W124 transmission removal
 

Looks like I gotta change out the transmission On my wife’s car due to it acting up and we need a solid reliable transportation. I have a good spare that is on the bench. I called around to shops to see if they could just swap it out but apparently because it’s a “Mercedes” it’s 2x - 3x the price. It looks pretty straight forward. Any pointers or advise that might make the job easier. How high should I put the car on blocks? I’m doing this in the driveway.

Trans jack is a must, I just did mine 94 e 320 wagon, raise it as high as possible, undo the throttle cable to trans ,disconnect battery first, drain the trans pan, removed the dipstick, disconnect vac lines modulator at left shift delay at right,you may need to jack the eng up in front until trans clears flywheel,its not too bad .

Use backup blocks as a failsafe while working under the car. Drain the converter, saves weight and mess. Matchmark the two halves of the driveshaft in case it seperates. Soak the exhaust bolts liberally on a warm engine a few times. Have new exhaust hangers ready. Replace shifter bushings. Change front pump/converter seal unless it is really dry.

Use a trans jack.

Good luck!!!

Remember to refill at least half of the torque converter if you drain it. Lift the car on both front and back as high as possible and secure the car. I just did a w126 300SDL rear main seal replacement and it came out ok for a first timer. Remove and replace tranny is not easy but just be patient and pay attentions to details.

How do you fill the torque converter up while in the car? Or fill the tc then install the trans? I’m waiting till the weather cools down. Laying on the concrete will give me 2nd degree burns even in the shade right now.

buy long extensions so you can reach the bolts from the back of the transmission, use a transmission jack and ratchet straps (its heavy).

use cribbing to raise car as high as possible. - transmission plus jack height and some more room.

when i have to put a whole car in the air i usually try to get wheels with tires (bare wheels would prolly work jus t as well) under the tires on the car as an additional safety....especially if i'm going to be horking on stuff whilst i'm under it!

You half fill the TC BEFORE the tranny installation. Should be cool-ish when laying underneath the car, the car is your shade. I did it in the same manner.

speednjay, a Quick Jack would be ideal for a transmission swap. They are fairly expensive, but are an excellent tool for a true DIYer. If you spring for one, buy an EXT model. I have the BL-7000EXT and it is a well-engineered tool. I feel very safe working under our cars when supported by the Quick Jack.

I got my trans out with a buddy and a floor jack. The biggest pain was getting the exhaust out, there was some large bolt/nut for the steering that was in the way and I had to remove that and disconnect the exhaust down to it’s individual parts to get it out. Might have been a trick I didn’t know to get it out easier.

If you put jack under the middle of the trans, wrap a ratchet strap around it to the jack so it doesn’t roll off. Once the bolts are all out it came straight down.

It’s heavy so be careful


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FWIW Harbor freight or Northern Tool have transmission jack adapters for a regular 2-3 ton floor jacks. The adapter swaps out for the normal pad and offers adjustable positioning of the trans cradle in multiple angles. They are inexpensive and invaluable for this type of work

Do yourself a favor and don't create more work for yourself by adding fluid to the converter before install. If you have your car on a lift, it's easy to just remove the plug on the t-converter, break loose the trans cooling lines and the fluid will pour out fast or you can drain it after you remove it from the tranny. To fill it on a completely dry transmission and converter, simply add 3 quarts in the dipstick fill tube before you start the car. Start the car, let run for a few seconds and add a couple more. keep adding while the car is running until you start to see fluid on the dipstick then start adding small increments until you're up to temp and close to the full mark on the dipstick. Should end up adding around eight quarts

Laying under the car? Best done in bed for added comfort.

R

This reminds me of an old freind of mine, he was busy working on removing his cars transmission (old toyota pickup), while lying on a 4 inch thick twin bed mattress - and a shop fan blowing under the car.

I haven’t had a chance to do any work on it. Seems to be better but now it feels like there’s no 1st gear. Starts in 2nd. Wife’s been driving it to work and hasn’t complained too much about it.