Still couldn't get an engine hoist - clearance is awful low under the windshield, rental units are about 6 feet
high at the pivot, and I can't contact the guy I wanted to borrow a smaller one from.
So we worked on undoing the head, because I think it will be good to get some extra lifting room.
But... since the crank is frozen, we can't rotate to bring the master link of the timing chain into view.
Pulled off the little cover over the idler sprocket, but that didn't help. And there's a little guide plate
that keeps the chain engaged with the crank sprocket, so there's just no way to get the left side of
the chain into view. And there's a guide plate up in the head that would keep the chain from dropping
out when the head was raised, and I can't figure out how to get that out either.
We cut off the short hose under the thermostat housing and tried to remove it - it's extremely tight on the
studs. I can drive in a screwdriver and start wedging it off, but it leaves these embarrassing marks in
the aluminum of the housing and head.
Went ahead and loosened the headbolts & removed the water (oil?) line to the front of the head. Tried
tapping upward on the exhaust manifold - nothing budged. Tried wedgeing a screwdriver in - nothing
budged. Left embarrassing marks in the head.
BUT... we dumped brake fluid in the master cylinder, which was totally dry, right to the bottom of the
bore. Pumped like mad, the level dropped. Dumped more in, pumped like mad - now there's brakes!
Jacked up one wheel, spun it, pressed on the brake pedal - it stopped!
The bad news... mice are all over this thing. In fact one was busy about its roaming and chewing the
whole time we were working. Don't know what to do about this. They've been eating wiring in my
pickup, too. We hauled all the seats into the garage. Or most of them - took the nuts off of the
pivot bolts under the front passenger seat, but the bolts would not come out. Ah, the joys of working
on something old.
July 5
Picked up a brand new driveshaft spline boot for a 319, from the local MB dealer. Under $15.
July 6
Still got some brakes - and heard from Mr. Stauffer that he always used to keep some brake fluid handy,
so apparently it's been leaking, and workinig, for many years now.
Filed off the ends of the pins in one timing chain link, so we could get the head off without removing
the upper chain guides, which I can't figure out how to do.
Removed head bolts, cam oiling gallery. Expected cam boxes to come off, but they didn't.
Pounded chisel between block and head, nothing moved, mashing that lovely aluminum. Oops... the bolt
that holds down the distributor holds down the head, too. Removed that - and the head popped right
off.
But I almost wish it hadn't... Oww, is there a lot of rust inside. Thick, crusty rust on the cylinder walls,
and a puddle of water in No. 1 cylinder.
July 20
Loosened bolts on rod caps & main caps - except for in the front. The oil pump is in the way of the
front main cap & one of the rod bolts, and I can't figure out how to get it off. Removed the socket-
head bolt into the block, and the hex-head bolt that holds the bracket, but the pump won't budge.
July 27
We went to a foreign car junkyard - two whole rows of Mercedes! Most of the yards I usually get to
have about two whole Mercedes, if I'm lucky - and they're too new & don't have 4 cylinder engines.
But there were 2 220's with the 4, and 3 230's. $500 for a pulled engine. I'm liking the idea of using
the 2.3 liter, even though we'll probably have to use the narrow manifolds off the original engine,
which may keep it from developing as much power as it could.