.

Could this be the answer...?

 

[brucemillar]

I am interested to see how long the door handle treatment lasts Bruce.

I bought a new one for the left side but can't seem to get an IR one for the right side, and like you I have tried a few blackener products but they don't last long.

Could this be the answer...?

So far so good with the Gtechniq treatment. I too am hoping that it will last for some time. It's expensive at £20 for a tiny medicine bottle. But then you have to balance this with the tiny quantity required to treat the handle's and the cost of either repainting or replacing. It would be bummer, if it simply washes off at the first sign of any shampoo.

 

[brucemillar]

Well this week was all about replacing the ancient brake discs & pads and cleaning and restoring the calipers. My friend came over to help me get the car onto axle stands with all four corners in the air. Not an easy task on the wagon. We opted to jack from the rear diff and lower onto stands placed under the jack pads, then from the front corners. The Discs were very badly worn with lips that Mick Jagger would have died for. Removing the calipers and pad carriers was straight forward enough, using a 19mm socket and a long extension bar (I have a length of scaffold tube). The pad carriers were heavily burred. I at first mistook this for part of the casting. A few minutes in the vice with a file and they came up like new. The hub faces were given a good cleaning with a drill, flap wheel and wire brush. The rear slider pins were cleaned up with the grinder and lubricated. Then all back together with no real drama. I used Pagid Discs & Pads all round - happy with those. While the car was airborne I cleaned and tarted up the suspension arms arches etc. We are now almost ready for Olly's - Benz on The Green - Where I hope that people will be lying on the grass to view the underside of the car.

 

[C43AMG]

Rashman will be the first

 

[Rob77]

Very nice job you've done on the car Bruce. It was nice to see it at BOTG and to chat with you about it too.

Here's a daft question about it though. I'm going to need new top mount rubbers at some point and I noticed the metal clamps that sit on top of your rubbers are very heavy duty looking compared to mine.

Is there a story behind those that I missed?

 

[brucemillar]

Very nice job you've done on the car Bruce. It was nice to see it at BOTG and to chat with you about it too. Here's a daft question about it though. I'm going to need new top mount rubbers at some point and I noticed the metal clamps that sit on top of your rubbers are very heavy duty looking compared to mine. Is there a story behind those that I missed?

Rob

Thank you. It was great to meet and enjoy the sunshine, cars and company.

I believe the top mounts are the stock 4-Matic ones. Happy to be corrected. No story in my ownership

Sent from my iPhone using sausage fingers.

 

[Rob77]

Thanks Bruce, I recall yours looked like they'd been cut from billet or something, whereas mine are just steel with curves to provide rigidity.

 

[grober]

They are possibly different with the later 4matics made of sterner stuff?
Mercedes-Benz Teilekatalog (Ersatzteile online)

 

[Rob77]

They are possibly different with the later 4matics made of sterner stuff?
Mercedes-Benz Teilekatalog (Ersatzteile online)

Thanks Graeme, I think you're right. Part 80 in that diagram looks like the the one I saw in Bruce's car and which differs from mine.

Appologies for interupting the thread

 

[brucemillar]

Part 80 is indeed what I have on my car and does indeed look to be cut from a billet.

I am assuming that they are original to the car which is an early 1987 model (pre Saco).

When we replaced the bushings at the front and rear along with the discs and pads etc. It was apparent that they were the originals but also that they they were in remarkably good condition for their age. In fact the roll bar bushes looked to be hardly worn at all.

 

[brucemillar]

A bit of fettling with a duster in the sunshine.

 

[brucemillar]

Well she failed her MOT. Excessive movement on rear "torsion" arms.

I have to say it was "excessive" with the car on ramps then all four wheels in the air, this is easy to spot by heaving the rear axle back and forth. Not easy to spot with any wheels on the ground or the car lifted on axle stands.

Decided to replace at home with Mrs Millar helping. Getting them out was pain as access is not great. BUt a 19mm socket on an elbow then a couple of extension bars either side and a long pole to heave the wrench and we cracked the nuts. A good soaking in Plus Gas and they came out with not much complaining. New arms and bolts and some leverage on the rear suspension got the new ones in last night. All the other arms had recently been replaced along with the rear bushings. I am unsure why these were not done at the time. But I recall a chat where there was reason mentioned ;^(

I am hoping this may cure my mystery front end wobble when using the 4-Matic as the rear would have been steering the front, to a large degree.

I'm happy they were found at the MOT and no other faults were noted. On a 30 year old car, I will take that every time.

Off for a retest soon.

 

[brucemillar]

The collapsed bushings.