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  #1  
Old 01-25-2009, 11:11 PM
Ether's Avatar
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Lawrenceville, GA
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Idler Arm repair kit

About 3 years ago my Idler Arm started squeaking on me so I bought the kit. Before I got around to installing it the sqeaking magically stopped so I put the kit on the shelf and forgot about it.

Fast forward to today, I'm under the car changing out the tranny cooler lines and decide what the hell might as well finally change out that idler arm. Man what an ordeal that turned into...........the top half came out fairly easily but the bottom took the better part of 2 hours to remove!

Lots of rust and crud had that bottom half seized tight. PB Blaster galore wouldn't budge it. Removing the air cleaner and banging from above with a small pipe and 2 lb sledge did nothing. Ultimately, I had to pry and pry the metal sleeve away from the hard rubber outer and eventually was able to pull the sleeve out. Then a quick tap from the top and it popped right out.

Took about 1:45 longer than expected but I emerged victorious.

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  #2  
Old 01-26-2009, 06:17 AM
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I had a very similar experience, having had to wail on it from the top as well. Thanks for the reminder of unpleasant memories

dd
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  #3  
Old 01-26-2009, 08:28 AM
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I just did mine a few weeks back and had some trouble getting the old stuff out but I think it only took 45mins. I was worried it could turn into one of those- "I should have left well enough alone" jobs.
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  #4  
Old 01-26-2009, 09:08 AM
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Oh great story man, now im jinxed when I have to do this to my friends car soon Haha just kidding but that's good now I know what to be ready for and I need some propane for my torch
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  #5  
Old 01-26-2009, 09:22 AM
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THANKS for the warning!!! I'm glad I didn't attempt this during my Christmas holidays. I'll make a note.
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  #6  
Old 01-26-2009, 09:49 AM
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On mine, the top portion popped out pretty easily with a long drift punch and 3# sledge. For the bottom, I used a slide-hammer (homemade) and washers just big enough to fit inside of the sleeve, from below and it came out with convincing. I didn't see where there was access enough from above to get a direct hit.
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  #7  
Old 01-26-2009, 10:12 AM
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Location: Islamorada, FL
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On the flipside when I did my idler arm kit along with tie rods, center link and steering damper the whole job took me about an hour, spent most of my time measuring the tie rods to make sure they were right length. Did get ball joint seperator tool from Napa, made it sooo much easier than pounding on pickle fork.
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  #8  
Old 01-29-2009, 03:39 AM
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idler arm removal

Gentlemen,

I have something I can bring to this party. You see, I too rebuilt an idler arm on a 85 300SD.

I studied a pictorial essay by winmutt.com_benz_diymbrepair_Frontsuspension_idle.pdf. (You can archive these forum articles with a freeware called Cutepdf and keep them for reference long after the urls have ceased to be live.)

I forget the socket sizes but I did get the nut off and the bolt out with a minimum of profanity. Winmutt claimed getting the bushing out was "hardest part." Now, here is my suggestion; once you remove the bolt you are faced with a idler arm housing at an approx 1 o'clock angle with a bushing inside of it. And, surprise surprise, there is no clear shot at the bushing. So, I cut a piece of 3/4in pvc pipe to extend from the bottom lip of the bushing inside the idler arm housing to the garage floor. Then I gently let the hydraulic jack down. The "chock" sound of the bushing popping out was orgasmically beautiful.

I used pvc so it wouldn't scratch the inside of the housing. Place the pvc on the bushing lip furthest from the front of the car. The bottom of the pvc pipe will rest on the floor,say, at 7 o'clock. So, this way gravity and the angle of the housing keeps the pvc pipe snugged up against the lip of the bushing.

Not bad, huh? I charitably give it a 4.5 on the 10 point Clever Scale. Too generous?

Joe Marroso
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  #9  
Old 01-29-2009, 10:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Marroso View Post
Gentlemen,

I have something I can bring to this party. You see, I too rebuilt an idler arm on a 85 300SD.

I studied a pictorial essay by winmutt.com_benz_diymbrepair_Frontsuspension_idle.pdf. (You can archive these forum articles with a freeware called Cutepdf and keep them for reference long after the urls have ceased to be live.)

I forget the socket sizes but I did get the nut off and the bolt out with a minimum of profanity. Winmutt claimed getting the bushing out was "hardest part." Now, here is my suggestion; once you remove the bolt you are faced with a idler arm housing at an approx 1 o'clock angle with a bushing inside of it. And, surprise surprise, there is no clear shot at the bushing. So, I cut a piece of 3/4in pvc pipe to extend from the bottom lip of the bushing inside the idler arm housing to the garage floor. Then I gently let the hydraulic jack down. The "chock" sound of the bushing popping out was orgasmically beautiful.

I used pvc so it wouldn't scratch the inside of the housing. Place the pvc on the bushing lip furthest from the front of the car. The bottom of the pvc pipe will rest on the floor,say, at 7 o'clock. So, this way gravity and the angle of the housing keeps the pvc pipe snugged up against the lip of the bushing.

Not bad, huh? I charitably give it a 4.5 on the 10 point Clever Scale. Too generous?

Joe Marroso

Hmmmmmmm........................pardon me but I don't see how this method will work at all. The bushing is in two parts, as evidenced by the photo in All Parts Express http://www.allpartsexpress.com/ShopByVehicle.epc?q=1985-MERCEDES--BENZ-300sd--/--L5--998cc--3.0l--Diesel--Fi--Turbo-Front--End--/--Suspension--Steering&yearid=1985%40%401985&makeid=MERCEDES+BENZ%40%40MERCEDES+BENZ%40%40X&engineid=1194049%40%40300SD++%2F+L5%2D2998cc+3%2E0L+DIESEL+FI++Turbo%40%40300SD&catid=Front+End+%2F+Suspension+%26+Steering%40%40Front+End+%2F+Suspension+%26+Steering&subcatid=Idler+Arm+Bushing+Kit@@Idler+Arm+Bushing+Kit&mode=PA First, you would need to remove the bottom bushing, which I found was the more difficult of the two, before using this method on the top bushing. But you would need the top bushing off, in order to gain access to the "back side of the bottom bushing. Sorry, unless the original bushing in your car is different, I don't see it.
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  #10  
Old 01-31-2009, 02:27 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 105
idler arm redux

Quote:
Originally Posted by SD Blue View Post
Hmmmmmmm........................pardon me but I don't see how this method will work at all. The bushing is in two parts, as evidenced by the photo in All Parts Express http://www.allpartsexpress.com/ShopByVehicle.epc?q=1985-MERCEDES--BENZ-300sd--/--L5--998cc--3.0l--Diesel--Fi--Turbo-Front--End--/--Suspension--Steering&yearid=1985%40%401985&makeid=MERCEDES+BENZ%40%40MERCEDES+BENZ%40%40X&engineid=1194049%40%40300SD++%2F+L5%2D2998cc+3%2E0L+DIESEL+FI++Turbo%40%40300SD&catid=Front+End+%2F+Suspension+%26+Steering%40%40Front+End+%2F+Suspension+%26+Steering&subcatid=Idler+Arm+Bushing+Kit@@Idler+Arm+Bushing+Kit&mode=PA First, you would need to remove the bottom bushing, which I found was the more difficult of the two, before using this method on the top bushing. But you would need the top bushing off, in order to gain access to the "back side of the bottom bushing. Sorry, unless the original bushing in your car is different, I don't see it.
Ok. The same job can yield different experiences:

1) Your kit looks identical to the one I purchased from ********

2) You found the bottom bushing difficult, mine twisted off with vise grips.

3) My top bushing was immovable and hard to get to. I used the pvc pipe with the hydraulic jack to force it out. The only way I can explain the procedure further is; imagine that you lifted the car on its driver side. Now you have a clean shot at the idler arm housing. Then you had a pipe or wooden rod slightly smaller than the diameter of the idler arm housing. You put the shaft in the idler arm housing and hammer the top bushing out. That's what I duplicated with the pvc pipe and the jack.

Sorry, if the suggestion didn't help. I was done in 1 hour.

Joe Marroso
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  #11  
Old 01-31-2009, 01:24 PM
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On my 1980 W123 I gave up before destroying so much that I could
not put the old one in.

Nice to hear somebody was able to do it.

Got 308,000 on my original....

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