where_the_heffalump_roams 917 AF

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Sadly, I don't have any info on them other than they are the OEM parts for my truck and came from MB in Germany. They did not come with any MSDS sheets. The vendor who I bought them from also contacted MB Germany and was not able to source any MSDS data. I also contacted another vendor from Germany who was not able to source any MSDS sheets.

That is not a good sign. I probably don’t have any resources above the MFGR.

 

[where_the_heffalump_roams]

It's an odd request that I've not had for any brake service before. Perhaps it's because it's in CA and they might be worried this old truck uses asbestos material? Though it's my understanding that Europe actually banned asbestos before the USA. But I really don't have any idea.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

CA does increase the difficulty 10fold. Its one of the few states, and places. I won’t work medicine or risk management for the most part. With a few exceptions for disaster relief.

They wanted them for the brake pads? Probably had something to do with the silica dust. Or maybe they just don’t want to do the job.

 

[NatersXJ6]

They don’t want to do the job. There is no secret sauce in brake linings and anyone who does this work is familiar with the general risks. I would guess you aren’t finding SDS because they typically only apply to materials / chemicals and not finished parts. Re-lining brakes seems to be rare these days, I’m surprised you’ve found anyone at all.

 

[where_the_heffalump_roams]

They don’t want to do the job. There is no secret sauce in brake linings and anyone who does this work is familiar with the general risks. I would guess you aren’t finding SDS because they typically only apply to materials / chemicals and not finished parts. Re-lining brakes seems to be rare these days, I’m surprised you’ve found anyone at all.

It's a bit confusing. I was very transparent about what needed to be done when I contacted them and that it was unlikely if not impossible for them to source parts. I did let them know that I didn't think I would be able to source replacement parts for the engine mount and that the repair would likely need to be fabricated. What also concerns me is that it looks like there may have been a repair to the engine mount before. This puts the mount at risk for further failure from loss loss of tensile strength down the road. If I can get pass this hurdle, I may have to find a legit shop that can fabricate/replicate a new mount sometime.

I'm still confused by their need for the MSDS sheets. Relining shoes is not an uncommon practice for places that service brakes/clutches.

I'm frustrated by the situation but they have the truck and it is where it is.

 

[where_the_heffalump_roams]

Spoke with the shop yesterday.
They have fabricated repairs and did what they could to increase the strength of the original mount before installing it. As of yestrday they were working on getting the engine re-installed. The current pads do have pad life, so they are going to leave them in. They will replace the air brake valve and wedge actuator, I'm hoping that gives me parking brakes again.

The past past week was spent road tripping with an old friend from Idaho to Nevada where we helped her mom with some projects around the house. We also explored old mining communities and got to see dozens of feral burros.

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Jumping in a bit late, the brake shops are concerned that these old trucks use asbestos linings, which they won't touch. But Mercedes stopped doing that well before our trucks were built. When we had our brakes done, the shop in Nevada inquired and I confirmed with Stefan that they are not asbestos. Best I could do as there is no paperwork to prove otherwise.

Yup, your front engine cradle is the uber rare one specifically built for trucks with factory aircon. I only know of yours having it. They probably hand built them only in a very small quantity. I tried to find one before I went with a rooftop AC unit. To retain the AC you would probably need to find a good fabrication shop to custom build one. The LN2's have no extra space to mount a compressor so they put it under the engine.

 

[where_the_heffalump_roams]

Jumping in a bit late, the brake shops are concerned that these old trucks use asbestos linings, which they won't touch. But Mercedes stopped doing that well before our trucks were built. When we had our brakes done, the shop in Nevada inquired and I confirmed with Stefan that they are not asbestos. Best I could do as there is no paperwork to prove otherwise.

Yup, your front engine cradle is the uber rare one specifically built for trucks with factory aircon. I only know of yours having it. They probably hand built them only in a very small quantity. I tried to find one before I went with a rooftop AC unit. To retain the AC you would probably need to find a good fabrication shop to custom build one. The LN2's have no extra space to mount a compressor so they put it under the engine.

Do you mind sharing where in Nevada you had your brakes done?

After the truck gets going, I need to reschedule time over at zerodeclincations. We are actually going to do redo the habitat a/c system over there. I'd love to try to get the brake shoes on and see if the drums can be resurfaced.

At some point, I may need to find a shop that can pull the engine and copy the factory mount. It might be possible to 3d scan it and share the file. Even though this shop is repairing the failed point, my concern is that the material has reached the end of its tensile strength and it's possible for it to fail again. Looking at the pic they shared, it looks like it may have failed and been repaired along the passenger side in the past.

Here are a few more pics from the Nevada trip.
While driving around in my friend's side by side, we stopped by the town cemetery.


We found this small cave and entered it. We found what looked like a large nest. But didn't see anything else.

A few more sites of interest. The rocks in along the hillsides were quite colorful.


I'm bunking up at a friends house up in Washington now. He put in a battery in one of his rigs and we went for a nice ride around the surrounding orchards.

 

[NatersXJ6]

What is the approximate thickness of the engine cradle? I suspect finding one shop to accomplish this will be relatively difficult, as most truck repair / parts swappers aren’t going to have the relationships needed with drafting specialists and machine shops that have higher power laser cutting setups.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if you end up cutting 2-3 attempts in order to get it exactly right due to the previous repairs and measurement challenges.

 

[where_the_heffalump_roams]

A future replacement of the engine cradle will be costly but I think it's quite possible with today's technology. The challenge would be time and cost. The engine cradle would have to be removed again, 3D scanned, digital info sent to shop where pieces could be made, and then to a fabricator for welding.

 

[where_the_heffalump_roams]

Finally got a positive update from the truck yard this past week. Repairs to the engine cradle are complete, they reinstalled the engine, accessories, and replaced the damaged air lines. But the parking break was not working still. I asked them to replace the wedge actuator that was provided and we now have parking brakes.
The brake system does still need to be serviced since they don't have a place that can rivet on the new shoes. But at least I can finally pick up the heffalump this week and safely drive/park it. I'm pretty stoked! If anyone knows a place along the west coast or Northern Baja that can rivet on the shoes and do drum machining if needed, I'd appreciate a suggestion.
In other news, I also finally took possession of a restomod project I've had for nearly 10 years but hardly driven due to multiple set backs. Yesterday it got new shoes to replace the 8 year old tires that probably only had a few hundred miles of road use and a few dyno sessions. Hoping to get some track days in soon and will be using the heffalump to camp on tracks.

 

[VerMonsterRV]

This is the shop that relined our shoes (Reno Nevada)

Reno Brake Inc. | Reno NV

Reno Brake Inc., Reno, Nevada. 103 likes · 1 was here. Reno Brake is a local small business that is the oldest parts house in Reno, NV. This family-owned b

www.facebook.com

Look for old school hotrod shops.

p.s. love the Skyline!

 

[where_the_heffalump_roams]

Thanks! The rig is actually going to Reno soon to update the habitat A/C and get a 110 charge system. I really appreciate that.

I actually connected with some really rad guys and wish I met them earlier when the engine mount was as pulled. It’s amazing how tech has advanced. The Skyline was 3D scanned today for a brake cooling system and flat bottom fabrication. They guys illumaesrhetic are way down to earth and fun. I wish I could have had them scan the mount while it was out for future fabrication files.

Industry leading aftermarket cosmetic solutions.

Illumaesthetic is the home for all your cosmetic parts needs. We develop and manufacture some of the most unique and innovative parts for your aftermarket cosmetic needs.

www.illumaesthetic.com

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[where_the_heffalump_roams]

Here is a copy of the scan. It really would have been rad to this with the engine cradle. And in truth, it probalby could have been done if there was effective communication between that truck yard and I. I don't think I've ever experienced a worse experience as a consumer. That was really unfortunate as they seemed to offer nearly all the services such as mechanical repair, hydraulic systems, and in house fabrication. I would really want to establish a longer term relationship with a trusted shop that offered that.

Automotive woes have continued. The Skyline started dropping oil pressure after its underbody was 3D scanned. That's when it was noticed the oil temps were running high. It has a very large radiator, specialized cooling panels, and a large oil cooler for this type of build. We think there might be a failed sensor in system . I was hoping to camp in the heffalump this weekend and do some laps in the Skyine down in Laguna Seca this weekend but that's not going to happen.

But I'm very happy to back in my home. In a few weeks, the heffalump will get a modernized a/c and shore charging system. I'm super stoked to be able to cool the habitat while driving. It will be a very nice experience to simply enter a cooled off living area after driving in the heat to relax. Depending on what happens with the car, I'll either get some track days in while the heffalump is getting worked on perhaps due some out of state traveling .

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Im excited to see what ZD comes up with, and the install they do for you!