OWNER TimL

[TimL]

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all of you! Arrived back from Germany and slowly but surely some of the AMG parts are starting to accumulate. Received the NOS rear spring and the NOS front spring and will be approaching two companies to get them replicated (one company in the Netherlands and one here in the U.S.) to complete the set. Also ended up buying two used AMG hydro legs for the rear. Now for the wild goose chase of finding the corresponding HWA front dampers….

My car had been sitting since August and when I started it, it quickly developed the dreaded misfire, so I deinstalled the rotor caps to check for moisture and the right bank was wet. The left bank was bone dry. Wiped the right bank dry, put it back together and now it’s running again. The ignition system really is the Achilles heel of these engines

While at it, I also put on the unmuffled M117 zoom tubes and it actually makes a difference as the intake noise is now a bit more audible, which I really like.

Still shooting for end of 2023 to get the entire 6 Liter saga closed out and in the meantime decided to sell my RIALS to a forum member, as I want to have a bone stock look once the new engine goes in.

 

[bclifton]

Just finished reading all of the posts here - wow. Amazing car - and love your dedication to the details My heart dropped on page 3 when you were talking about selling! But here we are on page 7 where you're putting a 6L into it!

A few people said it - but don't forget to put some miles on it Maybe not using it for a daily commute... but I really do hope you get to enjoy it Maybe a special road trip. The pacific northwest is beautiful

Thanks for sharing

 

[Roma_500E]

Absolutely nice car and the way you treated it deserves a respect .

Personally love the preface lift w124s and so 500E is way to go.

6L conversion is all time mod for these cars.

There are some people who drop M156 or M113K which is cool but not right to me.

 

[500AMM]

Tough to say without seeing it. In many cases, much depending on the type of finish and how its applied, a crack or defect in the woods surface will manifest itself in the finish, too.

As for the rounded edges on the tambour for the center console, I never figured out how Mercedes did that. I figured they finished the piece first, then used some sort of a saw or cutter to cut the pieces into strips. I dont know how else you could get an edge like that. If I recall the sides of the pieces are painted black, so it would be easy to take a piece the size of the tambour strips and with a very sharp edge (guillotine) cutter or blade cut it up into strips. After doing so you paint the edges then glue it onto the fabric to make the tambour.

I wish Drew Tibcken was still with us - he would know it was done.

-D

To my understanding are the tiny tambour wood strips machined out of a larger finished & clear coated plate. Same process for the switch holes, they are machined after the panels are clear coated, hence the sharp edges.

It's really hard to replicate this and my bold theory as for the switch holes, is that filler pieces with an exact fit are pressed in the holes and glued, sitting flush with the surface. Next the clear coating process of the panels are completed giving a smooth even finish across those filler pieces. The clear coat is pretty thick and would "hopefully" not crack up and chip off when the filler pieces are machined out again. But again - this is just my loadly thinking theory, I've never seen it done in real life.

 

[TimL]

Hi Kipp, I had that done at a car wrap shop here in Bellevue and unfortunately dont recall the name of the color they used. But its close by my house, so I will swing by there with my car and ask them

@kegmankipp, I finally had some time to swing by the wrapping place and they used 3M gloss black automotive vinyl film #2080 for the rear window stay bars

 

[kegmankipp]

@kegmankipp, I finally had some time to swing by the wrapping place and they used 3M gloss black automotive vinyl film #2080 for the rear window stay bars

Many thanks Tim!

 

[Jlaa]

@kegmankipp, I finally had some time to swing by the wrapping place and they used 3M gloss black automotive vinyl film #2080 for the rear window stay bars

Did they have to take them off or leave them on?

 

[TimL]

No need to take them off. Took my car there and he could immediately tell when looking at it what material it was.

For comparison I attached a picture of the wrapped stay bar that is currently on the car compared to a NOS stay bar I was able to find recently

 

[luckymike]

I did a test years ago, covering the stays and the rear window chrome with electricians tape. I used 3M Scotch 33. It worked so well I just left it and years later it's still on there. Clean well, don't stretch when applying.

 

[TimL]

A sad day, I just shipped my RIALs off to the buyer in California. I really love those wheels and thought I'd never sell them, but here we are - gone

 

[Jlaa]

After graduating I worked for Mercedes for a couple of years and then I had a chance to work in the U.S. for Recaro. When I got to the States I bought a used C43 AMG.
View attachment 110456View attachment 110453View attachment 110454View attachment 110455

While it was a good car in great condition, it felt underwhelming, as it didn’t really live up to the performance expectation I had in my head when I bought it, so I sold it on after a few years.

Hi @TimL, I would be fascinated to hear why the C43 did not live up to your performance expectations (and conversely why the E500E did indeed live up to those expectations).
Thanks.

 

[TimL]

My dad had a C36 AMG for about a year when it was new and I had very fond memories of that car. I remembered it as a frantic, eager to rev car that was quick and sounded amazing compared to any other Mercedes at that time. I thought, somewhat naively, that the C43 AMG had to be even better in terms of excitement (because "progress") and so I bought one when I came over to the U.S. So maybe my expectations were too high for the car from the get go.

Throughout my three years of owning it, I found it to be an underwhelming experience all around. It always felt way too close to an E430 in terms of performance. Torque and hp was not much more than the regular 4.3 Liter it was based on and that wasn't a very sporty feeling engine to begin with. In addition to somewhat lackluster go, I also though the car was way too nose heavy and much less agile than the C36.

The 500 E on the other hand is just as I remembered it from when it was new. Torque is massive and early and the handling is so much more neutral with way less understeer than the C43. I guess that might be a function of the better weight distribution. Plus, for me, no amount of AMG bumpers and rocker panels can make up for those beautiful flared fenders and unique headlights of the 036.

Anyway, this is just my personal opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone who is a fan of the C43 with any of the above. Whatever floats your boat. The rest is just noise

 

[TerryA]

+2, @Jlaa, @TimL, I agree w/ Tim also. I test drove a C36 and really loved it and for a while I really wanted one but it was not to be. I drove my friend’s C43 in the UK for a day from London to the coast and back. It did not empress me like the C36 did. My preference to this day would be the C36.

I think it was way more unique w/ the AMG built six. I guess it was just the right combo of weight distribution or whatever but it felt better when I drove it.

 

[Jlaa]

…wasnt a very sporty feeling engine to begin with. …car was way too nose heavy and much less agile than the C36.

+2, @Jlaa, @TimL, I agree w/ Tim also. I test drove a C36 and really loved it and for a while I really wanted one but it was not to be. I drove my friend’s C43 in the UK for a day from London to the coast and back. It did not empress me like the C36 did. My preference to this day would be the C36.

I think it was way more unique w/ the AMG built six. I guess it was just the right combo of weight distribution or whatever but it felt better when I drove it.

Thank you gentlemen for your thoughts! It sounds like engine character and chassis balance … all “feel” based ideas, were your main criticisms of the c43.

I have never been in a c43 but I have ridden in @Ntrepid ’s c36 before he restored it and that engine certainly felt suuuper exciting.

 

[TimL]

Thank you gentlemen for your thoughts! It sounds like engine character and chassis balance … all “feel” based ideas, were your main criticisms of the c43.

I have never been in a c43 but I have ridden in @Ntrepid ’s c36 before he restored it and that engine certainly felt suuuper exciting.

Yes, totally, @Jlaa, the above is all just based on feeling. To my mind the W202 chassis was totally fantastic. A solid, reliable and very nice to look at car (at least pre-facelift) that had just the right dimensions and packaging. It's just that as a C43 it FELT underwhelming to me

 

[TimL]

Bought a 30mm AMG replica front sway bar from Blue Ridge and shipped the NOS AMG springs I had bought off to Intrax in the Netherlands to get them replicated. Also talking to them about replicating the AMG struts. We‘ll see how it goes. Hope to have all the parts ready for the 6L switch, including the suspension by summer

 

[TimL]

I just received the two new rear axles I recently purchased from the dealer (124-350-00-02). According to Steve, the axles on my car are in really good shape, but I’m getting more and more paranoid about the NLA situation and seeing what some of the sellers want for NLA NOS parts these days, I decided it’s better to buy these now while they are still available than getting taken to the cleaners down the road. Since Steve will be installing the Wavetrac rear differential in March, I‘m contemplating to have him also install these new axles, since he is messing around back there anyway.

I also received two bottles of Motul Gear 300 75W-90 from a Canadian seller, so should be all set for when the car goes in for service in March. It’s only in May, but I am really looking forward to the road trip to the IMSA race in Laguna Seca. Hopefully this time without a leaky coolant hose

 

[Jlaa]

I just received the two new rear axles I recently purchased from the dealer (124-350-00-02). According to Steve, the axles on my car are in really good shape, but I’m getting more and more paranoid about the NLA situation and seeing what some of the sellers want for NLA NOS parts these days, I decided it’s better to buy these now while they are still available than getting taken to the cleaners down the road. Since Steve will be installing the Wavetrac rear differential in March, I‘m contemplating to have him also install these new axles, since he is messing around back there anyway.

I also received two bottles of Motul Gear 300 75W-90 from a Canadian seller, so should be all set for when the car goes in for service in March. It’s only in May, but I am really looking forward to the road trip to the IMSA race in Laguna Seca. Hopefully this time without a leaky coolant hose

Awesome! We are the “spare axle fan club!”
I got these for $666 delivered, per side. Hopefully you got a better price than I did.

 

[sheward]

I may be next...

Or, I may be interested in buying your used axles Tim, or Jlaa. I have the boot kits.

 

[TerryA]

I purchased a used axel for $120.00 shipped from a junker in Georgia thinking I had a noisy axel. Turned out it was better than the one in my car that was perfectly OK. I did install the new used one and now I have a spare one.

My advice to you guys is leave the original ones on your cars unless they are absolutely shot ie; unless bad rubber boots, noisy or maybe sloppy tolerances when you rock a wheel back and forth.

PS: Changing an axel is an easy job. You just need the correct torques? socket. gsxr knows what socket tip you need. I can’t remember the name.

 

[TimL]

Had sent the NOS AMG front and rear spring I bought a little while ago out to Intrax in the Netherlands so that they could evaluate what it would take to replicate them. They did their thing, including all the required measurements and calculations and confirmed they can replicate the springs and their characteristics to a T. So I just ordered a complete set and should hopefully have them sometime by May.

I'm also having them look at replicating the AMG shocks, as they are not able to repair the used AMG rear shocks I had purchased a few months ago (they are leaking). That's a bit more complicated than the springs, but we'll see if they can come up with a solution. So far I only know that they will not be able to replicate the look of the shocks, but they can replicate their performance, so I need to think a bit more about that and whether I want to go down that route or keep looking for that unicorn NOS set that surely must exist somewhere out there. We'll see.....

How I wish it was 2016 when these were still available new from MB. Instead you have to go down these damn bunny paths to circumnavigate the NLA situation, which is increasingly getting on my nerves. Alas, there is nothing that can be done about it

 

[TimL]

Just unpacked the Blue Ridge reproduction AMG front sway bar that I had purchased a while ago. It has a 30mm diameter with thinner end portions, just like the original. Will have that installed towards the end of the month/beginning of May, before the road trip to Laguna Seca.

Hopefully I will also have the reproduction AMG springs back from Intrax by that time, so it all can be installed on the car at the same time, together with the new wavetrac limited slip differential that’s been lying around for a while.

The leaking AMG rear shocks went to Nagengast in Poland last week but not sure if they can really fix it. They claim they can. We’ll see. I’d much prefer if I could still get a new set. Placed the order for both, rear and front shocks and hope to hear back soon if they can actually fill that order or if it’s gone NLA

 

[TimL]

I recently bought a German language W124 book and just received it (made my brother schlepp it from Germany to Tokyo ).

It has a very informative section on the 036 that includes some pictures that I had never seen before and I thought I’d just post the entire 036 section.

Will post it properly in the literature section with scans etc. once I get back to the States.

 

[TimL]

I went to J-Auto in Tokyo today and I guess it is every bit as impressive as I thought it would be. They had a 500 E and an E60 for sale in their showroom and a vast array of rare parts, including E60 cams and a full used e60 suspension set in immaculate condition, as well as all the interior parts you could hope for.

I was a bit early so stood and waited a little outside till opening time. As I was waiting an E60 Evo pulls into the parking lot and the gent who gets out of the car unlocks the store. I guess the lunatics are indeed running this particular asylum Good on him, I say!

Alas, as promising as all this was, I was not able to purchase anything from him. He didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Japanese, so we went back and forth a bit via translation app. No matter what part I asked for, he always said he couldn’t sell it to me. When I asked about the HWA1243201530 front shocks that were sitting there he laughed and said these were his own and he would only sell these once he sells his E60 Evolution which started life as a 92 500 E. In other words: never.

He was very nice and apologetic, but not willing to sell anything, not even some 500 E interior parts. I am a little disappointed and really wish I had a local Japanese person who could have come with me to the store. Maybe then the man would have been a little more open to sell parts

Didn’t want to be impolite and take pictures inside his store to foster some of his resentments, so I only got exterior pictures for you guys.

Oh well, I shall drown my disappointment in 10-15 pints of Asahis’s now

 

[a777fan]

Sorry to hear you found a museum instead of a storefront Tim.

I can’t think if anything more frustrating than owning a high performance sedan in Japan. The number of high displacement and high optioned mercs, including the AMGs, has always been a bit of a mystery to me.

 

[TimL]

Sorry to hear you found a museum instead of a storefront Tim.

I can’t think if anything more frustrating than owning a high performance sedan in Japan. The number of high displacement and high optioned mercs, including the AMGs, has always been a bit of a mystery to me.

Hate to admit it Jon, but in the back of my German mind I think the same holds true for the U.S.. Driving a 500 E in the U.S. is frustrating compared to Germany, as the fabulous high speed stability and pull that the car shows on unlimited roads is the strong side of the car and here we are trundling along at 60-80 miles an hour

That’s why I’m getting a 6 Liter engine swap done

 

[TimL]

No matter how often I come visit, Tokyo always proves to be a stunning city

 

[Jlaa]

No matter how often I come visit, Tokyo always proves to be a stunning city

So the two Asahi Super Dry billboards worked? .

Where are you situated? I have had many great meals around Shinjiku!

 

[Jlaa]

Sorry to hear you found a museum instead of a storefront Tim.

I can’t think if anything more frustrating than owning a high performance sedan in Japan. The number of high displacement and high optioned mercs, including the AMGs, has always been a bit of a mystery to me.

Indeed @TimL sorry to hear of the disappointment…. But I guess its the experience that counts!!

On the note of frustration, I just got back from Singapore —- same deal. Aside from the gazillions of Rolls Royces I saw in this city of only 5.5 million, I also so soooooo many Mclarens, Lambos, Ferraris, etc etc etc sooooo many supercars. Where can one exercise the potential of such a car in such a dense metropolis?????

 

[ArauzMotoring]

So cool that you got to check out J-Auto, shame that you couldn’t get them to sell you anything, though.

Love how this car is coming together with the 6.0 and AMG suspenso goodies. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the upgrades!

Also would love to hear if intrax will replicate the amg rear springs and make then available for purchase.

 

[TimL]

@ArauzMotoring, Intrax is replicating both, the front and rears and should have my set ready in the next two weeks.

I would assume that they would be able to sell anyone a new set thereafter, as long as you ask them. I will check with them and report back. Price was thought

 

[TimL]

My brother brought a magazine to Tokyo that I recently bought in Germany. It’s an MB Sales Germany internal magazine that I still remember from way back when my dad used to work at Mercedes. It was intended to educate the Sales organization on new products.

I had read somewhere that one of them was dedicated to the 500 E but could never find a copy anywhere. About a month ago I stumbled over a copy that was offered for sale so I immediately bought it.

A lot of the photos are from the Feuer and Seide brochure but some I hadn’t seen before. Text is very informative and kind of funny to see that they benchmarked it against the M5 (for which they got the torque figure wrong )

I will post these in the proper section once I get back home and have a chance to scan it.

 

[TerryA]

@TimL, Very Nice , Make sure you translate it to English also.

Just seeing the pics is great.

Thanks for posting.

 

[RicardoD]

TimL, I was very close to visiting J-auto when I was in Tokyo last year for work. Glad I missed it now and next time I will only try to go if I have my Japanese friend with me.

 

[TimL]

I got confirmation from Intrax today that the E60 replica springs, as well as the original NOS front and rear spring they modelled them of off have been sent on their way to the U.S. today, so I should have them here within the next two weeks.

Coincidentally, I also got confirmation from Nagengast today that the repaired E60 shocks should be at my doorstep next week. Unfortunately that means that I won't be able to get any of this installed before my road trip to Monterey in the week of May 8, but I'll just have to get that done afterwards, together with the Blue Ridge 30mm front sway bar E60 copy that's been laying around for a little now.

Picked up a few more NOS parts (water pump, grill insert, right hand side hood rubber seal, left hand side seat heater switch and an engine encapsulation/tray). All of them are intended as NLA insurance, but I keep telling myself to stop with that activity and instead focus on getting the 6 liter torn down and then installed into the car. Obviously I haven't been able to successfully convince myself At this rate it will take another two years to get the engine transplant done

 

[Draginev]

I went to J-Auto in Tokyo today and I guess it is every bit as impressive as I thought it would be. They had a 500 E and an E60 for sale in their showroom and a vast array of rare parts, including E60 cams and a full used e60 suspension set in immaculate condition, as well as all the interior parts you could hope for.

I was a bit early so stood and waited a little outside till opening time. As I was waiting an E60 Evo pulls into the parking lot and the gent who gets out of the car unlocks the store. I guess the lunatics are indeed running this particular asylum Good on him, I say!

Alas, as promising as all this was, I was not able to purchase anything from him. He didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Japanese, so we went back and forth a bit via translation app. No matter what part I asked for, he always said he couldn’t sell it to me. When I asked about the HWA1243201530 front shocks that were sitting there he laughed and said these were his own and he would only sell these once he sells his E60 Evolution which started life as a 92 500 E. In other words: never.

He was very nice and apologetic, but not willing to sell anything, not even some 500 E interior parts. I am a little disappointed and really wish I had a local Japanese person who could have come with me to the store. Maybe then the man would have been a little more open to sell parts

Didn’t want to be impolite and take pictures inside his store to foster some of his resentments, so I only got exterior pictures for you guys.

Oh well, I shall drown my disappointment in 10-15 pints of Asahis’s now

This is so nice! I just remembered that I have seen those cars and the shop before so I went to search in Youtube and found it again. They really had rare parts too. I hope you enjoyed the visit in Tokyo.

 

[Jlaa]

Picked up a few more NOS parts (water pump, grill insert, right hand side hood rubber seal, left hand side seat heater switch and an engine encapsulation/tray). All of them are intended as NLA insurance, but I keep telling myself to stop with that activity and instead focus on getting the 6 liter torn down and then installed into the car. Obviously I havent been able to successfully convince myself At this rate it will take another two years to get the engine transplant done

@TimL - well done so far and enjoy the process - don't be a in a rush (and clearly you are not in a rush!) The journey is the fun part!!!

 

[TimL]

@TimL - well done so far and enjoy the process - dont be a in a rush (and clearly you are not in a rush!) The journey is the fun part!!!

@Jlaa. I wanted that AMG engine serviced, shipped and installed yesterday, so you are mistaking lethargy for strategy

The real problem is that reading the board freaks me out to no end about the NLA parts on a daily basis. Considering that this thing is now my forever car, I have developed an unhealthy habit of running after any 036 NLA squirrel I see to avoid getting screwed down the road. Which in turn translates into earmarked engine budgets to be eaten up by bunny path NLA chases.

I either
1) stop hoarding or
2) let the engine transplant slip another year or
3) rob a bank

Those are the three options. “Enjoy the journey” my foot!

 

[steve h]

Indeed @TimL sorry to hear of the disappointment…. But I guess its the experience that counts!!

On the note of frustration, I just got back from Singapore —- same deal. Aside from the gazillions of Rolls Royces I saw in this city of only 5.5 million, I also so soooooo many Mclarens, Lambos, Ferraris, etc etc etc sooooo many supercars. Where can one exercise the potential of such a car in such a dense metropolis?????

I lived in Singapore back in 2010, & you are right, there are tons of Lambos/Ferraris/RR that cost more than twice you pay in Europe or USA.
Plus you cannot drive fast anywhere. We even got a speeding ticket in a Singapore registered car while driving in Malaysia, that they sent through to us in Sing.

 

[steve h]

This is so nice! I just remembered that I have seen those cars and the shop before so I went to search in Youtube and found it again. They really had rare parts too. I hope you enjoyed the visit in Tokyo.

I was there in January of this year with 2 fluent Japanese speakers ( Japanese wife & son) & we got the same runaround when you want to buy something. I think they only want to sell parts & fit them to client's cars, as they have a shop on the other side of the street which works on the cars. Also the Japanese will pay obscene prices for stuff if they perceive it to be "exclusive"
I have to say that all the parts I saw were top quality

 

[gsxr]

I was there in January of this year with 2 fluent Japanese speakers ( Japanese wife & son) & we got the same runaround when you want to buy something. I think they only want to sell parts & fit them to clients cars, as they have a shop on the other side of the street which works on the cars.

Ohhhhhh. That's a good possibility... and disappointing, if accurate.

 

[maw1124]

@TimL we obviously feel your struggle. The good part is these parts are generally robust, so most times once you replace the offending part you’re OK for the next 20 years. Plus we have each other to source and trade with. But you DIY guys have an edge. Lately fewer and fewer people want to touch the car for fear of breaking something that’s unavailable, some brittle plastic somewhere. You end up with fewer small projects and way more “while you’re in there” jobs to keep from repeatedly opening up the patient. Knock on wood but so far, so good. Keep fighting the good fight.

maw

EDIT… by the way, of your choices, I’ve opted for “stop hoarding”. Once I buy the parts, they go into the car the next service. Clears out the hoard. I have a stack of M3 parts to sell now because new parts just went in.

 

[TimL]

Just got my car back from service up at MB Lynnwood where they did an oil and filter change, a cap and rotor change (had the good old misfire after it sat for a while) and a complete check all around in preparation for my road trip to Monterey next week. According to Steve everything looks good and I ought to be able stretch the car’s legs without concern. I picked a couple of really nice roads in southern Oregon and Northern California and thankfully have one more day than last year to get to Monterey before the IMSA race, so more time to go down some twisting backroads like I mean it!


I made an appointment for two weeks after I come back to do a post-trip inspection to replace whatever might not have survived and to get the following things installed:

1. Intrax E60 replica springs
2. Blue Ridge E60 replica front sway bar (30mm)
3. Rear E60 shocks (finally came back from the Nagengast overhaul)
4. Sportline front LCAs (current standard ones are only 4 years old but I want to stiffen the suspension as much as I can with MB parts. Unfortunately still missing the AMG front shocks )
5. Wavetrac LSD

The Intrax springs turned out ok. Some of the part marking I had specified was poorly done, so I’m not all that impressed considering how much it cost to get these springs made. However, they assure me that they match the spring rate of the originals I had provided them with to a T. Just wondering if you can’t get the part markings right, how can you assure good execution of more complex things? Will reach out again to Intrax when I get back from my trip to discuss the matter, but in hindsight I should have just gone with the Japanese replicas that @500eforme purchased - they might be 1% off the spring rate but they got the part markings right

I might also get the new rear axles installed, as well as new wheel bearings and wheel hubs all around while the wavetrac thing is happening but not certain about it yet since what’s on the car is in good shape (more of a “while in there there“ type of thing). I think I will do it though, so things are ready for when the 6 Liter drops in, which definitely will be 2024 now. i just went down too many parts bunny paths this year to be able to still fit in the engine refurb and install

 

[gsxr]

... MB Lynnwood where they did an oil and filter change, a cap and rotor change (had the good old misfire after it sat for a while)

Tim, if Steve didn't add the vent slots to the new caps... you may have the same issue again. Replacing the caps may only be a Band-Aid. I would strongly recommend adding slots to new caps (details here). Takes ~30 mins with a Dremel, no need to remove the wires from the caps, or remove caps from the car. Unbolt caps, leave wires attached, rotate for access, cut slots, re-install.

How old were the previous caps/rotors, btw? If fairly recent you could have kept them as spares.

1. Rear E60 shocks (finally came back from the Nagengast overhaul)

I really don't like the rubber bushings they installed. That's a low-budget solution and may compromise the intended performance vs the original Mercedes design, which is a metal spherical joint, similar to the lower wheel carrier support joint. Can't tell for sure but it seems like the rubber bushing they installed would allow far too much deformation / movement, for a component that is supporting part of the vehicle weight at all times. Previous discussion here, note the BMW bushing used was a different rubber bushing (variation of Nagengast solution). I don't know how to get the proper spherical joint without cannibalizing new SLS shox.

1. Sportline front LCAs (current standard ones are only 4 years old but I want to stiffen the suspension as much as I can with MB parts.

Keep those 4-year old units!!! Especially if they are late-style LCA's!! All the OE LCA's are NLA now. Early style can have all the wear items replaced with OE (parts not NLA yet), but the late LCA's cannot have the ball joint replaced...

I might also get the new rear axles installed, as well as new wheel bearings and wheel hubs all around while the wavetrac thing is happening but not certain about it yet since what’s on the car is in good shape (more of a “while in there there“ type of thing). I think I will do it though,

New rear axles wouldn't hurt, ditto for new bearings, in preparation for the 400hp upgrade. New hubs all around are NOT needed unless the existing ones are damaged.

so things are ready for when the 6 Liter drops in, which definitely will be 2024 now. i just went down too many parts bunny paths this year to be able to still fit in the engine refurb and install

If only the engine is being swapped, and minimal other work is performed, this is only about 15-20 hours labor for 1 person (this also includes dropping/reinstalling the exhaust & transmission). The time consuming part is prepping the engine on the stand and getting it ready to install. The actual swap is straightforward. I'd need to check my notes but from memory, it was 6-8 hours to having the engine+transmission out of the car, and 10-12 hours to re-install. Installation takes longer due to torqueing bolts, aligning exhaust, refilling fluids to proper level, yadda x3. With 2 or more techs working on the car, total time would be even less.

 

[TimL]

Tim, if Steve didnt add the vent slots to the new caps... you may have the same issue again. Replacing the caps may only be a Band-Aid. I would strongly recommend adding slots to new caps (details here). Takes ~30 mins with a Dremel, no need to remove the wires from the caps, or remove caps from the car. Unbolt caps, leave wires attached, rotate for access, cut slots, re-install.

How old were the previous caps/rotors, btw? If fairly recent you could have kept them as spares.




I really dont like the rubber bushings they installed. Thats a low-budget solution and may compromise the intended performance vs the original Mercedes design, which is a metal spherical joint, similar to the lower wheel carrier support joint. Cant tell for sure but it seems like the rubber bushing they installed would allow far too much deformation / movement, for a component that is supporting part of the vehicle weight at all times. Previous discussion here, note the BMW bushing used was a different rubber bushing (variation of Nagengast solution). I dont know how to get the proper spherical joint without cannibalizing new SLS shox.

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Keep those 4-year old units!!! Especially if they are late-style LCAs!! All the OE LCAs are NLA now. Early style can have all the wear items replaced with OE (parts not NLA yet), but the late LCAs cannot have the ball joint replaced...




New rear axles wouldnt hurt, ditto for new bearings, in preparation for the 400hp upgrade. New hubs all around are NOT needed unless the existing ones are damaged.




If only the engine is being swapped, and minimal other work is performed, this is only about 15-20 hours labor for 1 person (this also includes dropping/reinstalling the exhaust & transmission). The time consuming part is prepping the engine on the stand and getting it ready to install. The actual swap is straightforward. Id need to check my notes but from memory, it was 6-8 hours to having the engine+transmission out of the car, and 10-12 hours to re-install. Installation takes longer due to torqueing bolts, aligning exhaust, refilling fluids to proper level, yadda x3. With 2 or more techs working on the car, total time would be even less.

Thank you Dave, as always! I will keep the front LCAs for sure. I guess the rear shock bushings could get the ones from the shocks that come off the car or if those aren’t good anymore then I’ll have to bite the bullet and buy a new set of shocks to sacrifice.

The engine will be completely torn down by Stern Garage with new head gaskets, bearings, etc and then it will get all the parts necessary to make it compatible with the 036 (The engine is off an R129). Once all that is done I need to get the engine shipped over from Germany, have the current engine removed and get the engine from Germany Put in. From estimates I received so far for these various steps, it will be approximately another $30k till its all said and done, so it will end up getting done in 2024.

Regarding the slotting of caps, Steve is aware of it, has done it on several occasions on his cars and it hasn’t done any good. I know others here had different experiences but I won’t get in the business of telling Steve how to do things I hope these will be the last caps and rotors for this engine though

 

[Jlaa]

I might also get the new rear axles installed, as well as new wheel bearings and wheel hubs all around while the wavetrac thing is happening but not certain about it yet since what’s on the car is in good shape (more of a “while in there there“ type of thing). I think I will do it though, so things are ready for when the 6 Liter drops in, which definitely will be 2024 now. i just went down too many parts bunny paths this year to be able to still fit in the engine refurb and install

I would love to do this myself and it is kind of a "while you are in there scope creep" kind of thing ---- I have the same idea as you. I want to:

Replace diff with wavetrac that I have. Well, I might as well then replace the axles with my new axles. Well, might as well replace the aft rear subframe bushings ... hell, just drop the rear subframe and replace all those bushings and repaint the rear subframe .... but ..... I gotta drop the exhaust to do that ..... OK I have a new catalytic converter and crossover pipes I should install while I'm at it ...... etc etc etc etc..... I am sure my car would be up in the air in my garage for several months.... While I sort through God know how many screw ups on my part..... The question is where to stop?

BTW PanAm and bare feet FTW!

 

[TimL]

I would love to do this myself and it is kind of a while you are in there scope creep kind of thing ---- I have the same idea as you. I want to:

Replace diff with wavetrac that I have. Well, I might as well then replace the axles with my new axles. Well, might as well replace the aft rear subframe bushings ... hell, just drop the rear subframe and replace all those bushings and repaint the rear subframe .... but ..... I gotta drop the exhaust to do that ..... OK I have a new catalytic converter and crossover pipes I should install while Im at it ...... etc etc etc etc..... I am sure my car would be up in the air in my garage for several months.... While I sort through God know how many screw ups on my part..... The question is where to stop?

BTW PanAm and bare feet FTW!

@Jlaa, feet now edited out and PLEASE don’t start talking about rear subframe work as being part of “while in there”- I will NEVER get done if I keep listening to you!!

 

[TimL]

Embarked on my road trip from Seattle to Monterey yesterday. Fairly boring I5 slog the first day to Grants Pass. Hit 110k miles during that stretch. Real fun drive this morning from Grants Pass to Crescent City. Now in Ferndale and will drive Matolle Road to Petrolia now and on to Redway, all of which will be out in the Redwoods and should be really twisty stuff. Plan to end the day in Fort Bragg

 

[kegmankipp]

See you Friday!

 

[TimL]

Holy Moly, Matolle Road, as well as the road from Petrolia to Briceland were a total shit show! Potholes the size of Luxemburg and long stretches of it degraded into a dirt road. As much as I love the insane twists and turns, I love my suspension more and won’t be driving that road again