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Tips for 380SL's:
Engine "swishing" sound, worst when cold, subdues when warm: Might be belt noise. I observed this noise and talked to a local Mercedes independent and he said most likely it was fan belt noise. Suggested that I spray WD40 on all the belts. Be sure and close the hood when you crank it up to avoid splashing on fenders. This completely eliminated the noise. I thought it was a bad alternator, bad water pump, etc but instead it was fan belt noise.
Slit in ragtop: A Mercedes List poster, Rob Roy, suggested that I go to a convertible top shop and get a few top scraps and glue them on the inside of the top. Rob suggested that I buy some clear top cement from the shop and push the two sided of the slit close together to help the appearance. I cut a small swaft off my top and went to the top shop asking if they had a match. Rob was right on. They matched the material exactly and gave me more than enough material to repair the three slits in my top - in fact they gave me the material they cut out of top for the two small rear windows - more than enough for patches. They only had bulk cement and offered me a pint for $9.00 but it requires a metal container - a plastic container will not work. Went back later with a small coffee can and got it half filled for $5.00.
I tried this repair for ragtop slits and the results turned out exceptionally well. Some additional tips are to consider whether you want the patch to be on the inside or the outside. I had two small slits one above the drivers door and the other above the passenger door -those I glued the patch on the inside because the slit was not ragged. I had two other vertical slits to the right of the plastic rear window and also one to the left of that window. For these, I glued the patch on the outside as the slit was kinda ragged, stringy, and pulled apart. I carefully cut two long vertical patches using the "good scissors" making sure the cuts were straight. Since these patches can be seen simultaneously, you ought to make the patches the same size. Make sure the patch overlaps the tear. On all of these repairs, I had the top in its normal stretched position. I placed these outside patches on the top, then masked out with masking tape around the patch. This masking helps keep glue off the top and helps the appearance. Then, I used a small brush and brushed glue on the ragtop and on the patch and then carefully placed it in the area surrounded by masking tape. After about an hour, I got inside the 380SL and brushed glue from the inside where the slit was. After letting it dry for a couple hours, I then used paint thinner or gasoline to lightly remove any glue showing on the outside of the top. After that was done, I noted that the edges of the outside patch was light as it revealed the edge of the light colored part of the top material. My ragtop is dark brown and the inside of the ragtop is light tan. I got a dark brown Sharpie fine point permanent marker and painted over the edge of the patch which tended to blend the patch almost making it appear as part of the top.
The results exceeded my expectation and only took about 30 minutes to do. Here are the photos after the repair:
Top Left Rear (before it was 6" slit)
Top Right Rear (before it was a 12" slit, ragged, stringy)
Top Left Side View (it was ragged before)
Top Right Side View (barely noticeable)
Top Rear Full View
The net results is that my original top looks vastly better, is water tight now, and should give me a few more years of life. I think if I had installed the patches for the cuts and tears sooner, the results would have looked even better. From a distance of say 6 feet, you don't notice the patches.
Sloppy Steering, Adjust Steering:
escott: One can adjust the steering box without buying special wrenches, just takes a few minutes to figure it out. I adjusted mine and a friends. Just remember to turn the adjuster counter-clockwise to tighten. Made all the difference in our cars.
jamnn: On my 85 380sl:
remove the drivers side heat shield and the spark plug wire closest to the
firewall to allow the most access to the gear box. the tools i needed and bought
at sears for around $20 were open end crows foot wrench, allen head socket
attachment and 14" ratchet extension. picture this: the allen head screw is
held from moving by a large nut around it that tightens against the gear box
body. to adjust, you have to loosen the outer nut, hold it from moving with the
crows foot, and then reach in with the allen head bit to make your adjustment.
its a tight spot and once your tools are in there they block most of your
vision. MB manual says make 1/4 turn (90 degrees) adjustments at a time, counter
clockwise, re-tighten the outer nut and test the steering. you can take out as
much play as you want but if you go too much then your steering will bind. the
way i did mine was to over adjust until it binded and then back off till i was
comfortable with the feel. to test binding, i turned the wheel all the way to
one side, drove and the wheels should return on their own to straight.
this with a change of the steering coupler ($42) now has my steering down to no noticeable
play. saved $900 that MB indie quoted to change the gear box.
Window Switch - Removal:
art: Pull the console insert (remove ashtray, undo 2
screws to remove ashtray
holder, undo 2 more screws, slide insert backwards to release pin that holds
insert down at its aft end). The window switch is a simple remove and
replace.
Tricky spots--In removing the ashtray holder, slide the right side out first and
then work on the left side; the wiring for the lighter comes in from the
left. Use a rag to protect the wood on the console as you do this, both
removing
and replacing; it's easy to scratch the wood with the ashtray holder. The
back of the insert has a wooden pin that projects forward into the console
structure; slide the insert backwards and this will clear the strut that holds
it.
Got any tips that might be useful to other 380SL or even 450SL and 560SL owners? Email them to me here.