The cam is surprisingly holding together. The cars done maybe 100km's since then on a few trial runs and is still opening the secondary fuel valves. Haven't had a chance to make brass ones like wanted and instead have attended to other need to do things. Primarily the steering box and vacuum dashpot for the solex.
The dashpot has simply got a leak so I thought why not cut it open and repair it. I cut a small patch from a kids tyre repair kit but it wouldn't hold despite the surface being cleaned. I was going to give up and I just used what I had on hand which was araldite. Competely wong product to use but I did and it's working, though I need to change it. It's slowly leaking again from the same spot I hope, after working well for a while. Need to use something with a bit more flex like silicone. I put it back together using two blobs of solder which is holding well. The cut was on the vented side not the suction side so no need for an air tight seal there.
The big job was the power steering box. It took me about 12 hours over 3 days. Most of that was due to being a first timer and lessons learnt along the way. Undoing all the bolts and things isn't too bad, it's the wrestling with the box and alignment that I had difficulties with.
Although I have removed and replaced a coupling before and had real trouble with the allen bolts, these looked like they were going to give me hell too when my tool slipped in one of the heads so I soaked both in INOX then did something else for a while.
I took off the pitman arm. All that muck is due to the steering fluid leak from the box. The nut is a 36mm big one so I had to go buy one of those.
In order to remove the coupling though I had to allow the shaft to be withdrawn. I just took off the inner and outer circlips that hold that bearing and subsequently the shaft. I then mount the steering wheel and by hand apply the 22m retaining nut and give the steering wheel a pull. That should free the coupling from the steering shaft or the steering box. Either way the coupling can be slid or prized off both shafts afterwards.
Next thing is to remove the high pressure and return lines from the box then remove the three bolts, accessible in the driver's side wheel well, that hold the power steering box to the engine bay. In a 280 the box was removed by lifting it up throught the engine bay. Took a fair while of manipulating it to fit past hoses etc. The manual suggests removing the ball joints of the track rod and the drag link from the pitman arm. Would've made it easier to ease the old box down rather than lift it through the engine bay. Here's a pic of replacement(left) v old. On the ground the the old one's freeplay was noticeable by hand, feeling a knock when it changed direction. The replacement felt smooth.
So putting the new one in, I lowered it through the engine bay and rested it on whatever was in the way to stop it from falling on the ground. I slid under the car and held the box in one hand and applied the bolts with the other. Surprisingly, although the box is heavy, this took no time at all and although I thought I might have needed assistance from another person, it wasn't needed.
When I came to put the Pitman Arm on I struck a bit of trouble. It was too hard with the track rod still attached. It was physically limiting my movement of the Pitman Arm making the alignment of the notches impossible no matter which way I had the alignment notch facing on either box or arm. So I removed that ball joint and got the alignment I was after then screwed on the big 36mm nut.
I took out the bolt that covers the alignment hole for the shaft. Seen below is a gap in the box's piston where an alignment bolt would go to get the box in dead centre. No idea where to get that bolt so I just viewed it and turned the input shaft as necessary. The pic below shows it not quite centred yet.
Be damned if I could get that coupling to go on right though! In the process of getting the steering shaft and the box's input shaft far enough into the steering coupling so the clamping bolts clamp over the right indents, I had inadvertently shortened the steering shaft. These shafts are telescopic and a few blows with a mallet at the end whilst trying to put the coupling on will shorten the steering shaft. Whilst you can adjust the length in situ, I decided to remove it, it seemed easier.
Seen here is the hole on the left being obstructed by the thinner part of the shaft telescoping into the thicker part. I adjusted it back by putting the thin part in a vice and hitting laterally the thick section at the point where the thin section meets.
Once lengthened I loosely put the shaft back in the steering column then attached the shaft to the coupling. With the box in alignment I then made the alignment notch on the steering shaft (at the end facing the driver) point straight downwards (straight upwards for LHD cars). It appears in a pic further above. The shaft and coupling were then prized onto the steering box's input shaft. No hammers or mallets, the shaft and coupling are prized onto the box's shaft by levering at the notch at the left on the shaft towards the firewall with a long screwdriver . Once the notch become fairly visible I had to use something to act as a pivot between the end of the steering column jacket for my long screwdriver.
I put the steering hub back together and applied replacement race steering wheel.
The result was that it drove fantastic and didn't float around on the straights. Steering was much tighter, not just due to the smaller diameter wheel. Freeplay is still there but nothing like before. I don't notice it.
I also replaced 3 main coolant hoses up front, changed engine oil, Super Dot4 brake fluid bled in, new PS fluid and before I put the new oil in I tool off the old dented sump and replaced it. The newer one is a w123 style with a much smaller bolt for a plug rather than the trditional bigger 14mm allen plug.
). Seriously, there's still a hint of it missing when going to full throttle. 1st gear works but the others are still jake brakeing, though not as bad as before. So I'm getting there slowly. but I think you're right. Might as well just can the dashpot for the mo. From my experiences yesterday, I would guess that if the spring is too tight, it behaves as if the spring is too light. Makes it difficult to judge the right setting.
