Classic Jalopy Blog

W126 Monovalve eliminator – part 4 4

W126 Monovalve eliminator – part 4

I have now completed the installation of the Movovalve elimination kit on my 560SEC.   So far so good.  Most importantly, I don’t have heat when I don’t want it, but it is available when needed.   In the last installment, I completed the routing of the cooling hoses.    From there I installed the radiator and ensured the cooling system didn’t have any leaks.   The...

Rear brake fluid leak on my 450SLC 0

Rear brake fluid leak on my 450SLC

I’ve used my 450SLC on a few spirited drives lately.    With the new injectors its been running really nicely.    However, on the way back from the most recent night drive, the pedal became really spongey on the way home.   Luckily it was late at night with few cars on the road so I was able to drive it home gently. The next...

Installing a W126 radiator 1

Installing a W126 radiator

Today’s job was installing a W126 radiator into my 1987 560SEC.   I had previously sorted out the cooling hoses as part of my monovalve eliminator install.   I was just waiting on a few extra parts I had ordered to begin this job. Firstly I decided to replace the coolant reservoir tank.  My current one is not leaking, but the plastic was quite discoloured and...

500 posts on classicjalopy.com 0

500 posts on classicjalopy.com

The most recent post about the W126 cowl covers was the 500th post on this website.  I started the site in May of 2013 when I was doing a lot of work on my Citroen DS.   I had recently purchased the car and was fixing some of the problems with the car, installing a new radio and later re-upholstering it.   At that time I...

Replacing W126 cowl covers 2

Replacing W126 cowl covers

I had previously removed the W126 cowl covers to clean the drains.   Now they are clean and I have replaced the ABS module bracket, they were ready to be re-installed. Before I did so, I had some new parts to install.   The first were the rubber boots that cover the windscreen wiper shafts.  On most W126 cars they are almost non existent.  On my...

Cleaning W126 cowl drains 2

Cleaning W126 cowl drains

As part of the installation of the Monovalve elimination kit, I needed to remove the ABS controller bracket.   The bracket was in the way of the coolant hoses.  I order to remove it, I needed to remove the W126 cowl drains cover.   This is great opportunity to inspect this area and clean it.   Cars that have parked outside often have debris here that causes...

Jaguar E-Type Fuel Hoses 2

Jaguar E-Type Fuel Hoses

While I was replacing the fuel pump on my E-Type I noticed some hairline cracks in the fuel hoses.   This was obviously a problem waiting to happen so I ordered a new set to replace them.   It is probably cheaper to buy the raw hose and adapt the original fittings, but SNG Barratt sell a kit with new hoses complete with fittings that is...

W126 Monovalve eliminator – part 3 3

W126 Monovalve eliminator – part 3

I have been working on a project to eliminate the monovalve from the climate control system in my 560SEC.   In the last part I had almost completed the cooling hoses required for the job.   I had mostly worked out hose routing I was looking for – which was combining the dual outputs from the heater core into a single hose where I could place...

September 2020 night drive 3

September 2020 night drive

A few friends in the Mercedes Club and I have been trying to get a monthly night drive going.    Last night was the third one and yet again we had a great drive.   This time we met up in Kirrawee and the drive was through the national park to Bulli. We started out with 5 cars and based on the cars that participated,...

MBCNSW Mid-Week drive up the Putty road 1

MBCNSW Mid-Week drive up the Putty road

The Mercedes Club hold a mid-week drive pretty much every month.   I’ve been a member for more than 10 years but never managed to attend one.   I had a free day today and the drive looked really good.   This months MBCNSW mid-week drive was up to the Hunter valley.   The route was via the Putty road, which I’ve done a few times before.   Mid-week...

W126 low pressure hydraulic hoses 2

W126 low pressure hydraulic hoses

My 560SEC has been leaking from the power steering and self leveling suspension.    In both cases, it is obvious that (at least some) of the leakage is coming from the low pressure hydraulic hoses.    It is possible there are additional leaks in the steering, but fixing this obvious one is a good place to start. I had looked at doing this job...

W126 radiator removal 3

W126 radiator removal

As part of the work I have been doing to the 560SEC, I have removed the radiator.   The radiator was leaking from the top tank and appeared to be original.   It was an IMI unit which was one of the OE suppliers and had a 1987 date code on it.    W126 radiator removal is fairly straightforward. Fist step is obviously draining the coolant,...

W126 Monovalve eliminator – part 2 6

W126 Monovalve eliminator – part 2

My 560SEC had been leaking coolant and giving me heat when I didn’t want it.   Last week I started the repairs for these problems.   As the Bosch and Mercedes W126 Monovalve repair kit was no longer available, I have been installing the Klima Design Works monovalve elimination kit. In the first part I removed the W126 monovalve, auxiliary water pump and other hoses.   This...

W126 Monovalve eliminator – part 1 6

W126 Monovalve eliminator – part 1

My 560SEC has been having a couple of problems with its cooling system.  Coolant has been weeping out of the top tank of the radiator.  In addition, the monovalve has failed, causing unwanted heating at idle.  The radiator looks either original or replaced very early in the cars life.   As these radiators have plastic tanks, I have purchased a new one to replace it....

July and August Night Drives 6

July and August Night Drives

I’m a member of a few different car clubs (Mercedes, Jaguar, Citroen), but am rarely able to make events.   With a young family the times rarely work for me.   A lot of the time I spend either working on or driving my cars is late at night.   I figured I am not the only one in this situation, so after a poll of a...

New Jaguar E-Type fuel pump 3

New Jaguar E-Type fuel pump

A couple of months back, I noticed a bad fuel smell from my E-Type.   I was able to trace the problem to a leaking E-Type fuel pump.   The car still had the original points type SU pump, which are rebuildable.   After speaking to a few people, and doing some research, I decided to purchase a new pump.   The new SU pumps are a solid...

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