Mercedes/Hanomag Campervan - nearly a bay window lookalike

[invnsnt]

Spent the last couple days packing up the garage + the van for a move. No more garage (will have to get by with just an easy-up tent) but now it's close to friends with welding + fabrication experience and now I can stop by after work instead of just select weekends.

Still working on the clutch actuation -- I thinking now that the slave cylinder is corroded stuck in the extended position. The master cyl seems fine.

Any suggestions on mitigating / slowing the spread of windshield surround rust until the weather is warm enough to pull the windshield and patch it properly? Maybe sand / wirewheel, then rust converter + primer?

[invnsnt]

Finally got that stubborn clutch slave cylinder out -- the push rod was blocking access to one of the nuts.

I've got a NOS one that will go in this weekend, and I'll try to rebuild this later to keep as a spare.

Also found a palm size hole in the roof while grinding off some rust bubbles. It was hidden behind some bondo.

[invnsnt]

I've got some updates from the past few months:

- new clutch slave cylinder and hydraulic lines installed
- dropped and discarded leaky aux fuel tank, and redid fuel lines to OEM tank
- went through radiator hoses and replaced old ones
- assorted rust grinding + converting
- new tires on the rear after one blew out

I started the van this weekend for the first time since fixing the fuel tank and replacing the clutch slave cylinder + lines. Fired up just fine with some fresh diesel in the not-leaking tank. I then rolled down the driveway a bit to test out the brakes (they work pretty good for not being adjusted yet), but after all my work fixing the clutch actuation I still couldn't get it moving under it's own power -- I let out the clutch while in gear and nothing happened. So I was pretty bummed that evening, not knowing which of many things could still be wrong with the clutch or transmission. But the next morning, I put the front up on jackstands to get the drive wheels off the ground, hoping to see if I could shift through the gears and see some wheel rotation. It worked! I was able to shift through all gears, including reverse. I tried getting a video to demonstrate, but I accidentally was in picture mode instead (whoops).

So it seems to me just that the clutch is grabbing enough to spin the wheels when there's no load, but not grabbing enough to drive the vehicle.

I'm thinking it's one of three things now:
- clutch release fork needs adjustment; currently not engaging enough
- clutch friction surface is worn out and slipping
- pressure plate springs got weaker from sitting compressed for 10 years

I'm going to try adjusting the release fork first, since the other two mean dropping the transmission.

bonus video of me rolling down the driveway to test out the brakes, turn sound on for noisy engine clattering: http://bit.ly/2ulTagc

[invnsnt]

Still having issues with the clutch actuation on the van. I compared the old slave cylinder rod with the new one, and the old one was about 1/8" shorter. I replaced the new rod with the old one, (instead of adjusting the release arm) and it seemed like it fixed it -- the clutch wasn't slipping when I turned the wheels by hand.

BUT, the throw out bearing still isn't returning back to it's resting position off of the clutch release fingers after you let up off the clutch pedal, so the clutch plate is slipping against the flywheel. However, I can reach in there and push the clutch release fork back a mm or two, and then the clutch plate grips. So it seems like something in the hydraulic line is the problem. I might not've bleed the whole thing well enough? The slave cylinder isn't compressing enough for some reason.

the clutch slave cylinder looks like this so there's no confusion:

[busdaddy]

Does the cylinder retract fully if you open the bleeder valve?, old rubber flex lines can fail internally and act like a check valve keeping some of the pressure from releasing.

If that doesn't help maybe consider adding a return spring?
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.

Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
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[invnsnt]

[ToolBox]

Freeplay between the clutch pedal rod and the master set correctly???

[invnsnt]

It's been a while since made any updates to this thread -- i've had a busy year! We moved out to the Bay Area for work, and brought the bus with us to California. We've now got a garage, which is much better than being outside in the snow, even if the door is a little too short:

After replacing all the components for the clutch actuation, we got the bus moving under it's own power for the first time! I've got a video here:
Link


As you can probably tell, the clutch is slipping, especially in reverse. I suspect the friction plates are corroded from years of sitting outside while disengaged, so I plan on dropping the transmission and checking it out.

I removed the rear axle, since I noticed that the PO had installed a spacer underneath the leaf springs on the driver's side, but not the passenger side. I always thought it looked a bit crooked! Maybe he was trying to account for the added weight of the camper interior? Now that I've got the axle off, I at least have better access to the wheel cylinders and the brake regulator valve that all need to be replaced. I never finished replacing the rear cylinders when first going through the brakes, because access to the bolts was terrible and while one had a broken bleed screw, they weren’t leaking like the front were.

The access problem was basically that the hub flange blocked access to the bolts holding the wheel cylinder in. I made a little diagram:

I tried grinding down a wrench to fit – broke one bolt head off and rounded the other. I tried dremeling in a slot to use a screwdriver in – wouldn’t budge. Used both a manual and an electric impact driver – broke two bits. So then I took everything apart, unbolted the backing plate from the hub, which finally gave me access to put a socket on em – popped them right off with a big ratchet!

I found some replacement bolts (thanks to fastenal), made some new hard lines, and I'm ready to pop in my NOS wheel cylinders.

While I have the axle out I might as well clean it up and paint it. Was planning on rustoleum primer and then maybe an fun/interesting top coat color? Any suggestions?

For the interior, I finally pulled out all the wood paneling in the process I’ve also pulled out a ton of the PO’s questionable camper/accessory wiring. I was finding just bare wires twisted together, bypassed fuses, etc. And so many self tapping screws! I saved a cool little metal fan that was mounted to the ceiling -- will definitely use that somewhere.

[Sitting Duck]

I am almost done with my Mercedes o319 restoration. I have a second one, a 22 window panorama 3 door project I probably will not get to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx1tsnYXkJI&t=19s

[invnsnt]

[invnsnt]

The engine and transmission are out, ready for me to crack them apart and replace the clutch + pressure plate. While it's out, I'll give it a good clean, replace any cracked vacuum lines, and adjust the valves.

The whole assembly slides out the front. I made a holding fixture out of some scrap wood to try and simplify the process:

[mercmad]

These vans live on as SSang yongs in Asia or in Australia as MB100 MB140 and MB 140D Vans. With Mercedes badges on them. They use the much later OM 605 design,Ssang yong made engines. If you find yours to be too slow you can bolt in a OM 606 turbo diesel with the mechanical injection. Top speed may not improve but pick up and pulling up hills is vastly better.
A friend of a nephew of mine has one here but will not sell it,preferring to keep it as a handy garden Shed... There is very little info in english on the web about them but the Germans have a big club focusing entirely on the vans and various derivatives.

[busdaddy]

Wow, what a massive oil filter and clutch you have, no wonder you see these things soldiering on in the Middle East and other harsh climates today.

Looking good, I'm glad I found VW's or I'd have a yard full of those MB's, gotta stay focused.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.

Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

Слава Україні!

[Tram]

[invnsnt]

Separated the engine and transmission to check out the pressure plate and clutch:

I noticed the pressure plate was very crooked. When we got the bus, the clutch was stuck open, so I was thinking maybe some of the spring was seized in its compressed state. But then I looked a little closer, hey what’s that shiny thing in there? Is that… a ball bearing? Two ball bearings??

They were stuck between the spring fingers and the pressure plate housing. I futzed around with some clamps until I had everything fully compressed and then shook the balls out like one of those maze puzzle cubes that people put five dollar bills inside for joke birthday presents. Now where did they come from?

Transmission spins fine, and all the gears work. The throwout bearing is undamaged, too. I don't see anywhere else they could have come from in the transmission. Maybe they got there on accident while when the PO replaced the clutch or did other work in the area? It seems to me like they've been stuck in the pressure plate springs since we purchased it, and would explain all the clutch engagement problems I've been having!

Now to wait on new parts to arrive from Europe