Hard fuel lines leaking. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Hatterasguy · #1 03-16-2004, 01:01 PM

Right in front of the rear, drivers side wheel; there is a hugh puddle of diesel forming. Apparently since it got warm yesterday some pressure built up in the tank and one of the metal lines broke threw. There is a repair up stream where it looks like the PO cut out the hard line and replaced it with a rubber hose. He did a pretty good job and double clamped it with stainless clamps. One thing I will never understand about this car is how the body can be so rust free yet everything else seems to be rusting. My question is how difficult is it to bend up some new hard lines? Made out of stainless this time. Is there a place that I can get them from? What about the tools to do this. All the hard lines are starting to look pretty rusty how difficult of a job is this? The car is a 300SDL.

Habanero · #2 03-16-2004, 01:17 PM

You might try looking around at race shops. I know a lot of shops carry aluminum line, some may have stainless.

dabenz · #3 03-16-2004, 07:41 PM

Bending is easy with a tubing bender. If you can't get the tube you want locally then it's off to www.mcmaster.com. You can get what you want there.

BF_JC230 · #4 03-16-2004, 09:01 PM

im changing all the hard lines on my car...

its a w123 230 sedan
should be close to what you want to do...

heres some links...

dealer price -

http://www.mbnz.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1167434&posts=4&fid=10

(i read it can take up to 10 hours to bend some of these lines for some one that knows what they are doing....whats your time worth?)

my progress -

http://www.mbnz.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1168796&posts=12&fid=10

(slow going with everything else...)

Jake

dabenz · #5 03-17-2004, 07:54 AM

10 hours for the bending? No way (respectfully). Pull the lines and use them as templates. Two minutes per bend if working very slowly. That's 300 bends in 10 hours. The last brake line I did (not a MB) took me two hours to pull the line, bend it, flare the ends, and reinstall.

sokoloff · #6 03-17-2004, 07:57 AM

I had the same problem on my 123 a few years ago. The fuel line rusted through right where it disappears under the trailing arm. I really didn't want to mess with replacing the entire hard line, so I also repaired it with a rubber fuel hose. Has held up just fine so far and was a relatively easy fix. I did have to drop the trailing arm a bit to access everything.

Len

BF_JC230 · #7 03-17-2004, 09:07 AM

123 brake and fuel lines

there is the thread that i read and reported from....on my winter truck, a 1993 f-150 the lines went monday from master to abs to rear splitter...took two and a half to rebend and install....

the search tool is good
Jake

Hatterasguy · #8 03-17-2004, 03:58 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions! If it ever stops snowing here I might be able to work on it.

How difficult is it to pull out the tank screen? Do I have to pull the tank? I was thinking since I will be working under there already if the screen isn't that hard to get to.

BF_JC230 · #9 03-17-2004, 04:58 PM

well my subframe is out and the screen is right there (by the way - pulling the whole subframe is easier than it seems, good to have two people.)

its a big socket!

i have to recheck before i can post size but you do not have to pull the tank MB engineers were nice enough to put a hole in the floor.

i hear ya on the snow, from here in the buf to you in ct we just got nailed!

do it up
Jake

WANT '71 280SEL · #10 05-22-2005, 01:59 AM

Hattie, what ever happened with this? The PO fixed one leak with a rubber hose now I have another leak. How did you go about replacing the hard line? If I'm not mistaken, didn't you replace all the hard brake lines and fuel lines that run to the back? I'd like to do the same before I go away to college. I told my mom if they pay for the paint job this summer she could drive it this first year while I'm away at school. (It's getting a MAACo job. I went by last week and they do pretty good work so I'm pretty confident)

Thanks
David

mdlwolf · #11 05-22-2005, 11:43 AM

I replaced the fuel and brake line on my 123. I pulled the old ones out to get the rubber holders/clamps and then used sections of 5/16" steel line joined together with unions. I found it easiest to bend the lines in place working from the back of the car forward. I don't think it would be possible to replace with a continuous line unless you remove the rear subframe.

I would suggest you do the brake line as well because I think you will find that under those rubber holders is where the rust happens.

Good luck!

Hatterasguy · #12 05-23-2005, 11:04 PM

Autozone has the exact same stuff in the form of brake lines 5/16 I think. They also have all of the bending and flaring tools needed to do the install properly. $20 repair!

I pretty much replaced the lines from the rear door back, everything forward looks pretty good.

WARNING TO ALL W126 OWNERS!!!

Their is a brake line you really really should inspect if your car lives in a salty environment.

Right above the rear sub frame lies a brake line, the salt just sits on it. Mine fell apart in my hands!

I am very glad I found that!

This was awhile ago I don't remember the name of the line but it is right above the subframe in the rear, right against the body.

WANT '71 280SEL · #13 05-23-2005, 11:20 PM

Did youi just cut at the back door then use several different sections and put it together for one line or did you just use one big line?

Thanks
David

t walgamuth · #14 05-23-2005, 11:39 PM

i had fuel lines fail too. i just bought new factory pieces and had them replaced. the steel lines lasted t 20 years. i am pretty sure i wont own that car in 20 years... what am i saying i dont own it even today.

Hatterasguy · #15 05-23-2005, 11:46 PM

Yeah pretty much, the lines were put on first before the suspension so using 1 big peice is impossible. They come in long lengths(5ft-6ft?), Autozone lines are exactly the same as the stuff MB used down to the color of the finish.

Just cut and splice, just make sure to use a double flare on the brake lines. playing with the bends to get the lines to fit just right takes the longest.