Great posts, lets see if we can get our Moderators to make a wiki out of the differential replacement post for the DIY

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

Fantastic!
I am facing this job and this and Jeremys post are vastly helpful.
Thanks much!

__________________
Think Alternative Energy!
300CD '80 (now gone but not forgotten...)

Dave, just one question... unless I just totally missed it in your steps, once the clip is removed from the old axle at the differential, do you just slide out the axle? Same question when putting in the new axle do you just slide it in?

__________________
the sooner you start... the sooner you'll get done If it ain't broke, don't fix it.. Its always simpler to tell the truth...
2007 Honda Accord EX
2007 Honda Accord SE V6
96 C220
97 Explorer - Found Another Home
2000 Honda Accord V6 - Found Another Home
85 300D - Found Another Home
84 300D - Found Another Home
80 300TD - Found Another Home
Previous cars:
96 Caravan
87 Camry
84 Cressida
82 Vanagon
80 Fiesta
78 Nova
Ford Cortina
Opel Kadet
68 Kombi
Contessa

Yes it will come out easily. The reason the wheel hub part of the axle is sometimes difficult to remove is that the spline section in the wheel hub is not sitting in a bath of gear oil. This makes the wheel hub section hard to remove at times. The differential end is well lubricated and the metals don't rust or gall.

I have edited the post to reflect this.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

Spell check completed. Thats what I get for finishing it at 3 in the morning.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

Dave, on pic 24 & 25, do you put the diff cover while the TRV is still wet or do you wait till the RTV is cured then put the cover on?

__________________
the sooner you start... the sooner you'll get done If it ain't broke, don't fix it.. Its always simpler to tell the truth...
2007 Honda Accord EX
2007 Honda Accord SE V6
96 C220
97 Explorer - Found Another Home
2000 Honda Accord V6 - Found Another Home
85 300D - Found Another Home
84 300D - Found Another Home
80 300TD - Found Another Home
Previous cars:
96 Caravan
87 Camry
84 Cressida
82 Vanagon
80 Fiesta
78 Nova
Ford Cortina
Opel Kadet
68 Kombi
Contessa

Thanks Dave! And thanks for the suggestion!

__________________
1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

Follow the directions on the RTV you bought. Mine says to allow the RTV to skin over, about 10 minutes and then install. It will smear out of the cover as you can see in the photo. The blue line.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

Dave,
excellent photo how to.. What book were you using? I need to do the diff on my 85 wagon, and wondering if I'll need to reshim the axle shafts.

Mercedes Service manual. Get the CD from the Mercedes classic center.

If you reuse the axles that come with the differential then no. If your using other axles then you may have to get different shims. It will be a trial and error job. Actually you can measure the gap , if any, with the axles installed and order the correct size shims.

Edit to this post.
Let me change my answer to this question. When the differential is adjusted for lash, the teeth are adjusted to each other inward and outward. To have the axle position correctly requires a spacing ring based on the gears. The axles end is a fixed designed, and not a variable. The variable is the gears in the differential. SOOO if you have the spacing rings that go to the differential then use them. IF you don't then you will have to determine the size spacing ring you will need.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

This DIY is now in the DIY Articles Wiki HERE.

Thanks Dave!

__________________
Bill Wood - Retired Webmaster
My Personal Website
1998 Mercedes E430
2010 Toyota Sequoia
My Photo Albums

As long as your family drives w123s, all our lives will be much easier! May your 240s and 300s last forever.

We need to do this on a couple of our cars, and this will help a lot. One is a w126, but we're incredibly fortunate to have just acquired the 3" thick "Service Manual, Chassis and Body, Series 126" along with a number of other original FSMs, so that should walk us through the worst of the differences. All we got for the w123 was the climate control book (which I'm already studying!) and the general maintenance manual for everything from 1981 through 1989, but still, what a haul!

And for those who may have wondered, as we did, the photos in the hard copies ARE much better than what we see on the CD.

__________________
Anthracite 1980 300D -- 64k original miles with a new engine, on the road again!
Silver 300D -- second owner, Sunny's old baby, Ilse, 210 miles,
Having to thin the herd….
Silver 1983 300SD -- second owner, 325k miles
Gold 1981 300D -- well-traveled, solid little car
Beige 1984 300D -- 292k miles, grease machine, parting out
Seafoam green 1981 300SD -- 250k, windshield frame damage
too many assorted w123 & w126 cars, parts cars, and extras

Hello Dmorrison,

Newbie. I was interested in how the Chinese axles were working out for you. I am considering obtaining these . Do they appear to be same mfgr.? I would prefer the purist route and obtain OEM. However, the realist/actualist route will only allow me to purchase the example as linked, and have my indie install them. Thanks for your input.

-nate

Lol i was about to to a pictorial on how to do this as well. You beat me to it, but good job on the guide man.

__________________
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.

Nate --

I see you'e new to the Forum -- welcome!

Are you new to Mercedes Benz ownership as well? You might want to talk to another newish Benz person in Georgetown -- on the Forum, he's "abiggercamera."

Another Forum member in your area with a ton of hands-on experience with the w123 chassis is "R Leo."

Who's your indie in Austin?

Best of luck with your axle swap.

Sunny

__________________
Anthracite 1980 300D -- 64k original miles with a new engine, on the road again!
Silver 300D -- second owner, Sunny's old baby, Ilse, 210 miles,
Having to thin the herd….
Silver 1983 300SD -- second owner, 325k miles
Gold 1981 300D -- well-traveled, solid little car
Beige 1984 300D -- 292k miles, grease machine, parting out
Seafoam green 1981 300SD -- 250k, windshield frame damage
too many assorted w123 & w126 cars, parts cars, and extras