ahem...woman.... not that it should make a difference

As far as the flywheel goes, no, we did not check neutral balance, nor did we get the entire assembly balanced. We used the flywheel from the 240D. I suppose the only way to check this is to take the tranny+flywheel+driveshaft all out again? Is the balance test like when they balance a motorcycle tire - on a shaft w/bearings to see if its heavy somewhere? Or something more scientific? If the flywheel is neutral balanced, then I would have to look somewhere else for the vibration, right?

As far as the linkage goes - took it to the mechanic to fiddle with it - he figured it was a little long and shortened it some more, now I have reverse. Problem #1 solved. Also, he said the transmission mount was a little too far forward which made any vibration from the tranny transmit directly to the body. He moved it back and put some rubber on it, and said that some of the vibration was fixed, but still some was left. He couldn't figure how to put add'l engine shocks on - but I recall looking at the skinnerbox.steaky.org site there used to be a retrofit kit for excessively vibrating engines. Does anyone know if those can still be bought? Well, anyway - thanks again - I look forward to more info from you all.

second engine shock a bracket must be fabricated from angle iron or such. not too hard. the factory put two on for a reason, most likely for vibration. the only way to check the flywheel at this point is to take out the tranny, remove the fw and check it. i havent watched them do it but your description sounds about right, at least in principal.

so exhaust other simple options before pulling it apart. odds are pretty good that the flywheel is not the prob. have you driven the five cyl engine before? when are you getting the vib? have you tried to isolate it as to whether it is engine speed related or chassis speed related? observe carefully to determine these things and proceed from there.

good luck... good work so far to get it in and sorted enough to drive!

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

So, I drove it today after the mechanic fiddled with it. I have reverse! he also messed with the transmission/rear engine mount and moved it so that things were touching rubber. Made a huge difference. Now only a noticeable vibration at low rpm w/ engine load. Much more driveable. I have a small fuel leak to track down, and a wire to the window relay to secure, but then Frau Frankenbenz will be in great shape. Having a turbo ROCKS! I will look into the ALDA and the brackets for the engine shocks. All in all I am incredibly happy with the end result. Did I mention the turbo is AMAZING?

to those who asked why not buy a 300d instead of go thru all this effort - Dieselarchitect was partially right - a simpler chassis with the benefits of a 5 cyl turbo mated w/ a 4 sp manual. Our 240 body was in almost completely rust free condition with a very good interior and good tranny, and the 300sd was a proven strong runner. Also, it was a situation of more time than money, and the two cars (240d recipient and 300SD donor) were already in our stable. With the help of this forum, the Steaky site, the haynes manual, and our friend with some spare garage space, we were able to do this crazy project. It is nice to earn the respect of one's "old country" mechanic after they look at what has been done.

PS, I saw that someone mentioned how to make engine puller tools - I searched the forum but didn't find the specs - could someone direct me to that link?

Thanks again - now that the car is home, pictures will follow shortly.

what is an engine puller tool.

also, i have decided to find some 300 springs to put in the front of my 240/300. it sits a little low.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I've already pulled two engines, don't need to pull any more for now Sorry! I had engine on the brain. I meant Instrument puller tools. (have to pull the instrument cluster to get to that pesky wire coming from the window relay). If I can find the link to instrument puller tools, that would be fantastic.

I was wondering about the whole spring issue. I put in shocks rated for the the 300D (they were actually different model #), and it seems to sit fine, although my comparison is from completely shot shocks all around to start out with. I'm guessing that adding a cylinder is like adding a person in weight in the engine compartment. I guess it makes sense that it would permanently sit a little lower up front. Maybe I'll try to find the clearance specs and see if I'm riding low or not...

Thanks in advance...

can be pushed easily from the back after removal of the kick panel.

the extra weight of the cyl is i would estimate 75 to 100 #. i notice that on a big dip in the road the car has a tendency to bottom out a little more than is normal. not a big prob but noticalbe. i am pretty sure the 300 carries stiffer springs. i dont know if the euro stick 300 has a different part number but if it did that might be perfect for me since my car is a stick. the other things in a 300 that add weight such as power sunroof, power mirror, power seats and automaitc ac control would prob add up to less than 50# i would think. the book lists the 300 as being about 200# heavier total. most of that i think would be in the engine and automatic tranny.

good fun! good luck in sorting your frankenbenz!

tom w

ps on the female thing... i have six sisters and four daughters... many of them are very mechanically inclined... but unfortunately for me dont do it much. my only son is not particularly mech inclined but can do things if he puts his mind to it. my oldest daughter is extremely mechanically inclined... but she is not putting it to use... she is wasting her life as a pediatrician! (that is a sarcastic joke in case anyone is thinking to take offense).

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

i just picked up this thread because it was on top. I would be interested in seeing how the turboed 617 pairs up with a manual. My brothes is a fun car to drive he has the 617 NA and it ca nget up to speed ok. I want to swap in some taller gears on my SD get a little lower RPM on the highway. Sounded like alot of beer sacrificed itself for this project. I would like to see pics as well.

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81' 300SD AKA "Big Helga"
84' 300D Euro spec (Veronika)
85' 300D NonCalifornia (Heidi)

"We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job."
-Winston Churchill, 1941

"I'll have a Chinchilla!"

Well, I guess tinkering with bones instead of bolts isn't too far of a stretch! I was lucky, my dad let me help with any project; construction, car, engineering, whatever, without the hindrance of gender role. But, we digress. The bottom line is: some people like messing with cars and some don't. Fortunately for me, my husband and I both don't mind tackling something mechanical.

Anyway - found the fuel leak - my priming pump wasn't screwed on right. Thanks for the tip on the instrument panel - I'll get working on that later today. I'll get pics too. (its not pretty...)

"on the female thing... i have six sisters and four daughters... many of them are very mechanically inclined... but unfortunately for me dont do it much."


My first post, and I just gotta insert a true story…it’s a female thing….
(Yeah, back when I wrote this I was a little long on the superlatives.)

Of side oilers, & snake hips
Sometimes, weird things happen to everyday people, and yes, this story is true. There’s just no way I could ever make up something this far out!
A few years back, we (well...I) bought a nice Bronco XLT. Small problems began to surface (of course!) shortly after we bought it. My wife and I (my wife told me…) decided the Bronco had to go and it was placed in the local advertiser for a very low price.
“Just get rid of it!” I was instructed.
Shortly thereafter a buyer showed up, kicked the tires, and took it for a short drive. He then said he needed to have his wife look at it (of course...let's see if the little woman likes the interior and the paint scheme matches the bow in the poodles’ hair. One potential sale down the toilet). Grrrr. We drove to a professional office complex where the local surgeons, lawyers, and other professionals whom I can’t begin to afford have their offices.
In less than a minute, this guys’ wife came outside.
(Drum roll please)
Words can’t describe what happened next.
As the entry doors parted like the Red Sea I could hear the background music start. High heels, and slinky long pants barely held the image beneath them. Coming right at me was this visage moving in slow motion. Traffic stopped as she strutted by. Boys sitting on the curb in open mouth disbelief dropped their Sports Illustrated swim suit edition as that issues cover model stepped off the page and glided past them like a like frog walking through a swamp. I’m not sure, but I think I dimly recall a stage hand holding a fan blowing her long hair as she walked toward us. This woman looked like the Playmate of the decade only she was:
1. Fully clothed.
2. Prettier.
Looking the Bronco over, she glanced at me and said; “Yours?” (Naw, wifes car… I drive the Lamborghini…really!!). Rolling her head as her long hair wisped over her shoulder she said, "Pop the hood".
Huh? Pop the hood?
She glanced in at the engine, then coming back to the drivers window stated; “Pretty straight forward… typical Cleveland 351 side oiler.”
Yeah right.
I’ll bet back in high school her boyfriend was a low-browed mouth breather who had a Ford, and the only thing he could say was, “Yeah, she’s a pretty typical, straight forward Cleveland 351 side oiler.” Which mantra I’m sure he droned on for hours. I’ll bet I could have brought in a Yugo and she would have said; “Yeah, she’s a typical 351 side oiler.”
Hah! What’s a girl know about them thar cars anyway?
She then went back to the engine bay. Sitting in the drivers seat I could catch glimpses of her between the bodywork and the hood. She was facing off with that engine like a Greenbay Packer lineman ready to kill the nearest quarterback. As I watched, she snapped to with all the precision of a battle hardened soldier field stripping an M-16.
At her command I fired up the great beast and after a minute of running she said to shut it off, which upon so doing presented us with a cacophony of squeals and grinding coming from the engine bay. I apologized and said that I had just replaced the starter and the Bendix gear must not be disengaging. She came back with;
"No, that’s always caused by (insert technical jargon here) and it's fairly endemic to certain Fords, that didn’t meet the dealer recall, especially the years (blah, blah, blah, to blah, blah) and that have the (insert more technical talk) with the blah, blah." “It’s an easy fix… we'll take it."
I then watched her turn and in super slow motion strut back to the office while in my head Jimi Hendrix laid-down a hot rendition of Foxy Lady. As the doors gently shut behind her I was snapped back to this world by the sound of a phonograph needle screeching across an old LP.
What seemed like minutes passed as I sat slack jawed, looking much like a hippo at the zoo waiting for tourists to toss in Juji Fruits. I turned to her husband and said, "Ok, tell me. What just happened?"
He explained that her dad owned a farm and would only buy Fords. All his sons were to know how to do anything to any Ford, any where and at any time. Only thing was, he didn't have sons, just daughters. When this woman was growing up on the farm (this is a farm girl??) she was able to remove an engine, tear it down, rebuild it, and put it back in the vehicle. Dad brought all the big Ford farm equipment to her for trouble shooting and getting it back into the fields as quickly as possible.
(Whatta woman!! Does she have a sister?)
Days later my wife and I breathed a sigh of relief as we stood at the window looking down at the Bronco as the happy couple towed away their new found treasure. I’m sure she rebuilt it and took it to hill climb competitions and mud bog racing where she stomped all the boys.
Oh somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright, and girls are driving Broncos in pants that are too tight. And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout, ‘cause there’s great joy in Mudville as the Bronco was towed out.




-Rick

’76 240D sold
‘81 240D wrecked
’81 300SEC sold
’83 240D keeping it forever

Man, I've wished for quite a while now... if someone had a business where they took good condition body 240D's and professionaly threw in 5 cylinder turbo/non-turbo engines, I'd be first in line to buy one!!!!

Like it's been said so many times already - The beauty of the 123, the simplicity of the 240D, all with the power of the 5 cylinder T/non-T. What an awesomely fantastic combination.

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Chris
1985 300SD - 'Grace' (198K mi.)
2018 Honda Civic Sport
2018 Honda CRV LX
2010 Honda Fit Sport (RIP)
2013 Honda Accord Sport (Sold)
1996 Lexus LS400 (Retired)
1995 Ford Contour SE (Retired)
1976 Porsche 914 (Sold)
1972 Datsun 240Z (RIP)

For the effort expended it might be interesting to establish if the flexplate has a neutral balance. You could just take a piece of tight fitting wood dowel or steel pipe as a balance axle. If a tad smaller use three shims to centre it.

Putting this on a couple of narrow strips should tell you if it is neutral or not. I only mention this as I do nor remember anyone checking the flexplate for neutral balance doing this before. I could have missed it easily though.

If that flexplate is not neutrally balanced the flywheel should be matched to it. I suspect since there is a mark although almost obscure on the 240d flwheel to index it to the crank. Some may have some balance differences.

Otherwise why the refference mark? Another clue might be a mark on the flexplate. Easy enough to duplicate the balance to the old flexplate if a difference was found. Too much discussion of vibrations after a transmission type swap. Those unusual vibrations are being generated somehow.

RBUCHANAN, Welcome to the forum.

That is quite a story, I could almost picture her

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

There was never a side oiler cleveland made (that I know of)....that means dry sump. Only Nascar engines have that.

Fun story though!

Gotta love those farm girls!

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I wonder what the bounty on her husband's head is.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition