Thanks Guys!

Will get into it this weekend. Called Gary to price a replacement. Would you believe $400. Will be doing some junk yard shopping this weekend as well.

I'm now kind of hoping it is just a dowel pin. Looked and looked at the cross section of the assembly. As Chuck stated the damper bolts onto the the balancer, which would prevent the damper from turning. Won't know more till I get it all apart. Will keep you apprised.

Appreciate your time, advise and hand holding

Need your help all.

Started the process of getting the damper off. Was going to change belts and have them all off. Took a good close-up look at the hex bolts in the damper. The last owner had some pretty poor repair work done on it. Three of the hex bolts look as if a channel lock or some tool was used on them. The hex holes are all rounded out. One of the bolt heads is nearly broken in half. Don't understand what kind of Grease Monkey would do such horrible, sloppy work. My question is what is the best tool or technique to get them out?

Spray with PB Blaster Penetrating Catalyst several times. Tap with whatever you can get in with. Let soak at least overnight.

Make sure hex holes are completely clean to the bottom - spray with brake cleaner and dig any crud out with piece of wire. Try to get a "long arm" hex wrench in there- they tend to be better grippers than the sockets. Tap to make sure it is seated. Turn with a piece or 1/2" pipe slipped over short end as a lever. You are seeking the last bit of grip left in the hex head.

If this doesn't work, then you have the options of drilling the heads off with a 3/8" bit, or griinding them with a Dremel tool, or getting a bite with Vise Grips. Maybe an Easy Out, but I have had very limited success with them.

Not good options I realize.

I detest this situation - somebody destroys the bolts getting them out and then just puts them back in!

__________________
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

Thanks Chuck!

Was so aggravated at looking at the condition of the hex bolts. Detest it as well. Wondering what other surprises are lurking after I get the damper off.

Looked at the cross section of the assembly in the service manual and seems the threads only go into the balancer. The extreme scenario would be to Dremel off the heads, grind flush, get the good ones off then pull the damper off. Once off, then vice grip the remaining studs to extract them.

Appreciate your help and advise. Hope I can help you one day as well.

Gympie:

If someone used vice grips to put them in, you can surely use vice grips to get them out. Nasty business, probably used an SAE hex key instead of a metric one. Typical.

You will probably need to remove the rad so that you can drive the allen key in with a hammer -- this will give you enough bite, hopefully, to get them out. No way they are extra tight UNLESS the idiot used a breaker bar to put them in......

Sloppy repair work always irritates me -- takes longer to fix the bad stuff than to do the repair properly, usually. Sorta like the 280 SE front brakes -- have some idiot "fix" the brakes, seriouly overtighten the wheel bearings, and then drive car (leaking brake fluid) untill it won't stop anymore. Ruined the bearings (the bearing number is embossed into the thrust washer!), cooked the calipers, and the rotors were too thin. Sigh.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Thanks Peter!

Yeah, they are really broken off and rounded instide. On one there is a metal cut just above it. Also, have wondered why the bottom of the fan shroud was boken in notches. Looked like the force of what ever was used to install it slipped. Messy, messy work. Took the radiator down to be boiled out and reamed.

Oh well if I didn't like doing the work I would not do it. But having to mop-up others sloppy work does not make the task any more enjoyable, as you well know from your brakes.

Appreciate your help and advise.