560sl flex plates and diff mount. NEED HELP

[Paratroop]

Got a 560sl, 86.Just want to install flex plates and diff mount.Anyone have a step by step of how to do this.Center mount and bearing are fine.I have it up on blocks,transmission is supported by jack.I have the front flex plate bolts out.I just need a little help from there.Thanks ahead of time

[Roncallo]

You will need to remove the exhaust. Its not to hard. Then remove the heat shields. Now you can loosen the drive shaft coupling nut, usually a large channel lock pliers will loosen this nut. Now the front shaft will slide backwards and you can replace the forward flex coupling. To disengage the flex coupling from the flanges put a large drift in each hole from the rubber side and pry on the hole, I prefer a tapered brass drift.

For the rear flex you will need to remove the two bolts that retain the center bearing. That will allow you to pull the rear shaft forward.

Once everything is tight and in place including the trans mount, then tighten the driveshaft coupling nut.

Good Luck

[motozine]

drive shaft coupling nut

Any photos? or where exactly it is?
thanks

[Roncallo]

Here it is with the two covers removed. Yours transmission will look slightly different because this is a modified installation.

The lower drive shaft in the second picture shows the drive shaft coupling nut. chances are you wont have to remove the exhaust and loosen this but that would be the text book proceedure.

The upper drive shaft is a newer drive shaft without a nut. It has the same spline and caries nearly 2 times the HP of the 560SL shaft. It has not coupling nut and the shaft is just allowed to slide freely. Obviously MB found it not to be needed.

[ctaylor738]

Once you have loosened the giant 46mm nut, it can be a real pain to compress the driveshaft to remove the flex plates. This is because the splines corrode and fill with crap where they are exposed. Generally, you can move the driveshaft enough with force to get the flex plates out. But then you should use PB Blaster and a pick to clean the splines so the slip joint will move freely. Then with the new plates in, you should drop the car roll the it BW and FW a few feet, then tighten the giant nut.

[motozine]

Roncallo, great it really helps with photos. by the way how hard is it to loosen that nut?

ctaylor738, is the splines on each flange for flex disc? or just front flange?

I also bought center bearing and bearing mount. Is it hard to press in bearing to bearing mount? Heard other cars it can be difficult to press in also could damange without right equipment so shop need to do with machine. is that right?

Thanks again for help guys.

[ctaylor738]

The splines are just in front (I think) of the center support. The giant nut clamps on to them.

If you contemplate doing your center support, be sure to mark the driveshaft halves so you can put them back together in the same position.

Never done a center bearing, just the support. I dimly recall that you need a press to do the bearing.

[motozine]

mark the driveshaft halves

means mark spline position right?

how long whole jobs (front & rear disc and center supports and bearing) will take approx.?

thanks

[ctaylor738]

Yes, the splines need to go back the way they came apart.

3-4 hours for the job assuming nothing goes wrong, not counting running parts or the trip to the machine shop.

[Roncallo]

Later drive shafts including the 560SL have alignment marks from the factory see picture. The drive shaft "U" joint is very difficult because its staked in see photo. I have found the "U" joint online from only one place Parts America and have had good luck re staking it in. The big nut is usually not as tight as it is supposed to be and can generally be removed with a large channel lock.

If you are going down this far you will have no choice but to remove the exhaust and exhaust shields. It's not to difficult. when you service the center bearing you should replace the center bearing and rubber support as well as the spline boot as a minimum. Only replace the U joint if needed.

[Roncallo]

Originally Posted by motozine

means mark spline position right?

how long whole jobs (front & rear disc and center supports and bearing) will take approx.?

thanks

8 hours first time you do it.

[motozine]

This evening I spent little more time to look close after heat shield out.


I see exhaust need to be removed but I'm not confident removing old rusted bolts ties exhaust together. I don't know i can loosen'em without breaking it. Do you think I can have enough room just lowering the exhaust to floor from unmounting rubber exhaust hangers? I see 3 hangers all together. Didn't try because concern that will snap breaking front section somewhere due to weight or exhaust

More advise please. Really appreciate. Thanks.

[Roncallo]

If the exhaust was last installed with the original style copper coated nuts you will have no problem. You will need to remove the two nuts supporting the right side to the exhaust manifold and separate the cross over pipe by removing the two bolts.

Do not worry about snapping a stud on this car they can just be driven out and replaced. The Germans did this very well. Of coarse replace everything using the copper coated nuts form MB. the only difficult part of this exhaust system is removing the rear muffler from the forward pipes, but you have no need to do that.

[motozine]

Not much room to take nuts out from the one above that goes down from manifold.
Not sure I can remove without causing more trouble

[Roncallo]

Originally Posted by motozine

Not much room to take nuts out from the one above that goes down from manifold.
Not sure I can remove without causing more trouble

Sorry up above you remove the bolts using a 12" extension and flex adapter. the nuts are pressed into the manifold an can be replaced if anything brakes. Its real easy. If the nuts neet to be replaced they just get driven out from the bottom up with a drift and a few easy taps of a hammer