'97 E300D - Shut off valve torx bolt..ARRGGG!
 

I've been out attemting to fix the millionth fuel leak that has popped up on my E300. I've done the delivery valves, clear lines, return hoses, etc., etc. and now the newest one is at the fuel shut-off valve.

My problem is that the front (recessed) torx bolt is stripped. Anyone encountered this and if so how did they resolve it? I've tried to drill it out and get my EZ-outs in there, but that is one hard bolt! The rear bolt was a standard 10mm hex, so I know someone has been there before.....

Thanks in advance!

Klaus

This was discussed recently.....I believe the suggestions were drilling the head of the torx bolt off so the valve would slip off and then using vice grips to remove the stud that remains, or using a dremmel to cut a slot in the head of the bolt so it could be removed with a screw driver.

Thanks for the reply,

The dremel method won't work since it is recessed, but I may try just drilling the head off. I'm just a bit nervous around all that plastic....

What should I torque the T30 bolts/screws to on the fuel shut-off valve?

Is there a better bolt than what MB dealer has? Something with a deeper head? There is nothing over it, so no heed to be so shallow.

Would a gasket around the edge have been such a bad idea?

TIA

I just bought two hex cap screws at home depot. I think they were M6X25. The weakness in the M-B bolt is the head and if you don't have high quality torx bits and clean the old bolt heads out really carefully to fully seat them they strip...replace them and all is well.

I'm not sure but I think I heard these are not torx head bolts but in fact 10 or 12 pt. bolt heads. This was why they stripped so easily with a torx bit. nhdoc has the right idea if you can get the old ones out.

they are torx, or some might say 6 point stars or even dbl triangles.

Thanks nhdoc, I will look for those bolts.

The original part is Torx or at least Torx-ish. They are very shallow. Unlike my torx bit, they do not round-over the transition to the bottom, so I lost that amount of usable surface and stripped them. Who knows, maybe MB has some special matching bit (I was considering Dremmeling/Grinding my T30 to have a flat head).

[Rant on]
What the devil happened MB in the 90's (W210/606)???
The quick-connect fuel lines and their diesel sensitive o-rings.
The really shallow bolt heads.
The rear-window regulators (both of which failed: only one in warranty).
The melty-tail lights (only one of mine melted - jury rigged a fix).

Fuel-lines, bolts, electric windows and tail lights have been around for quite awhile. And others seemed to have mastered them. So why reinvent what works?

[Rant off]

Don't expect answers, probably in the wrong forum for ranting anyway.

Thanks guys

I also had to drill one out last time...that's when I elected to replace them.

You can minimize the risk by tapping the bit into the head slightly before trying to turn them (it's too late once they are stripped but this is for others who may not have stripped theirs yet). If the bit has any play at all it will probably strip out...they need to be a perfect fit. Sometimes with torx bits the next smaller bit will fit but will not fit perfectly tight...that's when you run into trouble with them.

That's what I ended up doing and it was successful.

Helps to spray any gunk out of the recess using cleaner of your choice too.