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About 3 years ago I paid what was considered strong money for a 190 Cosworth. I didn't do it for the brand or any other reason (i'd love an E30 M3, but can't afford one!). Why I did was that a friend of mine has a black 190 2.3-16 that he was kind enough to let me drive. After I tickeled it about for 20 minutes, he said "just drive it as your own".... Another 20 minutes and with a mild rear end drift I was hooked. I had (at the time) a Lotus Excel v8 and knew that i'd never be able to forget the 190. Fast forward 9 months, a house purchase and a girlfriend that was sick of me looking at them online every evening....... I bought the below. ![]() Sadly I don't have a photo from when I bought it as the (now ex had them on her Facebook) |
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Last Edit: Apr 30, 2020 14:55:53 GMT by jonnyboyraver: Title Update
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 Photo now added! UPload wasn't working for me! |
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Sadly you're unable to remove the timing chain without dropping the sump and removing the head due to various guides being in the way. What I should have done was pulled the engine (you'll see where this is going later!) I'd spent over £400 in parts from Mercedes and probably the same again replacing alot of very tired sensors, radiator, various bolts, engine damper, etc. The previous owner said it "only" needed a chain. I'd been kidding myself.
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This was the first time that it had gone back together. What I wasn't told was that the machanic hadn't set the timing chain correctly and everything hit on first start. He hastely removed the head and had it re-skimmed and the valves recessed further as somebody had been there before me.   I got the car back and completed approximately 300 miles before a breather hose on the back of the engine exploded and it dumped it's water everywhere. That was going to the first Bournemouth Pistonheads meeting of the year, I wasn't impressed. For a year, the car sat in the communal car park looking sorry for itself. Even some of the neighbours washed it for me on occasion. |
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Bookmarked!
Who doesn't love a Merc cossy?
AL.
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Thanks Al! Lots more to come!
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So the long and the short of trusting a moron with my car is this; - He'd bent the timing chain and bodged another connector onto it (as he'd cut a link out with a disc cutter!) - The fueling had been adjusted for a terrible idle. - The head had cracked inbetween the crankcase breather and water feed. Luckily (at the time) Mercedes had 4 new-old stock heads left in the world. I snapped one up!  The engine was pulled from the car (thanks for the help, various!) and the block was sent to a local machine shop. It needed a regrind on everything and was the model of a "tired engine". So I had to find new pistons... The choices where; - Mercedes, Mahle oversize at £200 each (£800 for 4) - Weisco Forged Pistons from a chap in Germany for £650, including P&P. Guess what I did?   The engineering shop did a great job and got hold of a complete bottom end gasket set for me too. I had them build the basic bottom end.  |
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It was at this stage that I had a huge sort out in my garage and cleared an area to work on the engine. I was living in a terraced house with a garage in the block, luckily, I had great neighbours and there was never a time that I couldn't ask somebody more senior then I for an opinion or a hand.    What a great many don't appreciate is that preperation is the key with these engines and that the timing chain is a total *curse word* to get on. Another friend had found me a cheap engine stand on ebay and (fuelled by Stella) I set about fitting the ancillaries and torqueing the head. One of my neighbours is an old school full time mechanic and would float over to mine on a Saturday to help (but mostly just steal my beer). Photos above say far more then words! |
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Space was cramped, but it worked.  |
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ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,128
Club RR Member Number: 134
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keeeep.... going.....
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Following various threaded bars, rechecking of torques and the head fitting (which uses Daewoo Matiz bolts!) It was time for the oil pump and sump. I say this as one because of the unique way inwhich one HAS to go in prior to the other Sadly, I didn't take any photos of the dissasembly and rebuild of the pump, but to summerise, we had the following issues - Seals had gone brittle (all of them) - Oil Pump Relief valve Spring was 150,000 miles old. I changed it.... - The stop plunge to the relief valve had seized due to carbon build up. I think that the last issue could have been a contributing factor to the slow death of the car.  Then I played a game of sliding in on gently (under a fitted head gasket) until seated correctly. End oil seal replaced too.  Below is a view from the underside.  Finally, it was time for the sump to go back on. Everything was thoroughly cleaned in petrol!   |
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Next up, I had an almost completed engine and a really manky looking valve cover. Whilst I wanted to go full OEM on it, I couldn't justify the cost. So for the interim, I had it fine bead blasted and powder coated black. I won't recommend either, as neith did a great job.  |
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Then came another change in life. I'd taken a few promotions/changed jobs, etc and I could afford a better place. Problem was, I had the contents of the house, a blown up Honda, a Motorbike and the contents of my garage! A few phone calls/Whattsapp messages later and a mate and his son agreed to help me get the lump in one weekend. I wasn't moving far, but the new place was a wreck and on the list was extending the garage!  Whilst I was at it, I replaced the clutch (not that there was much wrong with the old one!)  After a mornings swearing and messing around, it was in.  Luckily, you've got a sensible amount of room without the ancillaries installed. The rest was boxed and moved to the new place in a friends van/Dads box trailer. That brings us to June 2017 |
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tristanh
Part of things
Routinely bewildered
Posts: 990 
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Looking forward to more.
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Whether you believe you can, or you cannot, you're probably right.
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I really like these. A real shame about the problems though.
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My dad had one the sae as this when I was a lad, Ive wanted one ever since. Good work.
Isnt it terrible when you go to a garage and they churn out curse word work/no work at all? One of my pet hates. You pay someone to do a job, just do it to a high standard.
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It's a real shame, but since then the mechanic has become a mobile injector remover (probably for the best) as he's not a well man. Sadly I've forgotten my laptop today, otherwise there would be more to read. I may get a chance over the weekend to update it. Needless to say, there has been a lot more done (and continues to be!)
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Looking forward to more updates. A future car to add to the collection is either one of these or a bmw as I've not owned either in the past mostly Audi's so fancy a change.
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Porsche 944
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