1987 560SL ripped off?
 

My girlfriend has a 1987 560SL, great car, low miles (100k), dropped it today and had done what service tech recommended at local Mercedes specialty shop, (I do think this work was needed). New waterpump installed, charged $900 including pump and labor, and power steering hose (high pressure), about $200 installed. No complications, standard job. She has A/C by the way. Did she get reemed or does this sound about right?? Any mechanics out there with estimate software please let me know what you come up with.
P.S. This was done in Cupertino CA.
Thanks Guys,
Dan

A new water pump from Fastlane is $156.00 Bet I could change it in well under three hours and I work as slow as a snail.........
William Rogers.......

Waterpumps of 560sl's are a bear to do.
 

I did mine myself-was quoted $1200 in Atlanta to do one. The pump is inexpensive, (I think MB gets $250 at the dealer), but you have to take all 5 belts off, and the harmonic balancer to get at the last water pump bolt. Not that hard but a lot of stuff to take off just for a waterpump. This topic has been thoroughly discussed-search on "waterpump."

I agree, a lot of $$$ but probably not out of line in relative terms.


J. Boggs

I have changed all 5 belts on my 500SE in 30 minutes the tightening system om MB's makes it easy, And if the 560 SL balancer is the same as the Eoro 420 that's in my 500 and I would guess it is, then there are two notches on it that when lined up allow you to take the bottom bolt out of the water pump balancer in place.I sure am glad that I was raised in farm country where we learned to repair our own machines.
I am agast when I read some of the charges that shops inflick on MB owners that star on the hood must make them belive that we are all as rich as Texas oil men.
William Rogers..... ( poor but happy)

I know it seems easy but.....
 

The balancer notches that look like they line up with the last water pump bolt do not on the 560sl. I know, cause I spent a couple of hours with a stubby wrench in my hand trying to get the last one out only to realize that the harmonic would have to come off after all. Doubles the repair time. One guy recommended using a stud and a nut on the replacement for ease of use "the next time."

No that big a deal once you know what to do, but for a first timer, kind of intimidating. Shop manual I believe calls for 6 hours, MB guy tells me that the experienced guy with all the tools can do it in 3.5. Not sure of what I was doing it took 1/2 of Sat, 1/2 of a Sun.

J. Boggs

i spent a whole day undoing that bottom waterpump bolt , i undid it all the way , but it needs to be pulled out 1/2" IT WILL NOT PULL THRU THE HARMONIC NOTCHES, i had to put the whole bloody thing back

anybody know how you remove the harmonic balancer?
sam

It will come off.
 

I ended up hitting mine a few times with a rubber mallet to get it loose then just jimmied it loose. Once you take the pulley off nothing holds it on except the tight fit. Be sure that before you do so that you mark the relation between the pulley and the harmonic because there is a slight offset to the 5 pulley bolts that you can't really see that will only allow the harmonic and pulley to be put back one way.

Really important unless you want to spend a long time test fitting it to get it back together.

J. Boggs