Hey gang...

I am in the middle of removing the engine of my '84 300D. I am stuck right now and hoping that y'all can help.

My original intent was to remove just the engine without the AT. I am struggling mightily with the transmission-to-engine bolts on the top of the tranny. There isn't enough clearance on the passenger's side for a socket... My next move is to find a pipe big enough to fit around my open-ended wrench for leverage. My concern is that the driver's side bolt is too inaccessible. I see no way to realistically grab it with enough leverage to loosen it.

So with that concern, I resigned to take the engine and tranny out together. I am in the process of removing the flexible disc, but the bolts are spinning. I jacked the tranny, removed the tranny mounting bolt and hoped to remove the bracket. Murphy's Law... one of those bolts os spinning. The back side of these bolts is impossible to access.

Any ideas?

Forget separating thenm in the car.
I have used a pair of ring spaners to separate the flex disks on my 300D. If you can't get to the top bolts, jack up one rear wheel and rotate the driveshaft by hand from under the vehicle until you can access the bolts, then lower the jack to allow sufficient leverage to be applied to the spanners.

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Tony from West Oz.
Fatmobile 3 84 300D 295kkm Silver grey/Blue int. 2 tank WVO - Recipient of TurboDesel engine.
Josephine '82 300D 390kkm White/Palamino int.
Elizabeth '81 280E, sporting a '79 300D engine.
Lucille '87 W124 300D non-turbo 6 cylinder OM603, Pearl Grey with light grey interior


Various parts cars including 280E, 230C & 300D in various states of disassembly.

try using a pry bar under the head of the bolt or under the bracket its holding down while you wrench.

You should remove engine with trans anyway.
This will require you have ability to angle the assembly enough to get the pan over the front valance.
Drain fluids of both engine and transmission.
On the flex disc bolts....they need a back up wrench to stop them spinning.

Mark the flex disc/drive coupling with White Out for reassembly.
Remove the center tie rod and steering damper .

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[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

Translation : Spanners = Box end wrench.


.Just read your post again....Q: Is the spot welded nut inside the chassis box section that the cross member bolts up to, the problem ?

If so.....you will have to cut the head of the bolt......the other way is to hole cut into the channel and MIG weld the nut again.


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__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

Yup... that's the one...

Thanks for the notes... after further review and rotating the driveshaft (thanks Tony), I was able to access the front side nuts. Yay! Only a few more thing to disconnect before jacking that baby out!

You need to read this thred or you to will likly screw your self bad
Dave S
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=138974

would you get the engine/tranny out of the car without it being angled down? Without removing the upper core-support it would be impossible. I just don't get the angled engine = leaky rear main thing.

Jay.

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On the road, currently:
'83 300D (German spec.) 168k mi. - - Wolfgang (tucked snugly away for the winter!)
'87 300D 375k mi. - finally went over to "The Dark Side"
'87 300TD 225k mi.
Cannondale 66cm CAAD5 w/Campy/Jamis Aurora
Hujsak Custom Fixie/Landshark Track Shark Custom/Ahearne Custom 29'er

When the moter mounts are still on but the transmission is hanging at the rear you end up pulling it down more trying to get more room to get the socket with all of your extensions to reach the bell housing bolts you end up with half the bell housing bolts out the others that you need a 3 foot extenesion for are still tight you are letting the weight hang plus you end up pulling down the rear of the transmission housing down trying to get more room to work. As you lossen the bolts the transmission seperates at an angle pressing the tourque converter into the ring gear putting strees on the crank seal causing a thousands of an inch of old felt to fall away it is down hill from there it happens something like that I know every time I have not kept the transmission on an even plane while seperating it from the engine this ends up leaking I know of at least six others that found this to be true. When I wake up I can no doubt describe exatly what happens I stopped doing it a long time ago rear main seals are a ***** to replace and inspite of what any one says it cant be done on a MBZ without removing the engine and the crank.
Dave S

The rope seal in held in place by a pin that peirces the seal to stop it rotating with the crank.
This is why the crank has to come out to replace the upper rope seal.
It just cannot be pulled out like some of the older Ford/GM seals.



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__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."