Dave M. wrote:
Does anyone have info on how exactly to do this? A photo, pointing to
the area in question, sure would be nice. I had been under the
impression a major valve body mod was needed. Perhaps the 722.4 tranny
can be easily modified, but the 722.3 cannot, or vice-versa? I'd love
to know more about this... drives me batty on my 1986 300E.
:)
-dm
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [MBZ] 1st
"In the early '90s Mercedes saw the error of their ways and allowed the
gas transmissions to start in 1st. Cars built a year or two before 1st gear
starts became standard COULD be converted (it was NOT a cheap
conversion - required that the valve body be removed and some pieces
replaced) but cars with transmissions build before that (about '89 and
earlier I think) can't be converted (you'd need a completely replace the
valve body)."
If I had any personal archives, I could exhume a post I made more than ten
years back on this subject but I don't, so I won't. Paraphrasing, when I was
driving my '89 190E 2.6 and my friend SJB got his new '91 300E with 1st gear
start and I drove it, I was hot to add that feature to my '89. So, after
repeated
talks with one of the two MB reps in my area, one of them called Montvale, in
my presence, and asked what could be done. The answer was that they had
converted several company cars and the fix was to remove the little spring from
behind the kickdown piston. Soon after, the shop foreman, with me watching,
removed the valve body (a few fasteners), removed one of the cheesehead
screws from the end of it (they are numbered) and out dropped a little piston
followed by the spring in question. Reassemble in reverse order. After a careful
adjustment of the trans cable (or was it a rod?) I had first gear start. What a
difference!
I carried that little spring in a zip-loc bag in the car for a few years
until I traded it of in '95.
I have it from an authoritative source that ONLY the valve bodies
manufactured for about a year (or year and a half) before 1st gear
starts became standard, can be modified. In older transmissions (seems
like earlier than '89), the entire valve body would need to be replaced
with a newer one. '86-'87s for sure CAN'T be modified.
Marshall
--
Marshall Booth (who doesn't respond to unsigned questions)
"der Dieseling Doktor" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
'87 300TD 182Kmi, '84 190D 2.2 229Kmi, '85 190D 2.0 161Kmi, '87 190D 2.5
turbo 237kmi
