Need help asap guys! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

DJNEWK2 · #1 10-06-2003, 01:39 PM

My 560's dash lights-I mean ALL of em went off as we came home from church yesterday.Luckily it was after we got off of the highway and about 3minutes from home. I found that my alternator belt (which was on its last leg anyway) had snapped. I have replaced it after wrestling with the tensioner to loosen the other belt (air conditioning) and noticed that my air pump's belt (also on its last leg and torn) was twisted so I purchased the belt for it also. I cut the rest of the belt off and cleaned the areas that had remants of my belt(s). Now the lights are off and okay but I was unable to budge the air pump to adjust it to put the belt on.

I've damn near unscrewed the bolt all the way but it still doesn't move and I'm not seeing another bolt. Is there an allen,etc that I just didn't see (it was dark by the time I finished and my other cars were in the garage plus I'd already jacked her up figuring it wouldn't take soooo long). Anyway, I drove her to work without the pump running because of the missing belt. Does this harm anything and how in the hell can I get the belt on???! Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance.

Alan

MikeTangas · #2 10-06-2003, 02:19 PM

Alan,

The AIR pump has a double bolt set-up. First loosen the smaller (inner) bolt, then turn the larger (outer) to adjust. The larger bolt should also have a star gear to permit a specific amount of travel. I can't remember the sizes but the smaller looks to be about a 13mm, larger maybe a 17mm.

As for running without the pump, it shouldn't hurt anything. The pump only actually functions for the first few minutes on cold start. Once the thermo valve warms up the vacuum supply to the pump is cut and the clutch disengages. Only there to prove extra O2 during warm up.

Hope this helps.

DJNEWK2 · #3 10-06-2003, 02:32 PM

Hey Mike!

I noticed that little star deal you mentioned and wondered if they were two separate bolts (it was getting pretty late and dark) but dismissed it. On the other hand, I've basically pretty much destroyed (quite easily mind you) the star gear because it tured so and I was like "oh crap" when I got a flashlight under there to look around. Do I need to try to locate that even though it looks like that part (the clutch groove part) is almost a rivet like installation and don't know how I'd do it from what I recall.

Also I was almost sure that the grooved side of a belt rode the belt although I've seen 3 MB's with some up and some down because of the fit in the pulley grooves. Since mine was twisted, should the grooves be inward or outward. I ask because the way they came from the parts store has the grooves outward AND the writing on the belt is on the grooved side. Thanks for the help!

Alan

MikeTangas · #4 10-06-2003, 02:51 PM

I don't know what to do about the buggered star. The belts should be V belts, some will be notched, all should fit in the pulleys with the V into the pulley (wider side out)).

Not sure what you mean by grooved, that sounds more like a serpentine belt, which will go around some pulleys with the grooves to the pulley and others with the grooves out. Our model year should have 5 separate belts rather than a single serpentine. I just went out and looked at mine and all 5 are notched on the inside, smooth on the outside.

What brand of belts did you buy?

DJNEWK2 · #5 10-06-2003, 03:06 PM

Should've said "notched" sorry... Uhg don't ask what brand because of the emergency situation on a Sunday I had to go to Advance and I got something like (top dog or top guard or something-hell who knows) but planning on replacing them all with conti (that's what my two top belts have for the power steering). they look to be pretty good and all but I gotta go with the conti's or the like I was gonna go to fastlane and order em since I need shims for my pads I just replaced (I think my oem shims were thrown away by mistake and my baby sounds like a dying 50 ft tall pig when I stop!).

Do you have any recommendations? I've also got to replace my valve cover gasket because I'm getting a little bit of smoke from what looks to be some buning oil leaking over to the exhaust pipe area. It only does this when she's almost up to running temp 80 degrees and I can see (and smell) it coming from under the hood for about 30 seconds or so. Nothing major but gets on my nerves. I just changed the oil since I was under there last night and plan to tackle that this weekend. How's your baby doin?

MikeTangas · #6 10-06-2003, 03:44 PM

Order the full set from Phil at FastLane. I received Conti's when I ordered mine. Even though the steering belts look OK, I would replace them while doing the others just because those two are a pain to get to in that you have to remove all the other belts. A little more work now, but a lot less in the future.

The oil leak sounds like a hardened valve cover seal. Remember not to overtighten the bolts.

Mine is doing good. Just passed the enhanced smog check here in California, running strong. My brakes have started squealing too, but only when backing up. I am running aftermarket pads (Bendix) without shims (there were no shims on the pads I pulled out). This noise started recently and the pads have about 20K on them. I'm thinking it's about time to spring for OEM pads and shims. I can clean dust and I hate high pitched noises.

MikeTangas · #7 10-12-2003, 02:16 PM

Alan,

A quick update on the brakes.

Right now FastLane is out of the shims, but that is OK. Spring for the MB pads, at least for the front becuase the shims are integral to the pads. I ordered the PBR rear pad set w/shims and the MB front pads. Much to my surprise the MB pads have the shims attached. I guess that is why I didn't even think about them when I did my first pad change during the resurrection. The car did have MB pads all around when I drug it home, but I swapped to Bendix aftermarkets.

What I found as far as the squeal goes, it appears that once the pistons wore through the coating on the back plate of the pad, somehow the metal to metal contact of the piston to pad created the noise. The noise got worse as the brakes got warmer.

Another observation on the MB pads and sensors. With the Bendix pads I had a be-itch of a time getting the sensors in, seems the notch was just a little too small. Required some gentle pursuasion (can you say small hammer). With the MB pads, the sensors just snapped in with finger pressure.

No more squeal now, no matter how warm the brakes are

.