Good write-up and photo series. Which reminds me, there is a leak around the water pump on the ML320 -- which is only 1½ years old. This means that the indie shop that replaced it botched the job. I can't see around the pump well enough to tell exactly where it's coming from, but there aren't many other options in the neighborhood. I did have to add a quart or so of coolant tonight to top off the tank - that was getting near the the min mark, so it's not too bad a leak - that was lost over 6 months or so. I'll add the gasket set for the water pump to the Rusty list --- and the job to my list.
On Sat, Mar 5, 2011 at 10:44 PM, Craig <[email protected]> wrote: > Since I got the '94 E420 running, I noticed that its temperature was low > when it was cold outside. A few weeks ago, I changed the thermostat and > found more joy under the hood. :-) > > I took pictures of the process and have attached them. > > Picture 0 shows the overall view of the engine compartment after I > started. I took the upper radiator hose off the engine and > rotated it vertically to keep antifreeze from draining out. > I had already taken off the part to which the upper radiator > hose attached, thinking that that was where the thermostat > was. I was wrong. (You can see the aluminum casting sitting > on the left distributor cover just above the power steering > fluid reservoir.) > > Picture 1 shows a close-up of the mating parts to that which I removed. > I should have put the part back on, but I left it off thinking > I would need the extra room. > > Picture 2 shows where the thermostat is (it's in the part to which the > large rubber ell hose connects -- at this point, though, I > wasn't entirely sure, thanks to the WONDERFUL W124 manuals). > > Picture 3 shows the tightening screw of the lower hose clamp that needs > to be loosened. > > Picture 4 shows the ell hose off and the back screw of the thermostat > housing being removed. The engine oil dip stick needs to be > forcibly pushed out of the way. > > Picture 5 shows the custom tool needed to hook under the bottom lip of > the ell hose and pull it up to loosen the bond of the rubber to > the aluminum and remove it from its lower connection. This tool > was actually made to twist the steel wire ties around re-bar > when one is preparing the steel work for reinforced concrete. > Since I had done that kind of work in the past, I had one > around. > > Picture 6 shows the tool needed to pull the thermostat out of its > housing. The joint between the thermostat and the hose adaptor > that attaches over it is with a small o-ring that the hose > adaptor compresses against the thermostat and outer housing. If > it's been there awhile, it doesn't want to come out! > > Picture 7 show the thermostat out! Even if it had been good, it is now > headed for the trash can. > > Picture 8 shows another view of the area with the thermostat out. > > Picture 9 shows the thermostat in and the large ell hose reconnected. > Getting the hose back on was even more fun than getting it off, > since it's so short and overlaps the hose adaptors on both of > its ends by a large percentage of its length. Recall that I > said the dip stick needed to be pushed forcibly out of the way? > If you're not careful, you can push the plastic end of the dip > stick and break it off, like I did. Fortunately, it's sealed > by o-rings, so nothing will get down into the pan. My neighbor > said changing the thermostat on his big Chevy van was a real > bear of a job, so I guess I don't feel so bad. The W123 617 is > so much nicer, though. > > Picture 10 Remember when I said I should have put back on the piece I > originally took off? When its off, the gasket, which has > adhered to the part still attached to the block, can be > damaged and you get to make a new one. Here's the start of the > process. > > Picture 11 shows the completed gasket on the part it is to seal. > > Picture 12 shows the part ready with Permatex 6B blue silicone to receive > the gasket. > > Picture 13 shows the gasket on the part and with a coat of Permatex, > ready to be put back on the engine. After this point, it's > trivial. > > > Craig > > -- > 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
