Does anyone speak "Automatic Transmission" (1969 Mercedes variety)

From past (way past) experience I think the problem is with the rear pump. There is a pin holding a plug in the end of the pump cylinder-it's a piston type pump driven by an eccentric on the output shaft- That plug will move if the pin holding it shears and there will be insufficient hydraulic pressure to operate the shifting properly. The vacuum modulator and throttle position cable aren't causing your issues. The vacuum modulator is adjustable by using different length actuating rods. Anyway the pump can be accessed by removing the rear housing, which can be done with the trans in place.

BrokenYugo wrote: See, something stupid. For now just wrap electrical tape around the shaft until you get a good fit.

Hahahaha! Great minds think alike.

I couldn't really get in there well enough to get the cotter pin out of its home and I couldn't get the whole linkage assembly out without taking a lot of other stuff apart in the engine bay, so I just stuffed a bunch of zip ties in there and she seems to be holding. Shifts are a little higher in the RPM range than they used to be, but I'll take what I can get

(that took me an hour and a half)

I found a part number for the shifter linkage, but nothing for the throttle linkage. I'm thinking the same part might work in both spots (A 111 268 00 86 ). If they're open today I'll swing by the Mercedes dealership and see if they have the parts I need, or at least better parts breakdowns.

From there, I'm paying somebody to do the dirty work. At least on the throttle side. Bleh

Good times.

Was thinking last night. Is the kickdown switch ok? Not sure these have the switch but it could be causing your problems if it is staying depressed.

Those shift bushings are suppossed to be a bear to change as they are hard to get at, good luck with it.

Just read all the thread. Ignore my last post

Glad you found the problem.

Mark the arm and shaft it rides on (so you can get them lined back up easily) and drop the arm and rod out as an assembly?

Slippery: Ignored, but in all fairness your bowden cable idea two posts back was basically spot on

BenzBaron: Yeah. I had to do things with my fingers that'll probably translate REALLY well into my love life just to get those zip ties in (and if you notice, none of them are even cinched all the way... there's a real good reason for that!). I'm definitely paying someone to do that job when the parts arrive.

Yugo: Maaaaan... I got in, I got lucky, I'm getting out I had the same idea though. I even had the screwdriver and hammer in hand! I probably spent a good 10-minutes under the car, just staring at the thing, trying to decide if I should. In the end, I'm just going to leave it right where it's at until the proper parts get here.

Thank you all for taking what was a "magic question mark box" in my car, and making it less of a "question mark" while keeping the "magic" You guys are awesome and you've really saved my butt (no really, the guys at work will never know the car was down, and Mrs. Hungary is convinced I just saved us thousands of dollars in transmission replacement costs. )

Beer's on me fellas. Drink up!

good times