w124 Steering gear snap ring pains.

[rob300SD]

Hello, just wondering if anybody has had this issue. The snap ring holding my pressure modulator cap on the top-side of my steering gear popped out. The cap is on the left side about an inch from the frame, so the cap didn't fall completely out.

I can't seem to find a way to get the snap ring back in. My channel-lock snap ring pliers have small tips which can get near it, but it doesn't hold the snap ring very well and it went flying a few times pinballing around the garage. Now I've lost one completely. That's ok because it was the new one from the Febi seal kit and I think that it popped out because it wasn't very well made. The ring had a bevel on the edge which I think allowed it to pop out under pressure. I re-sealed the unit last spring.

I can't really get the snap ring in place with those pliers, since I have to use a magnet pickup tool to hold the ring from flying and there's not much room for anything else to push the spring loaded cap in and seat the ring. I have to pry the cap all the way in with a large screwdriver.

Anyway, I have the original snap ring which is still perfectly good. But I can't seem to get it inserted. I even bought some new angled pliers with nice 1.7mm tips but it's too wide to fit in the space. It's great that they put this cap where it can pop out and not get lost, but do I really have to remove the steering gear again to put the snap ring back in?

Is there some trick to it?

1987 300E