Long weekend experiences...wow
 

So, I decided to get a bit of work done on my 300D. Wow. I should have known, but it took me quite a bit of time to get my stuff done, and I still have some outstanding issues. A quick summary...

Started the citric acid test Friday night...did two flushes of straight water, then the de-oil flush. Fell asleep on my living room floor waiting for the engine to cool down for the drain cycle...those steps took me from about 6:30 to 12:00. The toughest part was just getting acclimated to where things were located. It look me a little while to understand what I was looking at with the block drain plug (a bunch of "no WAY can that be the plug!).

Saturday morning, went back out about 6:30am and performed the actual citric acid...drove around for about 45 minutes, came back, let cool, then flush with water twice. Got hot citric acid in my eye (not good), decided to wear safety glasses.

Then removed all the parts I wanted to replace. Radiator came out easily, removed all the hoses, then the fun began. While trying to remove the thermostat, I sheered the heads off of two of three screws...ugh. Ran to store, got tapping tools, came back, went to drill the holes, and snapped off the drill bit. Back to store, new bit. Drilled new holes, then went to tap new threads - snapped the tap bit...twice. About this time, I was overheating, so I moved to the oil cooler lines (not a good choice). Spilled crazy amounts of oil on my driveway, got all the lines off. Did not jack up the engine and did not use the "special tool," but instead just a RoboGrip wrench (Craftsman).

Removed fan (took me a few HOURS!!), after shearing off the bolts holding it on. Removed water pump, replaced water pump...moved back to t-stat. Finally got new holes drilled/tapped, then replaced the t-stat and CAREFULLY re-assembled the housing with new bolts.

Got radiator installed w/o a problem...wriggled the oil cooler lines in without too much trouble. Could NOT, for the life of me, tighten down the nuts on the oil filter housing. Bought 1-1/6" open and box end wrench, cut it in half, giant smile on my face, as I easily tightened down the nuts.

Put everything back together Monday afternoon, started up the car, seemed to somehow (not sure how) to run quieter. Saw giant oil leak from front/top oil cooler line (realized I didn't tighten down enough, since I was paranoid to strip it after all the stories I've read on here). Re-tighted everything...still have leak from that nut - can't tighten it any more without getting scared. Found the bypass hose was leaking huge amounts of water - punched myself in the face for not replacing it when I had everything taken apart. Went to local supplier, he says that hose is $100 - throw up in my mouth - walk away mad. Search this site, find similar stories.

Car sits in driveway...no way to work tomorrow. Must borrow car. :mad: Must figure out oil leak and what to do about the bypass hose.

.........

So, all in all, a great weekend! :eek: Questions? Comments?

Thanks for all your help...this site rules.

order the hose from Phil.I did last year and he sent me enough for two engines for ~30 dollars.

Sweet - thanks. I didn't see it when I searched the Fastlane site, but I'll email Phil tomorrow.

Did you remove your thermostat housing when you replaced your bypass hose? My thermostat housing was a bear with the stupid nuts...I'd rather not screw with it now that it's back on. But, from reading stories here, it seems like it's easier if I remove it.

My dealer sold me enough for 2 cars for $30. You can also use a preformed hose from a McParts shop, just make sure it has a straight portion that is long enough and cut it down to size, then clamp it REALLY good (it won't fit quite right 'cause it is SAE).

I took off the T-stat housing to replace it on the 240D and the water pump housing on the 300TD. Go the T-stat housing route. MUCH easier....but make sure you have the gasket in hand.

Good luck!

Usually if you shear off the bolts on the thermostat housing you can take the cover off anyways, and then remove the stubs with some vice grips, works fine....clean out the hole, use some new bolts, and you're set. I had it happen on both of our SD's, had it fixed in about 10 minutes.

Dude - that sounds like the exact opposite of what happened to me. Sheared off the heads, cover would not come off, blah blah blah...

Thanks pawo! ;)

So, when the t-stat housing comes off, I don't quite get how to remove/install this hose. How can you get the hose in there w/o lifting or lowering one side of the set up? If the hose is between two parts, how can it be installed w/o cracking or bending the new hose?

If all the heads break off the bolts the cover should be able to be removed..... :confused:

Believe me, I hear you...I'm just telling you what happened to me. I could not understand the physics behind what was keeping the cover on. I pried, tapped with a hammer, pulled, and lightly twisted...nothing. The shafts of each of the bolts was still sticking out the front - I tried, in vain, to twist them out with vice grips, and the screws just shredded and disintegrated right before my eyes. It was insane.

Happy Labor Day! :)

You earned an “A+” for perseverance!

The T-stat housing kinda has 3 sides: 1: There is the back of the part that you opened up to change the T-stat. 2: There is a side that goes straight down to the little connector piece. 3: There is the flat side that connects to the engine block. There is a bracket that supports the A/C low pressure hose, you remove the 2 bolts to the block on that bracket (the AC hose will kinda hang there), and pop the housing off the block. The 3rd side goes down to the connector, and the piece of radiator hose connects to the water pump housing below.
Replace the hose and clamp it in place (TIGHT).
Scrape the gasket off the block and clean up the housing, then replace the gasket. (I used gasket sealant on the block side of the gasket then bolted the housing and bracket back in place).

That's it!

yes!! :D

I agree! Good job getting it off all the same! :D

Misery loves company.....
 

I like your story telling style. Very nice. I didn't enjoy the fact that you had "issues" but I enjoyed hearing about it.
These cars are a constant ice cream headache. :bomb2: Good thing they also have their good qualities......

I was at Pierres shop geting a thermostat over the weekend he told me to get a hammer and center punch and hit the top of the bolts with it before I try to break the bolts loose. Well it worked. I still thought 1 of the bolts would break but it did not.

Hmm....I will try that on our dead engine to see if it works....

Cool...good to know...LAST WEEKEND! :)

Seriously though...that IS good to know. Thanks.

Dealer near here had no idea what I was talking about with that hose...he said "this COULD be it, and it's $5." I'm not confident in his parts-looking-up-skills.

Local euro supplier quoted me $300 (?!!) for a one meter section...says it's a specialty part. Buddy mechanic says "just buy a standard hose and cut it to length."

Phil from Fastlane has it for $35, but I can't wait to get it...my car is still up on ramps!

I may try the standard radiator hose tonight.

If you think my post was entertaining, you should have been around this weekend. If someone were just watching and listening to me, it would have been hilarious. The trial and error was off the charts. My wife kept coming out and saying "are you okay?" I would just grunt and she would leave me alone. Even my kids were saying stuff like "why is daddy all greasy?" and "how come dad is so grouchy?" Father of year, I am not. However, I did manage to attend a Labor Day BBQ and another birthday party that weekend, even WITH my greasy elbows, black spot on the back of my head (no idea it was there), and disgusting fingernails. I looked tremendous.

Yes, the headaches are just part of buying these cars, I'm finding. That said, I don't regret it a bit, and I'm just excited to move on to my next project. There's no way I'll tackle as much as I did this weekend again, but baby steps might be a better way to approach repairs.

Cheers.

Nail finger brush, appropriately sized wrenches for the oil cooler lines and baby steps.

Think of baby steps as a way to escape from the reality of trying to be the world's greatest father :)

That sounds about right. They can cut off a piece and prorate it by length.

If you really really need it -
Just go to a McParts store and get a pre-formed piece for any ol' car with a long enough straight segment. Should run ya $7-20.

Ahhhh, it's been several weeks since I mingled with the "other half" with my Frankenstein fingernails. My wife doesn't miss em, but I kinda do
:cool:

When your removing bolts out of alluminum heat is your best friend remember that.

I worked OUT on my wife's nail brush - she surprisingly wasn't that excited. ;)

And, yes - the 1-1/16 Craftsman wrench, cut down to about 7" long, made my life very easy.

As far as trying to be the world's greatest father...yeah...not quite there yet. :)

Thanks Winmutt.

BTW - I want your wheels for the summer, keeping the OE wheels for the winter. Where can I buy them?

Found the right hose...pushed my local supplier to find it. He did, for $25. I will pick it up tomorrow. I miss driving my car!

Have you ever heated up bolts with a torch? I thought about doing that on the thermostat housing.