TUNE UP TIME

As with all cars, there comes a time for regular maintenance.  Tune up parts for Mercedes are notorious for being over priced and the local stealerships don't help matters much.  I picked up OE Bosch plugs at the local auto parts store for about $2 each and increased the gap to .042.  The cap and rotor were a different story though





I wont even go into how much the stealership wants for a OE distributor cap and rotor, but the local auto parts store wanted $170 for a Bosch distributor cap.  I picked up a OE Bosch cap and rotor off of Ebay for under $100, unused.  Pays to shop around.





While in the process of removing the OE distributor cap, the thing crumbled in my hands, must of been pretty old







New cap installed and ready for the spark plugs and cap cover to be put back on.  This tune up is rather easy and all that is required is a hex head (forgot the size, sorry) to remove the distributor cap.





Although I don't have any pictures of this, the O2 sensor is a three wire Bosch unit that the dealer wants over $200 for.  After some careful research, I found that the 1990 Ford Mustang 5.0 uses the exact Bosch 3 wire O2 sensor, but with a different plug on the end.  I bought the Mustang O2 sensor for $36 and cut the plug off my old O2 sensor and spliced it onto the new O2 sensor.  Works perfect!

 

OIL CHANGE


I picked up this pump at a local auto parts store for $10.  It has a long extension designed to go all the way down your dip stick tube into the oil pan, you can then manually pump your oil out and into a waiting recycle container.  Very nice if you want to save some money on oil changes and don't have access to a lift or jack stands.  This item works best if the oil is warm, not hot.

Of course I run Mobil 1 oil in all my cars.  I use the 5w30 in my 190E because my Corvette uses the same.  Mobil has other oils more suited for older/higher mileage engines, so don't use 5w30 just because I did.  For filters, my preference is for the K&N.  Its hard to out do the OE filters, but the K&N has a bit better filter system in it (filters to 3 microns) and is easier to install (just need a socket wrench) and they run about $10 at the local auto parts store.

This is just a regular oil recycle canister which can be picked up for around $20 at your local auto parts store.  Your local auto parts store should also take your old oil for recycling.  One end of the oil pump goes into the dip stick tube, the other into this canister.  Pretty straight forward.

This is my OE Mercedes oil filter.  It requires a special tool for removal, pain in the ass IMO, I prefer the method employed by the K&N, all you need is a 1/4" socket wrench, we all have those laying around!

Here are the two filters side by side.  I won't waste allot of time playing up how good these K&N filters are and they are only a couple of more dollars than the OE filter.






On the 2.6l W201 (and W124) you really need to remove the OE air filter assembly, then you get easy access to the oil filter.  Be careful removing it though as you can spill allot of oil all over your engine if your not careful.  When installing your new filter, you take just a small bit of new oil and run it over the filter gasket before you install it.  Also, don't torque the filters down with gorilla strength, tighten them till their snug, then tighten just a bit more.



My local dealer charges $75 to change the oil in a W201 6 cylinder!  That's we normal dino oil also.  Six quarts of Mobil 1 cost me about $23 at my local Costco and the filter costs me $10.  The math is easy on this one!

TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGE


It was finally time to change my transmission oil so it was off to the stealership for a trans filter and gasket.  Since my near term idea for my M103 is a turbo application, I decided to prep the trans by using a synthetic fluid.  It was a toss up between Redline and the B&M Trick Shift and since the B&M has already proven itself in MB transmissions, I elected to go with the B&M.  The Trick Shift exceeds Dextron III specs and it can co-exist with regular Dextron III fluid.

The first thing to do was to get the 190 on a lift and drain the trans fluid from both the pan and the torque converter.

If the drain plug is not visible for the torque converter, you need to rotate it till it is visible.

Once the fluid is completely drained from the pan and torque converter, you can remove the transmission pan, you can see the trans filter here.

New trans oil pan gasket being installed.  Both the filter and gasket cost about $23 from the local stealership.






Once the trans filter has been replaced, you can re-install the trans oil pan, torque up all your bolts and drain plugs (consult service CD) and your ready to fill the trans.  The service CD indicated that my trans takes 7.2 quarts (with torque converter drain) but I only ended up using 6 quarts.  Not sure why, as I followed the service CD instructions to the letter.  We filled the trans with 4 quarts, started the car, applied the parking brake and shifted through all gears, pausing a couple seconds in each gear.  Did this at 4 quarts and again at 6 quarts. 

As for the performance....the trans does seem to shift quicker and smoother than with the OE Dextron fluid, but it could just be my imagination.  Anyway, for high hp applications, this type of synthetic fluid in combination with a external trans oil cooler (something much larger than the OE radiator cooler) will allow the trans to handle allot more hp without slippage.  Next up....trans oil cooler....stay tuned!
 

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