Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long now short and deep)
The regulations are 1.5m depth for excavations, which is a guideline, insofar that if someone is kneeling in a1.5m trench they are gonna get buried if a side collapses. Yes I do get into deep holes but test the sides first to determine that they are stable and dry, if in any doubt I'll bench it. Hendrik who has never had a major accident..touch wood On 26/02/13 10:10, Dan Penoff wrote: I have some very good cast iron jackstands which I use regularly. I do not care to be a greasy spot under my car. They are used when I need to remove a wheel. Just used a couple of pairs the other day win I was putting new pads and rotors on the wife's 2005 Mazda 6. Nothing dodgy about these ramps - they are solid wood and could easily support far more weight than this car. I built them because I had a pair of the stamped steel ramps a while back, and I had two major issues with them: 1.) They wouldn't stay put so you could drive up on them. That is, when the tire came up against the ramp the ramp just skidded forward. The manufacturer's suggestion: Put them on a "soft" surface, or place a piece of rubber sheet under them so they wouldn't slide on the floor. 2.) One of them started to bend or distort and dropped in height by about an inch. It was not overloaded according to the ratings and the car I had on it at the time (a 1970 250C) was well below the maximum load. That's when I got rid of them. The jack has a very slight leak that's been present for some years. The lack of hydraulic fluid was a cumulative thing that I had just never addressed. I haven't seen any leakage since I refilled it, so I'll continue to use it with diligence. That means inspecting it before each use. Again, I am very careful when working under a car and usually have multiple means of supporting it in place. I have no intention of being squished under my car. When you're excavating a trench, do you ever get down in it without shoring? I'll bet not. My rule - never get in a trench or hole deeper than my waist. Dan On Feb 25, 2013, at 6:28 PM, Hendrik and fay wrote: Dunno, dodgy ramps and a flakey jack, sounds a bit dodgy. I have a pair of metal ramps but gave up using them ages ago, I might drag em out now and again but the car is jacked up and the ramps put under the tires. I just hate driving vehicles up ramps. Over the years I have invested in jack stands and now have three pairs, ranging from weak to very strong, this is particularly useful as a lot of jobs involve removing the wheels, hard to do when the wheel is sitting on a ramp. Where is this jack losing oil? A jack that has issues is to be treated with great care. Hendrik who is usually careful ___ 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
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long now short)
I have some very good cast iron jackstands which I use regularly. I do not care to be a greasy spot under my car. They are used when I need to remove a wheel. Just used a couple of pairs the other day win I was putting new pads and rotors on the wife's 2005 Mazda 6. Nothing dodgy about these ramps - they are solid wood and could easily support far more weight than this car. I built them because I had a pair of the stamped steel ramps a while back, and I had two major issues with them: 1.) They wouldn't stay put so you could drive up on them. That is, when the tire came up against the ramp the ramp just skidded forward. The manufacturer's suggestion: Put them on a "soft" surface, or place a piece of rubber sheet under them so they wouldn't slide on the floor. 2.) One of them started to bend or distort and dropped in height by about an inch. It was not overloaded according to the ratings and the car I had on it at the time (a 1970 250C) was well below the maximum load. That's when I got rid of them. The jack has a very slight leak that's been present for some years. The lack of hydraulic fluid was a cumulative thing that I had just never addressed. I haven't seen any leakage since I refilled it, so I'll continue to use it with diligence. That means inspecting it before each use. Again, I am very careful when working under a car and usually have multiple means of supporting it in place. I have no intention of being squished under my car. When you're excavating a trench, do you ever get down in it without shoring? I'll bet not. My rule - never get in a trench or hole deeper than my waist. Dan On Feb 25, 2013, at 6:28 PM, Hendrik and fay wrote: > Dunno, dodgy ramps and a flakey jack, sounds a bit dodgy. > I have a pair of metal ramps but gave up using them ages ago, I might drag em > out now and again but the car is jacked up and the ramps put under the tires. > I just hate driving vehicles up ramps. > Over the years I have invested in jack stands and now have three pairs, > ranging from weak to very strong, this is particularly useful as a lot of > jobs involve removing the wheels, hard to do when the wheel is sitting on a > ramp. > Where is this jack losing oil? A jack that has issues is to be treated with > great care. > > Hendrik > who is usually careful ___ 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
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long now short)
Dunno, dodgy ramps and a flakey jack, sounds a bit dodgy. I have a pair of metal ramps but gave up using them ages ago, I might drag em out now and again but the car is jacked up and the ramps put under the tires. I just hate driving vehicles up ramps. Over the years I have invested in jack stands and now have three pairs, ranging from weak to very strong, this is particularly useful as a lot of jobs involve removing the wheels, hard to do when the wheel is sitting on a ramp. Where is this jack losing oil? A jack that has issues is to be treated with great care. Hendrik who is usually careful On 26/02/13 01:18, Dan Penoff wrote: Thanks, Wilton! On Feb 25, 2013, at 9:46 AM, WILTON wrote: 'Nother ATTABOY! Wilton - Original Message - From: "Dan Penoff" To: "Mercedes List" Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 8:39 AM Subject: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long) All in all a very productive weekend with the S500. Saturday started with the construction of a set of ramps. I couldn't bear to part with $40 or $50 for the metal Harbor Freight models, so I went to Lowe's and bought a couple of 2x10x12s and made my own by cutting progressively longer pieces that I stacked on top of each other to form a ramp. A pass on the end of each board with a 45 degree angle, plenty of glue and deck screws between each layer and a pair of very functional ramps were now ready for my car. Next I took on my Craftsman floor jack that has been acting up for some time. The "speed lift" function hasn't been working, and it has been lifting less and less as time goes on. I had done some research as far as adjustments and repairs, but these yielded no results. I suspect I might have been low on fluid, but for the life of me I couldn't find a place to fill it. Finally, after a very thorough inspection, I found a plastic plug in the side of the hydraulic cylinder. I pried the plug out and realized that this was the fill port. After I put almost 6 ounces of hydraulic fluid in it, it was once again lifting as it had in the past. I still don't have the "speed lift" function, but I'll compromise in order to have full lifting capabilities again. ___ 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
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long)
'Mighty tempting. Wilton - Original Message - From: "Dan Penoff" To: "Mercedes Discussion List" Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 10:14 AM Subject: Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long) My Mercedes Martha Stewart™ services have always been available at no cost to list members based on my availability. It just so happens that spring break is approaching, giving me a week of unfettered time, so if you are planning on being in the area just let me know in advance. Dan On Feb 25, 2013, at 10:02 AM, WILTON wrote: BTW, to give you another weekend of fun, when may I drop off one of my MB's (an '87 124 w/128 kmi, a '91 126 w/204 kmi) for your "treatment"? You may do another write-up, too - 'won't embarrass me at all. I can whip right down I-95; can be there in a few hours. ;<) ___ 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
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long)
My Mercedes Martha Stewart™ services have always been available at no cost to list members based on my availability. It just so happens that spring break is approaching, giving me a week of unfettered time, so if you are planning on being in the area just let me know in advance. Dan On Feb 25, 2013, at 10:02 AM, WILTON wrote: > BTW, to give you another weekend of fun, when may I drop off one of my MB's > (an '87 124 w/128 kmi, a '91 126 w/204 kmi) for your "treatment"? You may do > another write-up, too - 'won't embarrass me at all. I can whip right down > I-95; can be there in a few hours. ;<) > > ___ 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
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long)
BTW, to give you another weekend of fun, when may I drop off one of my MB's (an '87 124 w/128 kmi, a '91 126 w/204 kmi) for your "treatment"? You may do another write-up, too - 'won't embarrass me at all. I can whip right down I-95; can be there in a few hours. ;<) Wilton - Original Message - From: "Dan Penoff" To: "Mercedes Discussion List" Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 9:48 AM Subject: Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long) Thanks, Wilton! On Feb 25, 2013, at 9:46 AM, WILTON wrote: 'Nother ATTABOY! Wilton - Original Message - From: "Dan Penoff" To: "Mercedes List" Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 8:39 AM Subject: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long) All in all a very productive weekend with the S500. Saturday started with the construction of a set of ramps. I couldn't bear to part with $40 or $50 for the metal Harbor Freight models, so I went to Lowe's and bought a couple of 2x10x12s and made my own by cutting progressively longer pieces that I stacked on top of each other to form a ramp. A pass on the end of each board with a 45 degree angle, plenty of glue and deck screws between each layer and a pair of very functional ramps were now ready for my car. Next I took on my Craftsman floor jack that has been acting up for some time. The "speed lift" function hasn't been working, and it has been lifting less and less as time goes on. I had done some research as far as adjustments and repairs, but these yielded no results. I suspect I might have been low on fluid, but for the life of me I couldn't find a place to fill it. Finally, after a very thorough inspection, I found a plastic plug in the side of the hydraulic cylinder. I pried the plug out and realized that this was the fill port. After I put almost 6 ounces of hydraulic fluid in it, it was once again lifting as it had in the past. I still don't have the "speed lift" function, but I'll compromise in order to have full lifting capabilities again. And now to the car Previous inspection had shown that the front flex disc had some hairline cracks in it, but the rear was starting to fail with tears and cracks readily apparent. Not having done a flex disc since a W126 I was in for a surprise. The W140 has 8 bolts rather than 6, and the flex disc in front is a lot more difficult to access than ones in earlier models. Thank goodness for pry bars and magnetic pickups. The rear flex disc was far more accessible, especially after the "guard" or strap was removed. It appears that on this chassis there is a metal strap that wraps around the drive shaft to prevent it from lashing around should it break loose. While you can work around this, it's fairly easy to unbolt one end and bend it out of the way to better access the bolts on the rear flex disc. Again, lots of brute force and use of a pry bar to get everything apart. It goes without saying that I have not been on a creeper for such a long time in a great while. When I woke up Sunday morning I was hurting in places I didn't even know I had. Fortunately, I had saved the simpler tasks for Sunday. First order of business was the fuel filter. Since I had removed the cover that protects the fuel pump and filter to access the nut that holds the strap around the driveshaft yesterday, access was a simple matter. With the judicious use of rubber plugs and caps I was able to swap the fuel filter with a minimum of fuel loss. A pretty simple operation. With cover back in place I was ready to move on... Next was a flush and fill of the SLS system. I had noted that the fluid was very dark and there was some sort of black crud in the screen, but I hadn't looked much beyond that. I put some clear tubing on the return line and ran it into a clear bottle. I removed the cap and screen and proceeded to run the engine to pump the reservoir down to the bottom. I found a bit of black crud in the bottom and sides of the reservoir, which I was able to clean out using a dust-free cloth wrapped around the end of a piece of coat hanger. I would have liked to remove the reservoir and cleaned it more thoroughly, but my Mercedes Martha Stewart-ness was on the ebb by this time. After a liter or so of fresh fluid I was getting clear fluid out of the system. I shut it off and topped up the reservoir. Now to the filter/screen. There was a large slug of the black crud in the bottom of the filter screen. When I separated the screen from the cap, imagine my surprise when I saw what appeared to be the remains of a large rubber O-ring in the bottom of the screen! This was the source of the black crud in the system - the O-ring was apparently not something that should have been in contact with hydraulic fluid, as it was breaking down and was soft and falling apart. I had mistakenly ordered a replacement screen/fil
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long)
Trim your posts! --R On 2/25/13 9:48 AM, Dan Penoff wrote: Thanks, Wilton! On Feb 25, 2013, at 9:46 AM, WILTON wrote: 'Nother ATTABOY! Wilton - Original Message - From: "Dan Penoff" To: "Mercedes List" Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 8:39 AM Subject: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long) All in all a very productive weekend with the S500. Saturday started with the construction of a set of ramps. I couldn't bear to part with $40 or $50 for the metal Harbor Freight models, so I went to Lowe's and bought a couple of 2x10x12s and made my own by cutting progressively longer pieces that I stacked on top of each other to form a ramp. A pass on the end of each board with a 45 degree angle, plenty of glue and deck screws between each layer and a pair of very functional ramps were now ready for my car. Next I took on my Craftsman floor jack that has been acting up for some time. The "speed lift" function hasn't been working, and it has been lifting less and less as time goes on. I had done some research as far as adjustments and repairs, but these yielded no results. I suspect I might have been low on fluid, but for the life of me I couldn't find a place to fill it. Finally, after a very thorough inspection, I found a plastic plug in the side of the hydraulic cylinder. I pried the plug out and realized that this was the fill port. After I put almost 6 ounces of hydraulic fluid in it, it was once again lifting as it had in the past. I still don't have the "speed lift" function, but I'll compromise in order to have full lifting capabilities again. And now to the car Previous inspection had shown that the front flex disc had some hairline cracks in it, but the rear was starting to fail with tears and cracks readily apparent. Not having done a flex disc since a W126 I was in for a surprise. The W140 has 8 bolts rather than 6, and the flex disc in front is a lot more difficult to access than ones in earlier models. Thank goodness for pry bars and magnetic pickups. The rear flex disc was far more accessible, especially after the "guard" or strap was removed. It appears that on this chassis there is a metal strap that wraps around the drive shaft to prevent it from lashing around should it break loose. While you can work around this, it's fairly easy to unbolt one end and bend it out of the way to better access the bolts on the rear flex disc. Again, lots of brute force and use of a pry bar to get everything apart. It goes without saying that I have not been on a creeper for such a long time in a great while. When I woke up Sunday morning I was hurting in places I didn't even know I had. Fortunately, I had saved the simpler tasks for Sunday. First order of business was the fuel filter. Since I had removed the cover that protects the fuel pump and filter to access the nut that holds the strap around the driveshaft yesterday, access was a simple matter. With the judicious use of rubber plugs and caps I was able to swap the fuel filter with a minimum of fuel loss. A pretty simple operation. With cover back in place I was ready to move on... Next was a flush and fill of the SLS system. I had noted that the fluid was very dark and there was some sort of black crud in the screen, but I hadn't looked much beyond that. I put some clear tubing on the return line and ran it into a clear bottle. I removed the cap and screen and proceeded to run the engine to pump the reservoir down to the bottom. I found a bit of black crud in the bottom and sides of the reservoir, which I was able to clean out using a dust-free cloth wrapped around the end of a piece of coat hanger. I would have liked to remove the reservoir and cleaned it more thoroughly, but my Mercedes Martha Stewart-ness was on the ebb by this time. After a liter or so of fresh fluid I was getting clear fluid out of the system. I shut it off and topped up the reservoir. Now to the filter/screen. There was a large slug of the black crud in the bottom of the filter screen. When I separated the screen from the cap, imagine my surprise when I saw what appeared to be the remains of a large rubber O-ring in the bottom of the screen! This was the source of the black crud in the system - the O-ring was apparently not something that should have been in contact with hydraulic fluid, as it was breaking down and was soft and falling apart. I had mistakenly ordered a replacement screen/filter, thinking that this system was like earlier SLS systems that had the small pleated paper filter elements in them, but in this case my lack of attention worked in my favor. The SLS system in the W140 has a fine mesh screen that filters the hydraulic fluid, and it's not a consumable item like the older pleated paper filters are. I could have cleaned the old screen and it would have been perfectly passable, but since it was covered with the remains of the broken down rubber part that was lodged in the base of it, I elected to put the new
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long)
Thanks, Wilton! On Feb 25, 2013, at 9:46 AM, WILTON wrote: > 'Nother ATTABOY! > > Wilton > > - Original Message - From: "Dan Penoff" > To: "Mercedes List" > Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 8:39 AM > Subject: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long) > > >> All in all a very productive weekend with the S500. Saturday started with >> the construction of a set of ramps. >> I couldn't bear to part with $40 or $50 for the metal Harbor Freight models, >> so I went to Lowe's and bought a couple of 2x10x12s and made my own by >> cutting progressively longer pieces that I stacked on top of each other to >> form a ramp. A pass on the end of each board with a 45 degree angle, plenty >> of glue and deck screws between each layer and a pair of very functional >> ramps were now ready for my car. >> Next I took on my Craftsman floor jack that has been acting up for some >> time. The "speed lift" function hasn't been working, and it has been lifting >> less and less as time goes on. I had done some research as far as >> adjustments and repairs, but these yielded no results. I suspect I might >> have been low on fluid, but for the life of me I couldn't find a place to >> fill it. Finally, after a very thorough inspection, I found a plastic plug >> in the side of the hydraulic cylinder. I pried the plug out and realized >> that this was the fill port. After I put almost 6 ounces of hydraulic fluid >> in it, it was once again lifting as it had in the past. I still don't have >> the "speed lift" function, but I'll compromise in order to have full lifting >> capabilities again. >> And now to the car Previous inspection had shown that the front flex >> disc had some hairline cracks in it, but the rear was starting to fail with >> tears and cracks readily apparent. Not having done a flex disc since a W126 >> I was in for a surprise. The W140 has 8 bolts rather than 6, and the flex >> disc in front is a lot more difficult to access than ones in earlier models. >> Thank goodness for pry bars and magnetic pickups. >> The rear flex disc was far more accessible, especially after the "guard" or >> strap was removed. It appears that on this chassis there is a metal strap >> that wraps around the drive shaft to prevent it from lashing around should >> it break loose. While you can work around this, it's fairly easy to unbolt >> one end and bend it out of the way to better access the bolts on the rear >> flex disc. Again, lots of brute force and use of a pry bar to get everything >> apart. >> It goes without saying that I have not been on a creeper for such a long >> time in a great while. When I woke up Sunday morning I was hurting in places >> I didn't even know I had. Fortunately, I had saved the simpler tasks for >> Sunday. >> First order of business was the fuel filter. Since I had removed the cover >> that protects the fuel pump and filter to access the nut that holds the >> strap around the driveshaft yesterday, access was a simple matter. With the >> judicious use of rubber plugs and caps I was able to swap the fuel filter >> with a minimum of fuel loss. A pretty simple operation. With cover back in >> place I was ready to move on... >> Next was a flush and fill of the SLS system. I had noted that the fluid was >> very dark and there was some sort of black crud in the screen, but I hadn't >> looked much beyond that. >> I put some clear tubing on the return line and ran it into a clear bottle. I >> removed the cap and screen and proceeded to run the engine to pump the >> reservoir down to the bottom. I found a bit of black crud in the bottom and >> sides of the reservoir, which I was able to clean out using a dust-free >> cloth wrapped around the end of a piece of coat hanger. I would have liked >> to remove the reservoir and cleaned it more thoroughly, but my Mercedes >> Martha Stewart-ness was on the ebb by this time. >> After a liter or so of fresh fluid I was getting clear fluid out of the >> system. I shut it off and topped up the reservoir. Now to the filter/screen. >> There was a large slug of the black crud in the bottom of the filter screen. >> When I separated the screen from the cap, imagine my surprise when I saw >> what appeared to be the remains of a large rubber O-ring in the bottom of >> the screen! This was the source of the black crud in the system - the O-ring >> was apparently not something that should have been in contact with hydraulic >> fluid, as it was breaking down and was soft and falling apart. I had >> mistakenly ordered a replacement screen/filter, thinking that this system >> was like earlier SLS systems that had the small pleated paper filter >> elements in them, but in this case my lack of attention worked in my favor. >> The SLS system in the W140 has a fine mesh screen that filters the hydraulic >> fluid, and it's not a consumable item like the older pleated paper filters >> are. I could have cleaned the old screen and it would have be
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long)
'Nother ATTABOY! Wilton - Original Message - From: "Dan Penoff" To: "Mercedes List" Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 8:39 AM Subject: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long) All in all a very productive weekend with the S500. Saturday started with the construction of a set of ramps. I couldn't bear to part with $40 or $50 for the metal Harbor Freight models, so I went to Lowe's and bought a couple of 2x10x12s and made my own by cutting progressively longer pieces that I stacked on top of each other to form a ramp. A pass on the end of each board with a 45 degree angle, plenty of glue and deck screws between each layer and a pair of very functional ramps were now ready for my car. Next I took on my Craftsman floor jack that has been acting up for some time. The "speed lift" function hasn't been working, and it has been lifting less and less as time goes on. I had done some research as far as adjustments and repairs, but these yielded no results. I suspect I might have been low on fluid, but for the life of me I couldn't find a place to fill it. Finally, after a very thorough inspection, I found a plastic plug in the side of the hydraulic cylinder. I pried the plug out and realized that this was the fill port. After I put almost 6 ounces of hydraulic fluid in it, it was once again lifting as it had in the past. I still don't have the "speed lift" function, but I'll compromise in order to have full lifting capabilities again. And now to the car Previous inspection had shown that the front flex disc had some hairline cracks in it, but the rear was starting to fail with tears and cracks readily apparent. Not having done a flex disc since a W126 I was in for a surprise. The W140 has 8 bolts rather than 6, and the flex disc in front is a lot more difficult to access than ones in earlier models. Thank goodness for pry bars and magnetic pickups. The rear flex disc was far more accessible, especially after the "guard" or strap was removed. It appears that on this chassis there is a metal strap that wraps around the drive shaft to prevent it from lashing around should it break loose. While you can work around this, it's fairly easy to unbolt one end and bend it out of the way to better access the bolts on the rear flex disc. Again, lots of brute force and use of a pry bar to get everything apart. It goes without saying that I have not been on a creeper for such a long time in a great while. When I woke up Sunday morning I was hurting in places I didn't even know I had. Fortunately, I had saved the simpler tasks for Sunday. First order of business was the fuel filter. Since I had removed the cover that protects the fuel pump and filter to access the nut that holds the strap around the driveshaft yesterday, access was a simple matter. With the judicious use of rubber plugs and caps I was able to swap the fuel filter with a minimum of fuel loss. A pretty simple operation. With cover back in place I was ready to move on... Next was a flush and fill of the SLS system. I had noted that the fluid was very dark and there was some sort of black crud in the screen, but I hadn't looked much beyond that. I put some clear tubing on the return line and ran it into a clear bottle. I removed the cap and screen and proceeded to run the engine to pump the reservoir down to the bottom. I found a bit of black crud in the bottom and sides of the reservoir, which I was able to clean out using a dust-free cloth wrapped around the end of a piece of coat hanger. I would have liked to remove the reservoir and cleaned it more thoroughly, but my Mercedes Martha Stewart-ness was on the ebb by this time. After a liter or so of fresh fluid I was getting clear fluid out of the system. I shut it off and topped up the reservoir. Now to the filter/screen. There was a large slug of the black crud in the bottom of the filter screen. When I separated the screen from the cap, imagine my surprise when I saw what appeared to be the remains of a large rubber O-ring in the bottom of the screen! This was the source of the black crud in the system - the O-ring was apparently not something that should have been in contact with hydraulic fluid, as it was breaking down and was soft and falling apart. I had mistakenly ordered a replacement screen/filter, thinking that this system was like earlier SLS systems that had the small pleated paper filter elements in them, but in this case my lack of attention worked in my favor. The SLS system in the W140 has a fine mesh screen that filters the hydraulic fluid, and it's not a consumable item like the older pleated paper filters are. I could have cleaned the old screen and it would have been perfectly passable, but since it was covered with the remains of the broken down rubber part that was lodged in the base of it, I elected to put the new screen on and leave the old one to the rubbish. Reassembled the screen and cap, put it back on the reservoir, attac
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long)
Heh. So you can add it to the Striplin "pick 'n' pull" in your back yard, no doubt. Sorry, I'll pass. DBT has dibs on it after me anyway. He has to have the chance to lose the title before you get it. And trim your posts next time. Dan On Feb 25, 2013, at 9:01 AM, "Kaleb C. Striplin" wrote: > Wow that car is a pos, I will give you $500 for it > > Sent from my iPhone ___ 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
Re: [MBZ] Weekend Report (long)
Wow that car is a pos, I will give you $500 for it Sent from my iPhone On Feb 25, 2013, at 7:39 AM, Dan Penoff wrote: > All in all a very productive weekend with the S500. Saturday started with the > construction of a set of ramps. > I couldn't bear to part with $40 or $50 for the metal Harbor Freight models, > so I went to Lowe's and bought a couple of 2x10x12s and made my own by > cutting progressively longer pieces that I stacked on top of each other to > form a ramp. A pass on the end of each board with a 45 degree angle, plenty > of glue and deck screws between each layer and a pair of very functional > ramps were now ready for my car. > Next I took on my Craftsman floor jack that has been acting up for some time. > The "speed lift" function hasn't been working, and it has been lifting less > and less as time goes on. I had done some research as far as adjustments and > repairs, but these yielded no results. I suspect I might have been low on > fluid, but for the life of me I couldn't find a place to fill it. Finally, > after a very thorough inspection, I found a plastic plug in the side of the > hydraulic cylinder. I pried the plug out and realized that this was the fill > port. After I put almost 6 ounces of hydraulic fluid in it, it was once again > lifting as it had in the past. I still don't have the "speed lift" function, > but I'll compromise in order to have full lifting capabilities again. > And now to the car Previous inspection had shown that the front flex disc > had some hairline cracks in it, but the rear was starting to fail with tears > and cracks readily apparent. Not having done a flex disc since a W126 I was > in for a surprise. The W140 has 8 bolts rather than 6, and the flex disc in > front is a lot more difficult to access than ones in earlier models. Thank > goodness for pry bars and magnetic pickups. > The rear flex disc was far more accessible, especially after the "guard" or > strap was removed. It appears that on this chassis there is a metal strap > that wraps around the drive shaft to prevent it from lashing around should it > break loose. While you can work around this, it's fairly easy to unbolt one > end and bend it out of the way to better access the bolts on the rear flex > disc. Again, lots of brute force and use of a pry bar to get everything > apart. > It goes without saying that I have not been on a creeper for such a long time > in a great while. When I woke up Sunday morning I was hurting in places I > didn't even know I had. Fortunately, I had saved the simpler tasks for Sunday. > First order of business was the fuel filter. Since I had removed the cover > that protects the fuel pump and filter to access the nut that holds the strap > around the driveshaft yesterday, access was a simple matter. With the > judicious use of rubber plugs and caps I was able to swap the fuel filter > with a minimum of fuel loss. A pretty simple operation. With cover back in > place I was ready to move on... > Next was a flush and fill of the SLS system. I had noted that the fluid was > very dark and there was some sort of black crud in the screen, but I hadn't > looked much beyond that. > I put some clear tubing on the return line and ran it into a clear bottle. I > removed the cap and screen and proceeded to run the engine to pump the > reservoir down to the bottom. I found a bit of black crud in the bottom and > sides of the reservoir, which I was able to clean out using a dust-free cloth > wrapped around the end of a piece of coat hanger. I would have liked to > remove the reservoir and cleaned it more thoroughly, but my Mercedes Martha > Stewart-ness was on the ebb by this time. > After a liter or so of fresh fluid I was getting clear fluid out of the > system. I shut it off and topped up the reservoir. Now to the filter/screen. > There was a large slug of the black crud in the bottom of the filter screen. > When I separated the screen from the cap, imagine my surprise when I saw what > appeared to be the remains of a large rubber O-ring in the bottom of the > screen! This was the source of the black crud in the system - the O-ring was > apparently not something that should have been in contact with hydraulic > fluid, as it was breaking down and was soft and falling apart. I had > mistakenly ordered a replacement screen/filter, thinking that this system was > like earlier SLS systems that had the small pleated paper filter elements in > them, but in this case my lack of attention worked in my favor. The SLS > system in the W140 has a fine mesh screen that filters the hydraulic fluid, > and it's not a consumable item like the older pleated paper filters are. I > could have cleaned the old screen and it would have been perfectly passable, > but since it was covered with the remains of the broken down rubber part that > was lodged in the base of it, I elected to put the new screen on and leave > the old one to t
