Low mileage 617 in my 83 SD is spewing oil. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vstech · #1 03-01-2010, 12:04 PM

it looks to be coming from the front main seal...
with all the horror stories Ive read about the balancer bolts failing...
y'all got recommendations?

kerry · #2 03-01-2010, 01:00 PM

Take it to the car wash and thoroughly clean the area to confirm it's coming from that seal. There are a couple of other leak sources that I seem to recall look like a front main leak.

moon161 · #3 03-01-2010, 01:52 PM

Not a bad job, done it twice.

As always thoroughly degrease the leak area and drive to confirm it's not the lower pan gasket or other some other spot. The amount of oil & scale on the front of the block and around the balancer has warranted a barbecue brush and purple power in all 3 of the 61x's I've been that close too.

Is the balancer nasty or corroded? How are the cap screws? The horror stories I've read seem to result from a botched prior install. The galled bolt somebody had probably resulted from someone having to overtighten the bolt to mash the balancer back on. My bolt came out fine after I broke it with a 1/2" bar resting on the frame and bumped the starter.

Order the spacer ring as well. If the wear band on the spacer is significantly off center, you may be able to flip it around.

I have a puller I can mail you if the spacer doesn't want to come off for you.

I have Bent Magma's diy recipe from *********.com, thorough, useful, a few comments I could add. Happy to lend it to you, then you can buy parts from Phil.

My advice:
Pull fan, radiator & shroud, shift the condensor up, and you can look right and the shaft w/out a mirror

Soak the balancer to 275 *F pick it up in your oven mits, run outside, line it up and slide it on. You have about 1/2 second to get it right once metal is next to metal. Dry ice on the crankshaft might give you more playtime, might damage the seal too. 1st time I did the job I got it right on 1st attempt, 2nd time it was like the 3rd or 4th. If you don't feel it slide home and see it seated well & lined up perfect, pull it off, repeat.

A friend told me he read a test of penetrants, best one over WD40, liquid wrench, PB blaster was 50/50 Acetone & ATF. Presoak and don't crap your pants till the big bolt is uncooperative.

vstech · #4 03-01-2010, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moon161

Not a bad job, done it twice.

As always thoroughly degrease the leak area and drive to confirm it's not the lower pan gasket or other some other spot. The amount of oil & scale on the front of the block and around the balancer has warranted a barbecue brush and purple power in all 3 of the 61x's I've been that close too.

Is the balancer nasty or corroded? How are the cap screws? The horror stories I've read seem to result from a botched prior install. The galled bolt somebody had probably resulted from someone having to overtighten the bolt to mash the balancer back on. My bolt came out fine after I broke it with a 1/2" bar resting on the frame and bumped the starter.

Order the spacer ring as well. If the wear band on the spacer is significantly off center, you may be able to flip it around.

I have a puller I can mail you if the spacer doesn't want to come off for you.

I have Bent Magma's diy recipe from *********.com, thorough, useful, a few comments I could add. Happy to lend it to you, then you can buy parts from Phil.

My advice:
Pull fan, radiator & shroud, shift the condensor up, and you can look right and the shaft w/out a mirror

Soak the balancer to 275 *F pick it up in your oven mits, run outside, line it up and slide it on. You have about 1/2 second to get it right once metal is next to metal. Dry ice on the crankshaft might give you more playtime, might damage the seal too. 1st time I did the job I got it right on 1st attempt, 2nd time it was like the 3rd or 4th. If you don't feel it slide home and see it seated well & lined up perfect, pull it off, repeat.

A friend told me he read a test of penetrants, best one over WD40, liquid wrench, PB blaster was 50/50 Acetone & ATF. Presoak and don't crap your pants till the big bolt is uncooperative.

wow, 275F... won't that hurt the new seal?

moon161 · #5 03-01-2010, 11:15 PM

Not from what I've seen. Throw the old seal in the oven, see what happens.

toomany MBZ · #6 03-02-2010, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moon161

I have a puller I can mail you if the spacer doesn't want to come off for you.

I would be curious about this, could you post a pic?

vstech · #7 03-02-2010, 07:26 PM

well it's my daily driver until the crazy mechanics get my pickup's transmission figured out. (over three months... still no idea what's wrong with the truck...)
anyway, as soon as they figure it out, I'll start fixing the truck...