Leaking Trans 1976 450SL

[Rick Roberts]

My 1976 450SL has a growing problem with a fluid leak from the auto trans.

The car has 100K on it but has been driven less 300-500 summer miles per year for the last decade or so. A drop or two was common until the last 2-3 years when the leak escalated to about a shot glass on the garage floor each time is is parked. On one occasion recently the leak was far more extreme (fluid ran out past the rear of the car).... but back to small quantities again.

Took it to a trans shop. Was told that it is the seal where the shifter linkage enters the trans. Also was advised that a full trans rebuild is required to fix the problem. Seems extreme for a single seal when the rest of the trans appears to work perfectly.

Should I be shopping around for other opinions or is this normal for these transmissions?

[tecqboy]

Find another transmission shop or an all-around independent shop that specializes in Mercedes. It is not "normal" on any vehicle to rebuild the entire transmission because one seal is bad. It doesn't hurt to ask for advice from the service writer at the local Mercedes dealer either.

[AlexK]

Hallo Rick,

last year I was in the same situation with my 1981 380SL:
Noisy transmission, like a tank.
The Shot-Glass of fluid became quickly a Baking-Sheet with a bag of Kitty-Litter.
Here is what I did:
-Got a couple of Quotes, one up to $8000 CDN to "fix" the problem, and decided to turn my back to those "Jiffy Fixers".
-I found a friendly mechanic who did not "Fix" transmissions but would only pull and reinstall it as a "hobby" on a sunday afternoon, for $1000 and I would have the car towed for $120 both ways.
-Took the transmission to Portland Oregon to get it fixed or replaced for $1650 USD, guaranteed. The CDN$ was then above par with the US$. One week was needed. Drove to Reno for a small vacation.
-Picked-up the transmission 10 days later and got it across the border, with the usual sob story. No Import Duty, the allowance is $1500 for two, and being out of Canada for 10 days.
-Asked the man in Portland what was wrong with the transmission, and he answered "Toast".
-Got the transmission re-installed, needed yet $100 on fluid.
-My total cost: less than $2800 CDN (wrote-off Hotel/Motel as vacation).
-No GST/HST (Oregon does not collect Sales Tax).

-I would stay away from those "$140/Hr + Tax Transmission Guys". Once they got the car on the hoist, you are "in" for it, free game, because if you change your mind, they will charge you for putting it all back together.

Good Luck,
Alex

[fonzi]

I believe my leak is where the shifter linkage connects too.

It seems like the seal is not accessible without removing the transmission. My car has been parked for over a month now, and the spot on the floor is no more than 3-4 inches round (no kitty litter, just cold concrete). A leak to live with until things get worse?

I am ultimately looking to sell the car an would prefer it be leak-free when I sell it. Perhaps I could mount a cookie sheet under the trans pan?

Was there ever any resolution on this one?

[fonzi]

Maybe as easy as these?

[RadioTek]

I seem to remember a few mentions of the leaking shifter seal not being a great deal of trouble to fix on The Other Forum. But it may be one of those things where the clearances of an SL mean that the tranny has to be pulled.

I would check with a real transmission shop that is experienced with Mercedes. Someone who isn't familiar with them may think a major porcess is needed, while an experienced mechanic knows which tool to grab to do it right, and quickly.

The Large Chain Transmission Shops tend to "over-sell" and recommend a full rebuild to maximize profits. There have been questions of the competence of those people, too. But as with anything; Your Mileage May Vary.

Good luck,
Scott

[fonzi]

Originally Posted by RadioTek

I seem to remember a few mentions of the leaking shifter seal not being a great deal of trouble to fix on The Other Forum. But it may be one of those things where the clearances of an SL mean that the tranny has to be pulled.

I would check with a real transmission shop that is experienced with Mercedes. Someone who isn't familiar with them may think a major porcess is needed, while an experienced mechanic knows which tool to grab to do it right, and quickly.

The Large Chain Transmission Shops tend to "over-sell" and recommend a full rebuild to maximize profits. There have been questions of the competence of those people, too. But as with anything; Your Mileage May Vary.

Good luck,
Scott

Thanks Scott.

I have been so disappointed with my local experienced Indy's gumption to get-in-there on my cars that I haven't had him do anything on either of my cars (73 450sl and 78 Euro 450slc 5.0). Maybe I'll try my three options: Family mechanic service station (best prices), The experienced local Indy, and the dealership. The dealership + my family mechanic service station seems to be the combo I've been using but haven't paid my dealership's labor rate yet.

It does seem like if you have the right tools and have done the job before, then it might be something that could be done with the transmission in place. Experience is definitely the key.

[RadioTek]

The thing about Benzes is that they are actually built with servicing them in mind. (Although there is the suspicion that the engineer that designed the placement of the brake booster caught his wife in bed with a mechanic, baut that is only "apocryphal")

The problem is that Germans have a very "process-oriented" outlook, so that you have to do things in the right way. (Having a substantial amount of German in me, I do get it, after a little study. Maybe it's genetic?)

If you have the manual and the special tools, it's probably easy, if you've seen or done it before.

Scott