3 questions regarding oil separator drain tube on an 82 300D

[neumann]

3 questions regarding oil separator drain tube on an 82 300D during the course of changing the upper and lower o rings.:

1. Does the oil separator drain tube slide up onto the nipple and fit flush with bottom of the air cleaner or is there a gap between the top of the tube and the bottom of the air cleaner? When reassembled it does not feel seated in the tube. Does it just rest in there or should it seat with a hard push?

2. Is there free play in the tube when the air cleaner assembly is off the car? The tube can wiggle around on this car. Is that normal?

3. How to you get access to replace the bottom o ring. I found the bracket and removed the small bolt and 10 mm nut about mid tube and I can slide the bottom of the tube off the bottom male part on top of the oil pan assembly. I just do not see enough room to get my hand or fingers in there to remove and replace the o ring.

This is on a freinds car that I am helping her with. On the multitude of W123's I have owned over the years I have never had to replace these o rings or bother with the oil separator drain tube. Kind of frustrating......

[Diesel911]

O rings need compression or they won't seal.

There is either a welded flange about in the center of the tubing or a bent sheet metal clamp that has a hole in it with a bolt and nut on to the frame of a support that is below the turbocharger.

The nut and bolt on mine were loose hence the tube could move around. On the ones with the welded tab as in the pic they have been known to crack off or crack the tubing and leak due to vibration.

If you remove the nut and bolt and remove the tubing, you will have more room to deal with the bottom O-ring.

I changed the lower O-ring when I did replace the turbo drain seals so I had a lot of room and cannot comment on ways to get at it with the drain in place. Notice if the turbo was there, you could not see it from above.

In the last pic on the right an arrow points to a nut an inch or more below that nut is where the bolt and nut of the air filter drain tube is.

[neumann]

Diesel911,

Thank you. I was indeed able to locate the bracket and remove the 10mm nut and associated bolt. I could not figure a way to completely wiggle out the tube but was able to lift it off of the lower section and could see the offending o ring. The bastard is so close but I cant see a way to get in there. It is too tight with the turbo drain line on one side, the block on the other and a/c lines in front of it. May need a lift so I can get a better view from below. I REALLY do not want to have to pull the turbo to pull gain access. One of the previous owners slathered RTV around the base of the turbo drain line and I can only imagine the cursing that would be involved getting that off and cleaned up. The turbo drian line is not leaking so I plan to leave it as is.