Today's lesson....
#1
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Today's lesson....
ALWAYS INSPECT NEW PARTS BEFORE BEGINNING TO INSTALL THEM!
Yeah, after 3 weeks of not driving my CL due to the frozen ABC valve block, I finally only work a 10 hour day, yay! So I come home with enough time and energy to swap out the frozen for my new valve block. Clean up the garage enough to get started, remove the old one, and mount the new one on the bracket. That's when I notice this......
Sure enough, the broken pieces are in the bag that the new VB was in. Hope they will take it back even though I obviously started installing it already.... Maybe I can drive my baby next week.
In the mean time, I think I found my next toy. Thinking a built 347 with twin snails with a few tricks and it could be a 10.0 bracket/street car.
Yeah, after 3 weeks of not driving my CL due to the frozen ABC valve block, I finally only work a 10 hour day, yay! So I come home with enough time and energy to swap out the frozen for my new valve block. Clean up the garage enough to get started, remove the old one, and mount the new one on the bracket. That's when I notice this......
Sure enough, the broken pieces are in the bag that the new VB was in. Hope they will take it back even though I obviously started installing it already.... Maybe I can drive my baby next week.
In the mean time, I think I found my next toy. Thinking a built 347 with twin snails with a few tricks and it could be a 10.0 bracket/street car.
#2
feel for you buddy. hang in there. everything will get straightened out. hope mercedes work with you on the valve block. good luck with the new ride if you get it.
the best
the best
#3
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who is making you work so much? wrong career??
#4
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I'm hopeful they will take it back. If not I guess I'll solder on a couple wires and add a weatherpak connector which will work just fine, but I hate having to Micky Mose the install of a brand new part, especially one so expensive.
Not the wrong career, just lots of extra work load. My associate doctor was out of town on vacation so seeing all of the patients which means longer days with the extra patient load and paperwork. I do have a social life some evenings, plus we went camping & riding wheelers 3 weekends in a row, then I had to wash and winterize stuff because it is starting to freeze here at night, etc.
Not the wrong career, just lots of extra work load. My associate doctor was out of town on vacation so seeing all of the patients which means longer days with the extra patient load and paperwork. I do have a social life some evenings, plus we went camping & riding wheelers 3 weekends in a row, then I had to wash and winterize stuff because it is starting to freeze here at night, etc.
#5
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Good news, took the part into the dealership and showed the parts guy, he said "I'll take care of it". So, maybe next week I'll be back in my CL finally.
In the mean time I made a deal on the Futura. Of course contingent upon it being in the condition he describes and the couple dozen pictures he sent me show it is in when I get there. Guy wouldn't even accept a deposit. Said it is so good he knows I'll take it so he is taking it off the market. Now just have to deal with the importing it from Canada. Anyone here ever bought a car from Canada and imported it into the USA?
In the mean time I made a deal on the Futura. Of course contingent upon it being in the condition he describes and the couple dozen pictures he sent me show it is in when I get there. Guy wouldn't even accept a deposit. Said it is so good he knows I'll take it so he is taking it off the market. Now just have to deal with the importing it from Canada. Anyone here ever bought a car from Canada and imported it into the USA?
#6
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+1
Couldn't agree more. I bought a new window regulator for my wife's Focus, and I only realised it had the wrong electrical connector after I took the old one out. Bit difficult to do anything about it then.
Worst time was replacing the radiator on my silver S600. I fitted the new one before realising that the quick fit connections didn't fit the MB hoses. That was a bad one.
Nick
Couldn't agree more. I bought a new window regulator for my wife's Focus, and I only realised it had the wrong electrical connector after I took the old one out. Bit difficult to do anything about it then.
Worst time was replacing the radiator on my silver S600. I fitted the new one before realising that the quick fit connections didn't fit the MB hoses. That was a bad one.
Nick
#7
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Doc I would consider just soldering the connections on and weather packing it like you mentioned. Getting another and dealing with any bs is just going to be mental anguish if anything. Definitely let them know before doing anything as they may offer you compensation or if the part doesn't work if you do the modification.
Good luck and I just got my Mustang back after 2 years so I know what it is to wait. Luckily I have my cl65 but it's a turtle next to the Mustang.
Good luck and I just got my Mustang back after 2 years so I know what it is to wait. Luckily I have my cl65 but it's a turtle next to the Mustang.
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#8
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Doc I would consider just soldering the connections on and weather packing it like you mentioned. Getting another and dealing with any bs is just going to be mental anguish if anything. Definitely let them know before doing anything as they may offer you compensation or if the part doesn't work if you do the modification.
Good luck and I just got my Mustang back after 2 years so I know what it is to wait. Luckily I have my cl65 but it's a turtle next to the Mustang.
Good luck and I just got my Mustang back after 2 years so I know what it is to wait. Luckily I have my cl65 but it's a turtle next to the Mustang.
#9
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Re: "Anyone here ever bought etc..." I certainly hope the process of importing a car from Canada into the USA is a lot easier than the other way around. I have had the "pleasure" of importing a 500SEC and a CL500 into Canada from the USA. So much for the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement.....but Trump will fix it ....
#10
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I'll fInd out for sure on the 22nd. It looks like importing a car more than 21 years old is a piece of cake. Flying to Seattle, renting a car and driving to B.C. to buy the Fairmont. If all goes well I'll be having dinner with friends in Evrett Washington that night after driving there in the Fairmont.
#13
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Nope, got home from a men's bible study group at 10:00 Wednesday and had to pack for 4 days of continuing ed this weekend. I am sitting in class while my car sits in the garage at home. New part is still on the floor in my wife's cars back seat.
#14
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Well last week I finally installed the new valve block, filled it up with CHF-11, pressurized the tank to prime the pump, fired up the car, and nothing. Front suspension was collapsed and didn't lift. Hooked up the SDS and the right front strut control solenoid had no signal. Crap, did I just buy a $1620 valve block when I had a wiring problem???
Finally had time to look it over today. When I plugged in the control solonoid, one of the pins didn't line up correctly with the plug, so there was no connection. Had to remove the block most of the way to see it directly, straighten the pin and plug it in. Checked connection with the SDS & sure enough, it was good. Put it all back together, started it up and it hopped right up. Still had the SDS hooked up so did a minute of pitch, then a minute of roll, followed buy another minute of rodeo to clear the air.
It's all good now, put about 40 miles on it today and all I can say is man I really missed driving the CL. It has been over 6 weeks since I drove it. It has been my DD for 3 years and getting back into it after so long makes me really appreciate how special these cars are.
Finally had time to look it over today. When I plugged in the control solonoid, one of the pins didn't line up correctly with the plug, so there was no connection. Had to remove the block most of the way to see it directly, straighten the pin and plug it in. Checked connection with the SDS & sure enough, it was good. Put it all back together, started it up and it hopped right up. Still had the SDS hooked up so did a minute of pitch, then a minute of roll, followed buy another minute of rodeo to clear the air.
It's all good now, put about 40 miles on it today and all I can say is man I really missed driving the CL. It has been over 6 weeks since I drove it. It has been my DD for 3 years and getting back into it after so long makes me really appreciate how special these cars are.
Last edited by Dr Matt; 10-16-2016 at 04:50 AM.
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I definitely had a love.hate relationship with my old CL. Loved the V12 but hated ABC. So, what did I do. I purchased an SL600 with the potential for even more issues especially all the extra go fast parts this one has. It's my daily driver too and has been rather uneventful so far. I just couldn't stay away from the biturbo V12. Next, will probably be some bigger turbos.
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Dr Matt (10-17-2016)
#16
matt, did you get the fairmont?
#17
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I did. It is the exact opposite of my CL, LOL. Not quiet, not smooth, no "luxury" beyond a sunroof. But dang it's fun revving up to 4,000 RPM & dumping a clutch then rowing through the gears. The interior is not as good as it looks in the pics I got, but the plastic & steel can all be painted when I pull it out to install a cage. Current plan is a stroked Windsor with a FAST EFI, twin turbos, and a C6 with a Gear Vendors Overdrive.
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Congrats on your perseverance. And you are right, these cars can be maddening, but are just about the nicest cruiser you could ask for.
Sherri missed her little MRoadster so much that I found another red one almost just like it. Has a brand new convertible top, and its a double layer top, so it is a little quieter on the road.... after I removed the Magnaflows and re-installed a stock exhaust system.
The CL has been relagated to back up duty, getting driven very rarely. So... I will likely be selling it, as I personally believe these cars do better when driven more often. Have a couple little things to do to it, but overall, the CL600 has been amazingly well maintained. Still, if I couldn't fix it myself, I don't think I could justify driving it.
Sherri missed her little MRoadster so much that I found another red one almost just like it. Has a brand new convertible top, and its a double layer top, so it is a little quieter on the road.... after I removed the Magnaflows and re-installed a stock exhaust system.
The CL has been relagated to back up duty, getting driven very rarely. So... I will likely be selling it, as I personally believe these cars do better when driven more often. Have a couple little things to do to it, but overall, the CL600 has been amazingly well maintained. Still, if I couldn't fix it myself, I don't think I could justify driving it.