Hi everybody,
I went under the car to see where the fluid is coming from that I see on the ground. Looks like the drop comes from the bottom of the steering pump (hope the picture will show up).
1.) Is this the drip-location when the leak is at the pulley shaft?
2.) Will the repair kit (o-rings and gaskets) talked about in the archives take care of this kind of leak?
3.) Any description available on how to (besides CD) and how to deal with the belt/tensioner, that seems to be hard to re-install.
All your help is appreciated.
Reinhard Kreutzer

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Thanks moraine,
I had originally a leak at the lid and was able to fix that with an o-ring purchased at an industrial rubber company. It was impossible to seal it with a new MB gasket.
I have cleaned everything after I took the picture, but it never occured to me I could get my finger in there. There is an AC hose running along on the driver side and the belts seem so close to the housing but I give it another try.
I looked at the archives but couldn't find a detailed enough description so I thought I asked again.
There was an excellent write-up of the Monovalve repair by Philip Fox, whom I would like to give credit to as I replaced that today successfully and now enjoy heat.
Thanks again to this group from which I have learnt so much.
Regards
Reinhard Kreutzer

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Well, I followed moraine's advice and cleaned everything up.
Today I looked again and the bottom of the pump is still clean, but the fluid seems to come out of the rubber part of the return hose where it connects to the metal tube that goes to the front of the radiator. It also seems to come out of the other end of that rubber hose but that part is difficult to see.
I think I can disconnect that hose (see picture) from the front tube and disconnect the metal tubing at the pump. That hose/tubing could then be taken out and thus the hard to reach end of the rubber hose can be loosened and a new hose put back on the tubing. Slide that piece back in and connect to pump on one end and to front tubing at the other end.
Sorry for the lengthy description.
Is there anything else besides hose and hoseclamps I need to replace? Some gasket at the pump connection?
I will also take out the filter and replace with new (if I can figure out how to remove the filter from the reservoir).
Any tips, anybody?
Thanks in advance
Reinhard Kreutzer

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Years take a toll on rubber parts. Replacing the return line is a simple matter, just buy a section of rubber line, preferable cranckcase ventilation line (not heater hose) and instal it. On the 4.5 I used 19/32" vent line. The crankcase vent line is rated for petrochemical and can safely carry oils.

Two hose clamps and a section of line are all you need. Once installed you will have to refill and likely bleed the pump to ensure all air is out of the system.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Thanks moraine and Mike Tangas,
I'll get the hose tomorrow together with the filter and some MB fluid, as I might as well flush the steering pump (as per Larry Bible's post I read in the archives) while I disconnect the hose. I'll prob. replace the other piece of hose as well while I'm at it.
Here is a picture of the stem with me pushing the plastic down to see the nut better. I assume that's the one that needs to come out.
Don't you love those digital cameras...?
Thanks again for your help.
Reinhard Kreutzer

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Thanks again, moraine,
I think I know now what to do and the rest is "execution".
There will be oil everywhere, knuckles will be bleeding, language will be objectionable, but in the end I shall prevail...knock on wood and cross your fingers..
I'll take some pictures if the hands don't get too dirty and report the final outcome.
Regards
Reinhard Kreutzer

The "other" steering hose is the pressure line and is not repairable in the same sense the return line is. The high pressure fittings are swaged on, hose clamps won't hold in this application like they would on the return line.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

just ordered both pressure and return line for my Euro 500 SE from Fastlane something around $100 dollars for both sure nice to have all new hoses and not have one leak in the middle of the night on some lonsome hiway in the rain............
William Rogers.........

Mike Tangas,
the "other" I mean is part of my return line. My return line has two
rubber inserts, one right at the reservoir that goes down and connects to the tubing coming from the front of the radiator. The second is further down at the steering unit itself and connects to the other end of the tubing that goes to the front. Here's a picture of the first. I'll leave the pressure line alone.
Regards
Reinhard Kreutzer

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Well I did it.
I removed the heatshield next to the unit first in order to have better access to the lower hose clamps.
Emptied out the reservoir with a big plastic syringe, off with the lock nut and out with plastic piece and the spring underneath.
Needlenose pliers for the filter.
Then first hoseclamp at reservoir side with Philipshead screwdriver.
The lower part is easier reached with a little ratchet.
Once you pull it off, oil drains out ...
Then the bottom hoseclamp and the hose can be pulled off the tubing there as well. More oil ...
Finally a 22 mm wrench at the nut at the steering pump and out comes the tubing with hose attached. Very little oil left at that end.
I removed the tubing into the reservoir too to make assembly easier.
If you look at the last photo, you will see that the hose butts against a "knuckle". There a two knuckles at each tubing end and for whatever reason the hose was only slid over one of them.
I thought it would be better to slide it over both nuckles with the hoseclamp in between.
So I cut the hoses a little longer to allow for that extra 1/2 inch.
The one at the reservoir turned out to be too long as the hose had to bend too much and the sharper radius narrowed the diameter somewhat. So off again and shortened.
Now I made a mistake by installing the new filter, spring etc. into the reservoir housing. I had forgotten about the flushing I wanted to do. I spare you the details but flushing should be done probably without the filter in and with the return opening solidly plugged (a bolt?). The return line should be solidly in a container with a small opening like a milk container. Just that a milk container is too big for the space available.
As I had predicted earlier, oil everywhere. It took a roll of papertowel to clean it all up. The flush was aborted.....
There is one other thing that I would like to share. The original MB hoseclamps were not available at the local dealer and he sold me regular clamps. But the MB clamps are better as they surround the hose with a solid metal sheet and the thread of the tightener doesn't touch the rubber. I'll attach one picture where you can see some "weeping" at one clamp. The others seem all ok. I am not sure whether I got some oil on the clamp first or wether the thread cut into the rubber. I'll keep an eye on it the next days. I'll attach a second picture to show how much more I slid the hose over the tubing compared to the original setup.
I took some more pictures, but I am not sure whether it is worth to attach them.
If someone is interested, I can e-mail them off list.
I hope my description will help someone in the future.
Thanks
Reinhard Kreutzer

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Here is the weeping clamp

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After having thought about it more, I think the basic requirements are
1. remove filter, as it allows to suck out reservoir more and the return line opening will be exposed,
2. most important: close return line opening. I thought a plastic champagne cork might work (or another cork wrapped to proper thickness), a fitting metal plug would be even better,
3. put return hose into 2 quart milk container and tape hose to it and container to ac hose or something nearby.
4. Then, with left hand over reservoir and bottle of fluid in right hand have someone start the car and then pour fluid. If I'm not mistaken, the whole system takes about 1.4 quarts but you don't need to fill it completely. But combining 2 quarts in one container sounds like a good idea.
5. The person who started the car will also turn the steering wheel 2 times end to end while 1.5 quarts go through the system. Then have the engine cut.
6. Connect hose to reservoir, install filter and fill.
7. Final bleeding.

If somebody knows the plug size and where to get it, that would be appreciated.
Regards
Reinhard Kreutzer