Has anyone out there dealt with a stuck bolt retaining the distributor on a 560? My 13mm bolt on the distributor won't budge. I am trying Aero Kroil, but a Benz mechanic has told me he's had to drill them out before. Ouch!!!

Any help? It does turn the normal way, right (clockwise down, counter-clockwise out)??

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Henry Bofinger
1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)

Standard threads, comes out like any other bolt (reverse thread excluded) - CCW to loosen.

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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.

Gotcha - thanks. CCW, Aero Kroil, bad language, and hopefully not a drill...

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Henry Bofinger
1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)

I would also suggest a 6 point socket and a breaker bar. Breaker gives a little more leverage and a 6 point grips better than a 12, with 12 point sockets rounding the heads of stubborn bolts.

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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.

I have the same problem. However my bolt will turn about a half turn before it siezes up. I am concerned that it will break off if I push too hard. I used Kroil but still no joy.

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I got too many cars!! Insurance eats me alive. Dave

78 Corvette Stingray - 3k
82 242 Turbo Volvo - Manual - 270k
86 300e 5 speed manual - 210k
87 420sel - 240k
89 560sl - 78k
91 420sel - 205k
91 560sel - 85k
94 GMC Suburban - 90k
97 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail - 25k
00 GMC Silverado 1 ton 30k

OK. Step one - going to Sears, getting that 6-point 13 mm and a breaker bar for that socket drive size.

Then I will soak the bolt in AeroKroil....

Thanks for the input....

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Henry Bofinger
1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)

You wont need a breaker bar to twist off the head of a 13 MM bolt. Its easy to do with a standard wrench.

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I got too many cars!! Insurance eats me alive. Dave

78 Corvette Stingray - 3k
82 242 Turbo Volvo - Manual - 270k
86 300e 5 speed manual - 210k
87 420sel - 240k
89 560sl - 78k
91 420sel - 205k
91 560sel - 85k
94 GMC Suburban - 90k
97 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail - 25k
00 GMC Silverado 1 ton 30k

Henry - you torque that bolt with a breaker bar - she will snap. I would suggest patience and moderation with the bolt - final choice is breaker bar and snap it off and drill and tap. But before you do that - remember that it is difficult for the penetrating oil to get to the threads. Letting it sit for a few days may not do it. I would suggest you soak the top of the bolt with the Aerokroil - and several times a day spray more on and tap the head of the bolt for a minute or two to set up vibrations to try and get the oil into the threads. If you repeat this several times a day for a few days - you might get lucky. If not - this is going to sound stupid, but it really can work - heat the bolt until it is warm enough to melt wax - not real hot - then rub a candle around the head to try and get the wax to flow into the threads. Let the bolt cool to air temperature - then try to remove. One last thing I have been experimenting with - You must have heard about CLR or other rust and mineral removers - they sell it to clean taps and sinks around the house. I had a severely corroded trunk lock assembly on a Jetta that the key would not turn in because the brass tumblers were corroded into the white metal cylinder. I put the lock assembly into CLR for about 1/2 hour and let it fizz. When I took it out it was black - I wire wheeled it and it cleaned right up - the tumblers were free! I dried it and lubed it and it still works 6 months later. As a last resort before using expreme breaker bar method - try soaking the bolt in CLR ( make a putty dam around the bolt to hold it on the bolt head - and don't forget to clean the oil off first so the water based product can get in) and let it sit for about an hour. Then try to remove the bolt. If that fails it is twist and pray and buy a drill bit and tap time.
Good luck - I know the frustration of corroded bolts. - Don't forget to put anti-seize on the bolt when you put it or a new one back in.
Morris

Thanks, Morris.

I will try the tapping and AeroKroil idea first, and then go from there.

Your advice has always been excellent!

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Henry Bofinger
1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)

Dumb question time -

Presumably you are loosening the bolt to adjust the timing. Does it really need adjusting?

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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

Chuck - no he has to remove the distributor to change his driver side chain rails
Morris

Got it.

Went out and looked at the Wayward Woman. Might that lower pin might come out using one of those clever pullers with the bolt and the collar, allowing the distributor to stay in place?

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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

Morris is right - I am doing the upper chain rails. The passanger's side has been doing great, but the driver's side is fighting me. You're right - the timing is computerized and cannot be adjusted at the distributor.

About doing it without removing the distributor - you really can't get the pins on the inside side of the engine out without pulling it. Especially since the pins are harder to get out on that side (I had one bolt break on me while trying to twist a pin loose - they are tighter on that side, which makes me suspect the enginge runs a tad hotter on the driver's side on the 560.)

It's a real pain. And as Morris said (and as I've learned the hard way on an old VW Dasher back in the 70's) - always use no-seize compound when putting in bolts at locations that gave you trouble earlier....

__________________
Henry Bofinger
1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)

Taking all of the advice given, here is what happened today:

I decided to get a six-point socket for the 13mm bolt, and a breaker (just in case), and a six point wrench (just in case).

So then, as I was driving back from Sears through Washington, D.C. suburban traffic, I had an idea.

The car runs. So I could heat up the engine to operating temperature.

But what if I CHILLED the bolt? Like, what if I bought a can of compressed air, did what they tell you never to do and decided to blow on the bolt, WITH THE CAN UPSIDE DOWN? Heated engine (it expands), chilled bolt (it contracts) - that should break the threads, combined with some tapping and AeroKroil.

Then I realized - Radio Shack sells a "component chiller" - a sray can of stuff that freezes whatever it hits to below -50 degrees celsius. I don't even have to hold an air can upside down!

So I stopped by a Radio Shack, and indeed, there was the stuff, for under seven bucks. It's called "Component Cooler".

I idled the car up to operating temperature, and shut it down. I then sprayed the bolt with AeroKroil, and tapped it with a hammer and a punch, just as Morris had suggested. I was prepared to do this for the next couple of days, just as recommened. Then I sprayed plenty of the chiller on it, and put more AeroKroil on the area. No luck. I heated up the car again (ran the engine to 82 degrees), then chilled the bolt again, AeroKroiled it, tapped it, removed the fan to give the breaker more leverage in case I needed it, and the tried the 6-point socket with my small ratchet.

The bolt came right out.

This took only about 20 minutes.

Chilling the bolt (in combination with a good penetrant oil and some tapping) might be the next new trick in getting frozen things apart. I am also going to try the cooling solution before pulling the timing chain rail pins.

__________________
Henry Bofinger
1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)

Henry - brain over brawn - CONGRATS!!!
Morris