Pick-Up arrived / Axles ...

After waiting two years for the car from Argentina, I had to wait another - more than - two years ... but the Pick-Up is back! It looks fantastic imho and Timo and Ano have done a superb job. Looking forward to conserving the car this week!

Conservation started ...

I could start the conservation by building a little "shower cabin"; as "usual" with me Fluid film everywhere and - second step - a transparent wax (Teroson). Works for me; I know that the different methods of conservation are like a religion ;-)

So today a very rare photo of me ... at work!

Doors at home started ...

Noise damping in progress ...

First time on wheels ...

Hard working day for Juergen and me today: We finished the rear axle and put both axles into the car. All looks nice and tidy and it's a great feeling to see it on wheels for the first time.

The great work of Stefan pays off now ... to me it's just perfect!

Steering components will follow tomorrow and - maybe - motor and gearbox ... let's see!

Motor / Gearbox is in!

Harness / Aircon started ...

More bits and pieces ...

So, five days of working at Mercedes in a week (!) ... pretty knackered ;-) ... progress got a bit better, but there's no "so much to see", when you do cables nicely or finish other bits and pieces. Harness is in, front and back, the radiator and some cooling hoses as well ... so it slowly works out. Important things like the horns are installed ;-) ... I do hope, that next week we complete the steering and can put in the drive shaft!

More bits and pieces (II) ...

Another full 5-day week at Mercedes. Lots and lots of work with little bits and pieces. For example, the interiour light ... takes an hour to fiddle the cable through the A-pillar, get it crimped and put in nicely. Regarding "bigger" pieces ... the tank is in as well as the drive shaft!

Condenser, fan, fuel pump, ABS unit and lots of other little things, e. g. proper ground connection. Steering column is started, but had to be taken out twice now ... and it was my fault ;-) ... but now I should have solved the gear shifting problem, so it can go back in on Monday.

Serious progress today ...

What a difference having Juergen for a full day! Handbrake is in completely as is the exhaust system. Steering column finally fit (5th try!) and we could - also finally - get the column shift working. Rear diff oil is in as well as the power steering oil ... slowly slowly we're coming towards a first start.

Imho not bad, as today is exactly 4 weeks since the Pick-Up arrived!

V8-Ute is alive!!!

Centre Console Test - Cables...

One sleepless night ...

Fender test ...

Well we're installing the fenders, motor hood and door today and tomorrow ... this photo in-between makes it look a little bit like a car already!

Doors in place ...

Completion continues ...

Cargo door installed ...

Today - if I may say that - I'm a bit proud of myself. Having never learned that, I got the cargo door installed myself ... and it even fits ;-) ... took a while, put the clips for the softtop on it and installed and wired the license plate lights. Monday I will tackle the chain that is holding the door and the rear bumper.

Completion progress ...

Completion progress cont'd ...

Again, lots and lots of little bits and pieces. Last week I could solve some of the  last electrical problems, the ABS is working too now. Covers at the rear shocks and the cargo door inside are mounted as well as an additional water protection for the subwoofer. Hubcaps are tested, heat insulation inside is finished.

Just an example why it is just fantastic to have a whole workshop with experience "at hand". The tolerances within the car are quite "tolerant", so one of the two chains for the cargo door was longer than the other, i. e. they didn't hold the door together. I asked an old, temporary panel beater, if he could make a "small" link for the longer chain to equalise the tolerances. He looked at it and said: "you're doing it with love and you have time. Why don't you put every link into the vise and squeeze it a bit, this way the chain lengthens". Well 22 links, each 1/2 mm ... makes a cm too. Did that, then the shorter chain was too long ;-) ... so the same procedure with the other chain, every second link. Worked! Also the transparent shrinking hose solution works and looks good imho.

Also I drove the first few metres in the workshop: Holy moly, that Pick-Up has a pickup ... power enough and great sound (video's not good, as I was too careful taking care of the other cars there; old steering wheel has a contact problem with the horns)

Completion progress III ...

So, after testing testing testing, I finally decided to start completing the car inside. Dashboard wasn't easy with the leather adding to the measurements. Dito the centre console. But it is in now and imho it looks good!

I also installed the chrome airfilter cover ... thanks to Stefan again for giving me this idea ... I got a lot of "wows" since then.

Music was tested too, all working and I started to install the seat belts ... slowly slowly it all falls into place!

Windscreen / Alignment ...

First drive outside ...

After the final modifications (windscreen wipers etc.), we did a test drive outside on the road. Wow, what a pick-up this Pick-Up has! Definitely a powerful motor, great sound!

Still some optimisation in the drive train, but all in all it really looks good. We got up to 130km/h and the car is absolutely silent, no rattles etc.

Nice story: we drove by a school, where a lot of 16...19 year old kids were outside. When passing I heard a "boah is der geil" (boah, how cool is that) ;-) ;-)

Another driving video ...

Here's just another video of us driving, normal acceleration um to 120km/h (speedo is not correct, shows roughly 15km/h less; corrected now). Quiet and smooth!

Remark: During this test drive, the rear screen wasn't in, so "half a cabriolet" ;-)

Visual Inspection TUEV / Cooling Optimisation ...

Motor area as of now ...

Cargo area finished ...

Interiour finished ...

Well, the saddler - once again - did an amazing job: the interiour is finished. The following was done:

• Carpet incl. floor mats
• Ceiling
• Door panels incl. handles and map pockets
• Softtop on the cargo area (original softtop material)
• Rubber mat for the cargo area
• B-pillar in leather

Imho it all fits into the concept and looks great!

TUEV final acceptance achieved!

Motor defect (unknown yet) ...

This project just doesn't finish at all. After the breakdown at TUEV, we started to check ... fuel pump, ignition, etc. etc. .... motor didn't start.

Then we started to take the cylindre heads off ... right side ok, fits with the ignition. Left side off ... well the motor guy hasn't fastened the camshaft properly, it's nearly 1cm loose and if you turn the motor by hand, this camshaft does not turn. FUCK!

Motor taken out ...

Motor defect ...

Motor kaputt details ...

Reassembly of the Motor started ...

Frank started the reassembly of the motor; the cylindre heads are on again. With a little bit of luck, I get the motor back before xmas ... I cross my fingers. At least the cylindre heads are installed properly now, without any "glueing stuff" ;-)

Reassembly of the Motor finished ...

Frank really did an amazing job and worked throughout the weekend. The motor is put back together again and will be on its way soon. Hats off to this work of his and I'm looking forward to putting it back into the car.

P. S.: It also turned out, that a wrong chain guide was put in the "new motor" ... is replaced now. Just adds to the list of "competencies" of the original motor supplier.

Putting the motor back in scheduled ...

Although Mercedes is really busy at the moment, I could schedule the re-installation of the motor for 3 January 2022 ... great support again from them! So officially this project goes into 2022, i. e. year 8 now ;-) ... after buying the pick-up in 2015.

I also got a xmas present ... a nice cotton cover matching the W115 size ... had to put it on today. Ute is standing next to a 6.3 W109 ... similar concept ;-)))

Why I seem to be a shit magnet ...

Well, I am. We started on time to put the motor back in. Took two full days to do it carefully and have all connections done again (linkage, power steering, aircon, shaft, exhaust, etc etc).

Then we took the ignition off and turned the motor to see if there's oil pressure. Nope, not a drop of oil. Fiddled, done, left it.

Frank, the motor guy, agreed to come (380kms) today, tried this and that, no oil on the cylindre heads. Took the front axle out to have access to the oil pump. Pump pumps properly when taken out, but not if it is installed. So somewhere there must be a blockage.

So motor/gearbox out again, transport and the same way back. Frank agreed to take the motor completely apart again; on his cost, if it his fault (and I cannot see a fault on my side).

I'm just exhausted. Where were the right people in 2015 to stop me from doing such a FUCKPROJECT??????

Motor out II ...

So, Monday I did all preparations, today we took the motor out again. It's ready for tomorrow's transport again ... and again ... and again ... ;-)

Dennis from Mercedes and I will actually put blindfolds on when we put the motor back in ... we need a little bit of a challenge ;-) ... still wonder what the reason for the blockage is ...

Motor problem found and solved ...

After driving 800kms with the Sprinter (thanks again to Mercedes!), I got the motor to Frank. On my account I asked to take off the flange of the oil filter. After some studies in the WIS we found out the following (and I can hear already the "experts" saying, that of course THEY knew):

With the M117 there were vehicles with and without oil cooler. The ones with the oil cooler had a valve in this flange who would redirect the oil to the oil cooler. This car doesn't have one, but the valve is in it. So far it worked, but now it blocked. We took the valve out (as said in the WIS) and we have an oil flow.

However, there's a positive side in this story again: If the oil pressure, e. g. in summer, would have dropped below 1.5bar, the valve would have tried to redirect the oil to a non-existing oil cooler (here just two blind plugs) and the whole oil circulation could have stopped ... I guess, not a good event ;-)

P. S.: I take my hats off to at least three real experts (incl. Jürgen) who admitted that they did not know of this valve.

Edith: There were also some "rubber-like" parts in the channel ... not good. Maybe some old gasket glue-stuff?

Motor back in III ...

Home ...

So, after our holiday, I did the final (?) works at Mercedes today. There's still a to-do-list, but - hopefully - nothing major. Did a test drive, still have to adjust the gear shifting and a few other nooks and crannies ...

Last big problem (?) ...

Well, I guess I was pretty honest with this project and also reported mistakes, wrong assumptions and false directions I took. This one is pretty odd:

In 2018 we tested the prototype, especially regarding vibrations of the drive shaft. Very critical in such a project. Car was absolutely fine.

However, after assembly we heard a rumbling noise when accelerating hard from 0. Over 25/30 km/h it was gone. Thought we tackle that later. Well it wasn't the traction of the rear axle, but the drive shaft is oscillating quite heavily there. One middle bearing was ripped apart already. It turns out, that the angle between the front and rear part of the drive shaft is too big.

I developped an idea and got a used drive shaft from a W126 500SE for "redesigning" purposes. Hopefully next week I can give it to the drive shaft specialist here and have it rebuilt ... I'll report then.

Last big problem solved ...

Well, I could solve the problem. I found another type of middle bearing, that changed the angle of the drive shaft. A test drive was positive ... i. e. for a 220D it accelerates pretty fast ;-)

As one of my daughters visited that night, we had a little test drive ... she took a short video of the happy driver ;-)

Solving details ...

Finally I can get to all the little to-do's to finish the cars. One "problem" was that the distance of the hand brake wire was very close to the rear axle. So I designed a little protection, 3D-printed from the same material as the fuel and brake line holders (flexifil). Installed it today, so the wire is protected!

Decided on a new (!) gearbox ...

The gearbox of the donor car was alright, but still had a few problems. Some strange leaks, sometimes (when cold) a bit slipping on low speeds and the downshift on higher speeds had to be forced by kick-down. It "should" have 127,000kms on it, but who knows (see motor).

So after having nearly the whole car "new" and after finding out, the there are actually completely refurbished gearboxes available at Mercedes for that model, I decided after some months of thinking to get one. Advantages: I have a two year warranty and you should get the stuff while it is still available ;-) ... Price was pretty reasonable; a complete refurbishment incl. parts would probably have been more expensive.

So it is in now, but not tested ... hopefully it works!

Update: we finished today and - due to the weather - I only did a short drive: FANTASTIC, shifts like it should ... extensive test will be done, when the weather permits.

And a new water pump for fun ...

I do not lose my role of a shit magnet ... when changing the gearbox we found out, that the water pump is leaking. That asshole who sold the motor to me not only fucked up the motor, but also attached minor products to the "new" motor, i. e. the water pump (it's about time to call this fraud).

So I got a new one and you have to - nearly - dismantle half the motor to be able to access all screws. It took us a while to change it, but now it works; extensive tests still outstanding. It's about time to call this a "new" car now ;-)

Refurbishing the steering box ...

The last leaking bit ;-) ... was the steering box. I had it refurbished for a lot of money by a "specialist" in 2019, then it was lying on the shelf for two years. It was leaking from the start of the rebuild and that leakage got more and more.

So I took it out, gave it to someone else, got it back and reinstalled it ... let's see if it stops being incontinent ;-)