needed work: engine mount, shifter bushings and driver's side lower ball joint
 

A Mercedes specialist near me put my car on the lift and gave it a quick inspection and showed me that I need a driver's ball joint (torn boot), both shifter bushings, and a collapsed passenger side engine mount.

I already have a steering knuckle with a new Lemforder ball joint pressed in to swap out the one in the car so that one should be easy. I need to order the bushings and engine mounts.

Called ******* near me and they have this Lemforder mount in stock that I can go pick up https://www.*******.com/products/mercedes-engine-mount-1232413013oe

The rep pulled one off the shelf to look at and says the part looks well made, the part itself is marked made in Turkey but only the box is marked Lemforder. Is this a decent quality part? A genuine Mercedes mount is $116

Ask him or her to look at the part. There should be a stamped logo, from memory it's a triangle and an owl. I will have to double check some Lemforder parts I have to verify, but around 95% certain my memory is correct.

I forgot to mention that I think they have a lifetime guarantee on parts. OR, you could get your motor mounts from Autozone which has a lifetime warranty on motor mounts. I am big fan of life time warranties.

Just order the phoenix motor mounts here for a turbo.....They are factory parts....The star is even ground off....Plus its under 50$ for both mounts...

Pelican Parts - Product Information: 123-241-30-13-M66

Also there are, three shift bushings in the gear shifter....Recommend when replacing the linkage bushings to also do the shifter....

A torn boot does not automatically mean the Ball Joint is worn out. However is true that it will shorten the life of the Ball Joint

Lemforder does indeed have an owl as a logo.

All their parts are lifetime, something that I would never want to take advantage of, especially on parts that require a lot of labor. I rather get a quality part that lasts.

Do you have the p/n's of all the bushings? I saw a thread where you posted that info but now I can't find it.

That may be the case. Do you have a source of a quality boot?

It looks like there are 4 bushings for the auto shifter...and two for the rod..

Bushings:
115 992 03 10 x2
115 267 12 50 x2
115 267 09 50 x2

Came from this thread

Auto Trans Shifter Moves Freely? - Mercedes-Benz Forum

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...erbushings.jpg

Thanks! Are those shifter bushing p/n's correct for an 85 300D? I think it was an 82 in the thread where those p/n's came from.

I've never rebuilt an autoshifter in a 85, so I can't stand by it but I believe the autoshifter design never changed in the w123 model.

have to do all the bushings in my auto shifter as well, have all the parts here to do it and have not had the time to get to it yet. Did it on one of my otherw123's and it was a night and day in feel.

The separate boots were a Mercedes Part don't know if they still are.

I have not looked at this thread for a long long time so I am not sure what is there but that is what is in my notes.
Ball Joint Boots
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-parts-reference-library/186247-1165860433-repair-kit-lower-control-arm-ball-joint-w116-123-126-a.html

I bought an FPC Groton Front supension kit a long time a ago and I had all URO Parts in it. I used certain Parts but not tHe Lower Ball Joints.

Not sure if it is the same now bout the URO Lower Ball Joints had the sort of clear Plastic type Boots on them and I removed the URO Boot and used it on the old Ball Joint that had a ripped Boot.

I mention that because at one time the URO Ball Joints were like $6.50 on eBay and the what I think were Rubber replacment Boots were more then $7 each. So if you want a Plastic Boot you could buy a URO Ball Joint for the Boot. However, all that was over 4 years ago. I am not sure what is available right now.

Not sure if replacment boots are rubber or the Plastic ones.

I found this in my other notes:
A 116 586 04 33 Lower Ball Joint Boot kit with hardware

A 116 586 05 33 Upper control Arm boot kit with hardware Boot only

I've got all bushings on order. Did you get the special bushing pliers or took the linkages out to press them in?

I took out the linkages last time... most likely do same this time. I avoid special tools unless absolutely required.

Thinking about doing this tomorrow since I got some of the other stuff done the car needed today. I can take some pictures if I do.

Please do take pics. It's great that you are replacing a lot of parts on your Euro TD. Does the power windows work without the key but only if the door (just driver's door I assume) is open?

I would never replace a ball joint just to fix a torn boot. I just clean well and wrap w/ self-fusing silicone "electrical" tape (Ace Hardware). No guarantee a new ball joint boot won't be cracked in a year. I recall that when I changed the worn lower ball joint in my 300D, I didn't even use the thin rubber boot that came with it, but rather a polyurethane one from Energy Suspension. I have done that in most my cars. Ditto for tie rod ends.

Even with the replacement spindle ready to go, it may not be a trivial easy job. I had to run out and buy a different pickle fork and cut the tips off so it didn't bottom out on the spindle. Some swear by the "2 hammer method" to separate ball joint studs, but has never worked for me.

The shifter bushings would be easy if there was room. View the youtube by M.S. That was a later model and they had to drop the transmission down a bit to get room. I bought the special pliers tool, then found it needed a wider backup washer added, otherwise the bushing just splayed out around the base of the tool. Clean the whole area well first or your hands and arms will get real grubby.

I did see the MS videos on a 190D and another model, seems to me those pliers are more trouble than they're worth if they don't work perfectly the first time. Taking the linkages out seems like much less frustration and faster in the end.

I like the self fusing Silicone tape idea on torn boot. I still have a bunch left that I bought from McMaster when I was playing with Nichrome line heaters. How long has the wrap on the BJ held up for you? I assume you leave the torn boot on, grease the BJ, clean and wrap over the torn boot? Got a pic of one you did?

The pliers are a waste....

On the auto's, one bushing that holds the linkage can be installed when the shifter is out for the rebuild. The second one, you will need to undo the arm that is attached to the transmission, there is a nut n bolt that comes out and then it slides off...

The bushings are nylon, not a hard plastic....they can be bent, pushed, deformed and still pop back into the original shape....thus one can use any number of odd objects to push them on...

Worse case, you can make a press with odd bolts, washers n nuts..

The hardest thing to install, are the darn spring clips...

Agreed.

The bushings arrived and I got them installed. Wow what a difference in how the shifter feels with bushings. They were both missing!


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...118_125318.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...118_125620.jpg

I used a 19 mm 12 point socket, nut bolt washers to press the bushings in with Silicone spray lube. I only used 2 of the 6 bushings I bought since the ones in the interior of the passenger compartment are in good condition and does not need replacement. Only the ones under the car exposed to the elements were destroyed.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...118_134236.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...118_164842.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...118_164906.jpg

I made a special tool for the clip out of a coat hanger which made the job a breeze instead of frustration. I just pounded the end of the coat hanger to flatten it just enough to spread the clip. I tied a string to the clip so I don't lose it if it pops off.

Pic of special tool after clip was installed.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...118_162124.jpg

Is this a genuine Lemforder mount? The only logo that I can find on the mount that is ground off is in the first pic, on the rubber, below the "S11".

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...119_101232.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...119_101321.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...119_101329.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...119_101337.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...119_101358.jpg

It's a genuine "Phoenix" brand mount, OE motor mount manufacturer for Mercedes.

The ground off part is where the MB insignia once was. Lemförder has always reboxed this part.


.

Thanks! I will try to replace the passenger side mount today.

I own the MS pliers. I see you already did the job but I think the pliers are pretty nice to use. Now, I have 4 cars of my own that I have or need to use them on plus two cars owned by friends so the cost was worth the hassle for that many cars. They work brilliantly. You just lube up the bushing, put it in place with the pliers, squeeze and rotate the pliers and it's in.

Good to know the pliers work. Did you also get the special tool MS sells for the clip? I had an 83 300D where the bushing on the transmission end was missing and one day I could not put it in gear when the clip fell off. Before it fell off, the shifter was sloppy but I was always able to put it into drive and reverse and it drove fine. I just wrapped electrical wires around the rod so it can't fall off again and I was back on the road. Didn't bother with new bushings Back then I didn't even know there is another bushing on the other end of the rod. I am sure it was missing too. Mercedes must have designed the shifter to keep working with both bushings missing otherwise there would be many more disabled/junked W123's.

Replaced the passenger side motor mount. No trouble getting the 3 socket head cap screws off. No rust on them at all. I did have a hard time getting the air filter off without destroying it. Any trick to it saving the filter while pulling it?

Old mount next to the new
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...121_162946.jpg

Has a Mercedes logo.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...121_163150.jpg

It came in the kit. It's just a thick sting strand of copper wire with one end flattened out. It does make those clips less of a hassle to deal with.

Replaced the driver's side mount today. I thought the passenger side was suppose to be easier but that turned out to be not true since the air filter housing had to come off and I tried to save the filter element while pulling it out, spent a lot of time but failed and ended up destroying the element. 2 of the rubber isolator holes on the bracket was also stripped and were just sitting on the bracket. Added lock washers and nuts which is just as good.

Again, had no problems getting the mount bolts off. Driver's side shock has to come out (not passenger side) in order to access the inner 6 mm cap screw, 3/4" long Allen key cutoff was required.

Old mount.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...122_134329.jpg

Can anyone tell by the old mount pics if they are the originals when the car was built?

OT but who is the MB specialist?

Willy's auto service in Great Neck NY

Needed work all done! Replaced the torn lower ball joint dust boot with a kit from Energy Suspensions 5.13102R $7.99 from Autozone. The kit is for a 74 Dodge Challenger (p/n thanks to BillGrissom!), has 4 boots but only 2 of them fit the lower ball joint.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...203_165007.jpg

Job was a breeze with the right tools.
First, pop the upper ball joint with this tool
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...203_151347.jpg

Remove caliper, outer tie rod arm to steering knuckle (19 mm bolts x2) or pop the tie-rod outer ball joint, after which you can get the knuckle into this position to get the OTC-8149 into position to pop the lower ball joint. (Note: only this position with ball joint facing front of car fits the OTC-8149, if facing the rear, tool will NOT fit)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...203_152812.jpg

Next time I would take the nut off the ball joint instead of loosening it partially before pressing the BJ out with the OTC-8149, because I had a hard time getting the nut off because the ball joint was spinning in it's socket. With the knuckle assembly on the ground, took cracked boot off, cleaned and took off boot retainer spring.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...203_154211.jpg

Packed boot with grease and installed. I put a little too much grease and the boot is ballooning a bit. The boot is thick and tough and the extra grease will work itself out.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...203_155458.jpg

So the booth as no bottom clamp? Will water get in?

It's not exactly a serviceable joint once back together.

What do you mean "not exactly a serviceable joint once back together."? You service it the same way.

If you look at the 2nd from bottom pic, there is a lip on the BJ that the boot stretches tight over it, the boot is also much taller than the space available for it so it is squished down and the boot cannot slip off. I don't think water will get in. Time will tell. BillGrissom used the same boot on his. Maybe he'll chime in to let us know how long his has been on.