Today's Diesela adventure.

[DrEntropy]

Alternator replacement and the right front caliper... while futzin' about in there I found the throttle linkage floppin' around, barely hangin' to the pivot point on the firewall. I drove the car a few days before and thought the turbo had finally gone Tango Uniform. Turns out the poly bushing that the throttle pivots in had turned to dust. Now WHERE on a Saturday afternoon would I find a specialty Benz bit???

Herself has a collection of "stuff". Ribbons, bobbins, beads, old keyboard parts... about anything shiny or remotely intact ends up in her pile of treasures. Well she had some outsized wooden beads... Whacked a quarter-inch off'n two sides, augered out the hole to allow shaft fit, Presto!!! Custom Benz Bits!! Who sez these cars are expensive to maintain?!?! Not after a lifetime of keepin' LBC's runnin' any way possible. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[kennypinkerton]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif Sounds like an excellent cheap fix! I've started getting parts for my Alfa to bring it back to life. Just ordered a fuel pump and regulator, next I'll be ordering silicone replacements for all the vacuum hoses under the hood... I wish I had some just lying around in my wifes junk /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[tony barnhill]

I can just imagine the conversation down the road,"What a DPO! Why in the (you know what) would anybody do that?" hehehehehe

 

[DrEntropy]

mehheh. Can't wait to show it off to my M-B tech pals! They'll roll their eyes an' shake their heads... "Doc's at it again.."

Then show me their newest diagnostic computer interface and tell me about how the latest V-12 MAF sensors are mis-matched. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/pukeface.gif

 

[Bugeye58]

[ QUOTE ]
Herself has a collection of "stuff"...... old keyboard parts...

[/ QUOTE ]

I would imagine 'Smits has a very large pile of those, eh Doc?

Jeff

 

[DrEntropy]

And you are responsible in no small measure there, Jeff.

 

[Banjo]

excellent job Doc! That remindes me of when I had to come up with a door handle cable for a Ferrari 308 in a hurry.. (No- it wasen't me that broke it).. I got the old one out and thought "man this looks like a bicycle brake cable."
Guess where I got a new Ferrari door cable.
And the lawn mower throttle cable I used to replace the rotten seat adjuster cable in the Jag...
That kinda stuff makes me chuckle

 

[R6MGS]

My odd part fix is kinda the reverse of those...The hose for my shop vac broke where the flexy part connects to the adapter at the end....Found a perfect coupler on an old MGA heater box.

 

[DrEntropy]

On th' subject of cables: Owning the Elan S-3 for years I got tired of window cable failure. Went to a boat rigging shop and got stainless guy-wire (think sailboat masts) in several diameters... NO more failures. And the Ferrari thing... cable was on-hand when those things would show up.

I love "rigging"! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

 

[Mickey Richaud]

[ QUOTE ]
Herself has a collection of "stuff". Ribbons, bobbins, beads, old keyboard parts... about anything shiny or remotely intact ends up in her pile of treasures. Well she had some outsized wooden beads... Whacked a quarter-inch off'n two sides, augered out the hole to allow shaft fit, Presto!!! Custom Benz Bits!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Wooden beads, huh? So now you'll have to get an annual termite inspection on 'er! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

Mickey

 

[DrEntropy]

Yup. That and check for possible dry-rot... tho under-hood of a diesel it'd more likely be a simple soot removal exercise. YUCK.

Diesela is a 'dirty girl' indeed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

 

[Steve]

Inspired, truely inspired! My compliments, sirrar!

 

[Bugeye58]

Doc, was it a standard, southern yellow pine bead, or did you go for the high performance teak?
Jeff

 

[DrEntropy]

Pretty soft wood... somewhat "dampening" and decidedly not teak. That woulda been too much vibration "feedback" at the loud pedal. Now on to re-enforcing the broken air cleaner bracket...

Mebbe some old Atari bits in her "collection" will contribute! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

 

[kennypinkerton]

Mercedes Pong?

 

[DrEntropy]

Atari bits were exchew'd in favor of... of... Ready?


ALFA bits!!! The "D" washer from a GTV door bolt was *just right* to secure the broken bracket piece to the manifold.

Diesela is slowly becoming a Hybrid. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif And in under an HOUR, start to finish! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

 

[kennypinkerton]

hehehehhe... I guess that's OK, the Germans and Italians seem to get along most of the time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Horsemits]

Finally, a home for the bead. Although the bead was over twenty years young, it finally paid for the $.20 I paid for it back in the late 70's. I've got three more if'n anyone is interested. Askin' price $1.20 plus shippin'. (A saving of $44.99 plus tax over OEM PRICE). Keyboard parts, perhaps?
($2.00 for a spacebar...$1.00 for F1 key)

Sorry, can't have my bike cable! Still attached.
"****, now I can merge onto the interstate without closin' my eyes"

 

[Horsemits]

Hey, if anyone's interested, I'll send the instructions on how to change out the "O" ring on a cd rom drive with a set of tweezers and a crochet hook. (Doc challenged me by saying it couldn't be done). I know he just trolled me to the challenge.

 

[DrEntropy]

:SNEER: