Good day to all,

I was lucky to get my 300TE home from the ocean without a tow this weekend as I felt the tranny shifter bushings letting go on the last day of vacation. I have new bushings but wouldn't you know it, I lent my manual cd's to a friend and they're not with me. I've also got the paper manuals for engine and chassis (I and II) but I don't think the tranny info is in there. Any tips on the bushing changeout would be appreciated. I remember hearing it's very tight to replace them in-situ, but it can be done.

My other question is on my chain tensioner. I'm replacing it and I wanted to know if the inner fastener holding the piston in is standard hex (allen) or if it's something funky that is going to stop me cold when I get in there. I have a 14 mm allen socket and all of the standard smaller ones (3 through 8, I think). The manual says nothing about pre-lubing the tensioner on re-install as is done on the diesels, is this ok? Just put it in and start the car?

Thanks for any responses.

You are not going to get any help from the manuals on the bushings. Not to be disrespectful but from technical viewput it would be like asking for instructions for installing the ignition key. You just got to do it. Clips at each end of the rod, remove rod and install the bushing in hole. Not exactly easy on some models. Almost impossible if its in a 201, pretty simple in a 126.

As to the tensioner, I am wondering why you are replacing it. I don't think our shop has ever replaced a 103 tensioner. If we did it was not for a failure as I have never seen either chain or tentioner failure on a 103. The main thing to know about the tensioner is that it is a ratcheting style and has to be assembled in the head. If it gets extended before assembly into head the chain will be overtightened upon tightening.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Steve,

Thanks for the polite dope slap on the bushings. I understand.

The tensioner is being replaced because I have been told in the past that MB techs are trained (?) to listen for the tell-tale rattle that a timing chain makes when it needs replacement. Believe it or not, that was an MBUSA official reply to the question of when do the chains need replacement. According to the Tech Rep, MBUSA assumes regualr maintenance is performed at an authorized dealer and the technicians will identify when the chain is starting to make noise because it is an obvious sound. I have a noticeable rattling sound on startup after the engine has been off for over 24 hours that sounds more like a chain than lifters and appears to be from the front of the engine. The sound is never really loud but I notice it and my wife has even commented on it. It goes away after 15 seconds of idling, then it will be noticable again when the car is slipped into gear and the idle drops (oil pressure drops).

If I'm dong something unnecessarily, I don't think it will harm anything.

the inner chain tensioner nut can be removed with a 17mm socket

Mike,
Another thing you may want to inspect is the belt tensioner shock. My old 300E made a sound that sounded like chain slap at initial startup and low idle conditions. Against the dealers advice at 200,000 miles I decided to have the chain and tensioner replaced. The noise remained.

It turned out that the bushings at either end of the shock had hardened and shrunk causing the shock to rattle on the bushings. The noise only occured at low engine speeds.

Good luck.

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Glen Tokuhara
Beauty & the Beast and the wagon that could!

I agree with Glenn about the belt tensioner. Don't just go throwing parts at it now. I have never heard a chain rattle in a 103 motor but the belt tensioner we do every week.

Also as I mentioned the 103 tensioner is a ratcheting type. It will not bleed down overnight.

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Thanks for the advice. I'll check the shock on the tensioner. It was replaced last November, along with the tensioner, water pump, and air pump. Maybe the bolts weren't torqued enough, I'll check.

Mike

Quick update,

After 3 hours on my back trying to get the new shifter bushing in place, I talked to an independent dealer friend in town this am and his main wrench says he pulls the linkage off. I'll give it another try today and hopefully everything will work out.

FYI, the problem on a 4matic is that the propeller shaft coming from the xfer case to the front diff is directly under the linkage and makes access most difficult.

BTW, I like the new website!!

I can't remember all the steps, the shifter side is easy, but on the neutral safety switch is hard to install the bushing under the car. After remove the rod, I used very hot water to soften the bushing, and force to bushing in with a brench vise.

jack

What I thought initially to be chain noise turned out to be fan pulley bearings.

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

For all who have been following along,

I got the new bushing in on the front but couldn't imagine how to get the rear bushing with the xfer case and bearing carrier mount under it. I put the new bushing on the front, couldn't get the circlip in, and bailed out by taking it up to my local independent and getting his master wrench to finish. He's done more 4matics than I've done oil changes.

"Somtimes, a man's gotta know his limitations."

Just a quick note on this job for 4matic owners. I found out yesterday from the shop I bailed to that I was correct, the 4matic shifter bushings can't be replaced both from below. The rear bushing can only be accessed from below on a 4matic by pulling the tranny or from above by removing the center console and shifter assembly. Also, the shifter bushings for a 4matic are DIFFERENT (thinner) than those for all other late model MB autoboxes.

I have a new bushing in place on the front but I have no rear bushing. It shifts better than before and unless I need to pull the console, I'm going to live with it unless someone can give me a reason to pull the center console just for the bushing.

I just spent a hour replacing the bushing on the shifter side of my 1987 190 and I will verify that changing the other one is nearly impossible without dropping the tranny or finding a way to remove the arm on the tranny. The ratttle is gone so I will live with a 1 bushing change for now.

Can't comment on the 201 chassis specifically, but the shifter bushing on the tranny arm end is the easy one. Removing the arm from the tranny is a 10 minute job (if you're slow like me - I'd starve as a mechanic). Then do it on the bench. It's the gear lever end I don't like - that one has to be done under the car.

FWIW I've found that softening the bushings in hot water helps, but have still had a very bad time installing them. I've cheated and trimmed one of the "lips" a little bit to make it easier to push into the respective arm. Despite being a decidely non-German way to repair the car, those bushings are not going anywhere anytime soon.

Dang things wear out every 12 years!