Mercedes S600 V12TT Resurrection

[JOEPRO]

I am off work today so took a chance last night and booked an MOT 30 mile away for this morning.

Got up early, washed my 600 and it drove very well up the road. It passed MOT no advisories or anything but not all plain sailing! They had to push it out of the MOT station as they left the ignition on and it didn't have enough juice to spin over at the end of the test

The battery condition is likely questionable anyway and in my hurry out this morning I didn't put a jump pack in the boot. There was an auto parts place a bit of a walk from the MOT centre. So I walked there and bought a new 019 battery. The shop was very helpful and found a hole in the fence for me to set the heavy battery through so I could walk back around and only have to carry it 50 foot to the car.

So new battery fitted and car drove great on the way home again. I am going to give it an engine oil change and maybe a transmission service also today. (I will likely find metal as this car would hammer the transmission internals)

 

[Dcal]

The shop was very helpful and found a hole in the fence for me to set the heavy battery through so I could walk back around and only have to carry it 50 foot to the car.

JNK Ballymena?

 

[JOEPRO]

JNK Ballymena?

Auto and trailer spares in Omagh.

 

[Dcal]

I wonder how many auto factors back on to an MOT centre in NI?

 

[Blobber]

Do these fit any of yours? bought for mine but they dont fit the 2.1D

 

[JOEPRO]

I wonder how many auto factors back on to an MOT centre in NI?

Probably not many but I was glad of it this morning!

Do these fit any of yours? bought for mine but they dont fit the 2.1D
View attachment 490926

Yes I have 2x cars with the om651 diesel engine happy to paypal for em and post if no good to you

 

[Turbo]

There was an auto parts place a bit of a walk from the MOT centre. So I walked there and bought a new 019 battery. The shop was very helpful and found a hole in the fence for me to set the heavy battery through so I could walk back around and only have to carry it 50 foot to the car.

It's a good hike by road between them. Is there a short cut?

 

[JOEPRO]

It's a good hike by road between them. Is there a short cut?

There is sort of a shortcut. I first walked out of mot centre and turned left. Up to a roundabout then on to the parts place.

On the way out I had mentioned I had to carry it so there was a small hole we found in the fence where the battery would fit through!

They told me to go turn left out of their shop entrance and past a house down a lane. Which meant slightly shorter and the MOT centre came up on my left so sort of a full circle around.

Quite easy really and only £102 inc Vat for a 019 battery with 830 CCA. Worked out well.

I changed the engine oil today. I always try to keep the filters on the shelf for all cars so I checked and perchance Amazon had a few Mann filters for my 600 for £3.40 each reduced from £21 so ordered them.

 

[JOEPRO]

I was getting on well - engine oil & filter changed. Transmission serviced



I was ready for a drive to check the fluid level hot.

But coming off the ramps she blew an ABC line. That is - the hydraulic suspension system. The front right ABC hard pipe had rusted behind the plastic guards and a pin hole started to spray oil out.

No harm done- shut it off as soon as I heard that so pump etc will be fine. I guess if it was to burst I'm glad it did it on my driveway!

Anyway the pipe has a strange valve / quick connection at the strut pipe which is rusted into a bulging mess.







Had to cut the pipe to get it off the car. The pipe on the strut is in much better shape as all 4x were replaced a few years ago but the previous owner.

This pipe has also had previous upgrades of a high pressure hydraulic hose added in at the front. Whilst it is temping to use 10mm fittings and splice in a short section, I think the rust at the pipe right next to the quick fitting which is no longer "quick" but forked suggests I'm better looking for a replacement assembly.

Pickings on ebay for good used ones appears very slim. I'd imagine the dealer price will be eye watering but will sort something and get a replacement on order soon. This car had extensive mechanical restoration and upgrades by the previous owner who was a V12 enthusiast and well known. So I believe most of the pipes have been replaced or upgraded on this car but I will want to inspect all of them and clean / repaint to extent the service life.

 

[Turbo]

Is the valve a stop valve to stop fluid coming out when you remove the quick connector?

If so you could replicate the whole thing in hydraulic fittings. You should be able to get small qrc couplings similar to what you have. Maybe @8ob would know. Buy a roll of pipe and make up your own fixed lines, similar to brake lines.

 

[JOEPRO]

Is the valve a stop valve to stop fluid coming out when you remove the quick connector?

If so you could replicate the whole thing in hydraulic fittings. You should be able to get small qrc couplings similar to what you have. Maybe @8ob would know. Buy a roll of pipe and make up your own fixed lines, similar to brake lines.

Thank you for that. I know they are 10mm outside diameter hard pipes and people do commonly use hydraulic lines to repair them. Aka instead of going to MB they get auto factors to crimp on heavier duty hydraulic hose.

The thing I would like to do in the future is to explore using stainless hard pipe and making my own replacement hard lines with new hydraulic hoses.

For example that quick fitting does seem to have other gobbins inside it. But they are available separate new aftermarket and screw onto the lower pipe. So I think the quick fittings have to stay and as long as I can figure out the nut size and a suitable heavy duty flaring tool for the 10mm hard lines (they have a bubble flare on them) then stainless would be the way forward to upgrade all 4x corners of the car.

 

[JOEPRO]

As it happens I did find and buy a good used original hose from Latvia Ebay. £125 delivered which I am happy with and the line looks near new condition zero rust at all. My brackets are all thin and weak with rust. This comes with rust free brackets and all.



So I'll replace this whole line back to the valve block with this hose. And clean and paint the shock hard line and the lines on the other front wheel at the moment to preserve this as best I can. I'll also paint and grease the quick fitting to keep it from rusting up.

 

[JOEPRO]

This evening I also rebuilt the rear boot handle. These cars have a pneumatic dirt free handle. So when you open the boot a little chrome handle pops out. Then pulls itself back in after the lid is closed.

The original one had seized up a year or so back and at the same time I got another good used handle. Problem is you can't just swap the handle as the key barrel is cast into it. But I was able to carefully dissemble both and rebuild the original one with the good parts keeping it's key barrel. Worked out great.

However the boot lid is in bad condition below the plastic trim. I knew there was rust bubbles near the edges but I didn't think it was this bad! I'll look out for a good used rust free bootlid. This one is not viable to repair and expect it to last.



I also got the car on Star tonight (MB diagnosis system) and it is showing an interior canbus short circuit. So that's likely the power drain as all other modules are showing OK at the moment. I'll locate the 3x can plug blocks at different locations in the interior and unplug each one bit by bit until it comes back online as a way of tracing what it causing the problem.

All good - I feel like I'm making progress with the old girl. Actually, this car is not a girl - it's a beast

 

[JOEPRO]

This was my 600 acceleration test on a private road a year or two ago. For a circa 2.5 tonne long wheel base it shifts

Dry road, Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres.

 

[Turbo]

I make that 0-60 under 5 seconds, 85mph in 8 seconds. Not too shabby!

 

[JOEPRO]

I make that 0-60 under 5 seconds, 85mph in 8 seconds. Not too shabby!

He will accelerate like that full of the clock - or so I am told.

Indeed you can't hear the turbos spool until 120mph+.

The 910nm torque is very sore on tyres. It scrubs tyres with 10mm throttle, amazing car to drive. The downside is, in the wrong hands it would be dangerous.

I've never turned the traction control off and never will as the car is already a handful on semi damp roads. Any damp at all and it roasts the tyres even at motorway speeds.

I will sort these few minor issues and if you are about in the summer will take you for a spin

 

[Turbo]

Is this the car you wanted to 'demonstrate' before?

Indeed you can't hear the turbos spool until 120mph+

When I bought my Legacy Turbo the guy said it would fill the clock ie 155mph. I have done some testing on a private road and it will indeed! In 5th gear the boost doesn't come on until 110mph and stay there until you chicken out.

 

[JOEPRO]

Is this the car you wanted to 'demonstrate' before?

whats this now(?)

When I bought my Legacy Turbo the guy said it would fill the clock ie 155mph. I have done some testing on a private road and it will indeed! In 5th gear the boost doesn't come on until 110mph and stay there until you chicken out.

Erm, the V12TT is slightly more sprightly I might say but I hear yah!

 

[JOEPRO]

This was a bit of a battle but whilst still waiting on the replacement ABC pipe assembly from Latvia I cut apart the old fitting to salvage the centre part which I need to re fit to the car.



I ordered these pliers as I'll have to counterhold this part when re fitting but cannot risk damaging the sealing surface.