Strong work! -D ________________________________ From: Mercedes <mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com> on behalf of Buggered Benzmail via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2023 7:31 PM To: Mercedes List <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Cc: Buggered Benzmail <buggeredbenzm...@gmail.com> Subject: [MBZ] Benzing Today — ML63 ISM Massive Pain in the Ass
I decided to take the ISM (Integrated Servo Module, an electric servo motor that a coded electronic controller causes to shift the tranny) off the ML63 this afternoon so I can see about getting it cloned to another one I pulled off the ML350 I knackered. There is a cover shield with 4 little torx T30 screws. These screw into 4 12mm standoff bolts that hold the ISM (threaded tops) to the transmission. There is NO room to get at this stuff. I ended up undoing the back of the front driveshaft where it connects to the transfer case. It can move maybe 2 inches then hits the caddilactic converter which gives just enough room to get a hand up in there. There is very little clearance between these torx screws and the tunnel and shield beside the transmission. I could get one hand sorta up in there. I managed to get 3 off using a torx bit and a little angled ratchet tool for 1/4” driver bits. The fourth one at top was pretty much inaccessible though I could see it and work a hand up in there but couldn’t get the tool on it, no clearance. Pondering the situation it was clear the transmission needed to move either to the side or down. So I removed the rear mount screws for the transfer case and tried to use a pipe to pry it over but that was fighting the engine mounts I guess. I got a big ratshit strap, attached one end to the jack point bracket and the other to the transfer case and managed to pull it over maybe 3/4”. That gave me enough room to get at that screw. The little ratchet tool being angled wouldn’t fit, still not enough clearance. Bah. So I got a 1/4” wrench and taped a bit in it and was able to work that up and pop the screw loose! Yay! I had enough clearance too to get a 12mm wrench on the bolts so got all those off. BUT the top one that was so hard to get at screws into a round cast boss on the tranny and the ISM has a round hole that fits over the boss to locate it properly I guess. The ISM absolutely refused to come off though I could rotate it around. I finally managed to pop it off using a pry bar while swinging it back and forth. Success! I guess reinstallation won’t be *too* bad now that I’ve figured it out. I’m going to get in touch with this guy who says he will clone it, he says he can set up a remote session with my Magick Benz Computer. So I hope that works out. I have to do the same job on this S550 4matic that has been sitting for too long because it looks to be even worse of a job. The ML as tight as it is has more room to work if that can be imagined. The S procedure starts off “Remove Transmission”… but I saw a utuber where the mech was able to do the same trick with the ratshit strap. So maybe once I finish the ML I’ll look at the S again. I got lots of car yoga done sliding in and out under the car so I’ll call that my exercise for the day. And it was like 94F but there was a nice breeze so it wasn’t too bad out. A successful afternoon I guess. --FT Sent from iFōn _______________________________________ http://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 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
