That was my take as well - I'd have been in the garage until midnight! -Max
________________________________ From: OK Don <okd...@gmail.com> To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Sent: Mon, February 28, 2011 10:23:05 PM Subject: Re: [MBZ] fun time replacing alternator belts Sounds like a lot of my Saturdays as well - except it would have taken me 10 hours -- On Mon, Feb 28, 2011 at 5:33 PM, MG <trainpain2...@yahoo.com> wrote: > Well a couple of days ago I had a great day. I decided to replace the > alternator belts an my 83 300D. What! You say it doesn't take all day to > replace two alternator belts? Yeah you may be right, but.... > > It all started out innocently enough. Got the power steering belt off. Got > the AC belt off. Then couldn't quite get to the bolts on the alternator > easily enough so I took off the air cleaner and the turbo intake elbow. > > So far so good, right? Not. > > Found that the rear mount arm on the aircleaner bracket was broken off. Oh > yeah I remember, that was one of those things I put off a while ago. I > remember ordering a new bracket and mounts so I went and dug them out of the > parts boxes. (notice the plural, boxes, as opposed to just the singular, > box. Why? wait for it) > > Took the bracket off, had to loosen the turbo oil supply. Then I remembered > that I had been wanting to replace the intake/exhaust manifold gasket due to > a leak at the rear cylinders. Well no time like the present since I was > already here. > > Back to the garage to get the exhaust gasket out of the boxes. (you might > begin to see why, boxes,). Got the gasket, back to work getting the exhaust > pipe off and the turbo and the intake/exhaust manifold. Great! just about > ready to get things back together. > > OH wait. there is that little leak at the base of the turbo oil drain to > the block. Well I kind of knew about that for a while too. After all 500 > miles to quart and a lot of oil drips and the block was nice and clean right > where the drain enters the block. Kind of gives it way. > > Back to the boxes. Got the new seals for that little job. Did I say little? > There has got to be an easier way to get that tube out of the block. Next > time I will order a new tube. This one looks like it was used as a chew toy > for a grizzly by the time I got it out. Still it is pretty straight and not > too scared so put the rubbers on it and put it back in. I realize now that > the repair manual is quite optimistic. Pull the tube out, put the o-rings on > the tube, put the big rubber in the hole in the block and then insert the > tube. Ri...ght. Doesn't work that way. More like fight the tube out and then > put the o-rings on the tube. Then try and get the big rubber part started on > the bottom of the tube and over the o-ring there but just barely. (You learn > that after trying it their way for 20 minutes or so) Then get the big rubber > started in the hole in the block and tap it down tight around the edge with > a small wood stick. Then get a big socket and extension and beat the living > H..l out of the tube to get it down into place, but not too far or you may > have to pull it back out. I was lucky there, had to beat on it twice more to > get it down far enough to get the turbo back on. It was sticking out a bit > high still until after the second time. > > Oh did I tell you that I had a turbo from another car which had a shaft > that didn't wiggle as much as the turbo I took off so I decided to put that > one on instead. (Remember that) So got the manifolds back on with the turbo > and the exhaust pipe. > > Didn't have a new gasket for the turbo to the exhaust manifold so I had to > use the old one. Then before I forget it, back to the original job. Loosen > the bolts and get the belts off and the new ones on to the alternator. That > done, put the new aircleaner bracket and mounts on and fasten everything > back together. Get all the other belts back on and finally start the car. > Yaaaaay!!! > > Hold on not so fast, 5 yard penalty for excessive celebration. Let the > engine run a bit at idle to fill the turbo oil supply tube and then rev it a > couple of times. OY! The nice tight turbo makes a bad whining noise and > doesn't put out very much boost. Also a lot of exhaust smoke coming out > under the air cleaner. OH well. Looks like I need to order a turbo or at > least a rebuild kit as well as a new exhaust to turbo gasket. Then do a lot > of this fun stuff all over again. Bummer. > > So Rusty if you have been following my joy filled day this far how much for > a rebuilt turbo center chunk or a rebuild kit with upgraded thrust bearing > plate and a gasket and lock plates for the wastegate cover. Figure I might > as well take that off and clean it and possibly set the boost a bit higher, > seeing as how I have to go back in anyway. This is for a Garrett turbo. Oh > an exhaust manifold to turbo gasket also. > > So bottom line, 5 hours and I'm still not really done, but the car is at > least drivable. Maybe. > > Manfred > > > -- > OK Don 2001 ML320 1992 300D 2.5T 1990 300D 2.5T 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
