60 lbs?? wow, that is light. Boy, I would've said do it from underneath even if it's a heavyweight, but that's a no brainer. Hell, I changed the cast iron transfer case on my Chevy truck last fall by just lifting it off my chest. It's 140 lbs, and I'm a 200 lb weakling.

__________________
'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

Yes, the aluminum manual transmission is plenty light enough to just lift in place. It is easier than a manual in an American car because you don't have a slip yoke. The flange on the back of the transmission keeps the oil inside the transmission.

I have done several clutch jobs underneath as they are typically done. Doing it this way is typical depending on the equipment you have. For me it is a hassle moving around under the car unless you get it high enough where you can easily turn onto your side while on a creeper.

I also have changed engines in a 240D several times. I have a walking beam down the center of my old shop and need to move it to my "new" shop. The last time I did a clutch job on a 240D, I pulled the engine and did the clutch from the top in less time with less frustration than the other clutch jobs that I've done from underneath. This was easier because of my walking beam and chain hoist.

There aren't very many cars that this would be the easiest way to do a clutch job, and most people don't have such a good hoist setup to work with, but if you do, it is easier to pull the four cylinder than to mess around underneath.

What you DON'T want to do is pull the engine AND transmission. You either go underneath and pull the transmission out while engine is supported, or pull the engine out and up, spin it around to change the clutch while leaving the transmission in place underneath the car.

A search should come up with my thread about this. I think I did it during the summer of 2001 but I don't remember for sure.

Good luck,

How many of you are following the Mercedes jacking rules ?

The use of a 65 Mustang as an example is not legit... that is a conventional frame car with a live axle.... which means that the axle where the springs attach is legit for using the jack...and lots of places on the frame are legit for then putting the stationary jacks under it...

Here are pics from the Mercedes Factory Shop Manual... which I know several of you posters in this thread have.... but did not mention the problems of jacking a 123 safely and following the Mercedes instructions at the same time...

lifting, jacking, supporting 123 chassis