fuel pump repl - labor hours?

[karburn]

Car- 1987 560SL
Definitely needs a new fuel pump, and most likely a filter and accumulator. Outside chance it's the fuel tank screen.

Question: before going to the dealer or indy shop (still flipping that coin ) I would like to get a realistic idea of the labor hours involved in the R/R of the fuel pump and related components. I've looked at all the diagrams on the MB-CD, and it seems to be beyond my DIY skills.

I realize that sometimes other things are discovered that drive up the labor hours involved in any job, but I just want to know the basics so that I don't get charged 5 hours for a 2 hour job. No insult intented towards anyone, anywhere - but it does happen.

Thanks for the feedback as always.

[bbeberness]

Not a big deal to replace. Raise up the right rear, put your jack stand under it and go to work. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours and probably less. All three items are together, right there, under the rear of the car. Good idea to do all them at once as they probably are due and it's a pain to do it at separate times. Good luck.

[mbboy]

Originally Posted by bbeberness

Not a big deal to replace. Raise up the right rear, put your jack stand under it and go to work. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours and probably less.

Except that if they haven't been replaced before, the screws may be hard to get out without breaking them because they're probably rusted out. ALso, its easy to get a mouthful of gas if you're not careful about clamping the lines.

I can't find the time estimate for the pump and accumulator, but alldatadiy.com gives 1.1 hrs for the filter (.8 for warranty work), and replacing the pump and accumulator at the same time shouldnt' add more than another hour. Problem is that an unscrupulous mechanic may try to charge you 1. 1 hrs or more for each component, even though he only has to do most of the necessary things once. So, 2 hrs seems reasonable, and 1.5 even better. Then again, some guys will try to pad their bill with exhorbitant part prices. So you may want to check those out before you commit to anything

[donbryce]

Well......Before you do anything, look real close at ALL the pipes and connections comprising the fuel pumps, accumulator, and filter. If there is any significant rust, or the hoses look brittle/cracked from age, I can guarantee a leak either during the removal or after. I'd advise removal of the entire assembly and do all the R&R on the bench. I started to gingerly turn one of the end fittings at the filter and instantly got a leak in the line which twisted as the banjo bolt started to move!
On my '86 560SL, I ended up buying a pair of used pumps with associated plumbing (in VG condition) on EBay, and the seller threw in a new filter. Only problem was, the assembly was off a non-W107, a sedan, so I had to do some creative adaptation to get all the hoses and hard-lines to fit. It did work, and I saved significant $$ on the pumps and the rusted hard-line (that alone would've cost over $100.00, even from ******** AZ). My old pumps worked fine, they just made an awful whining noise.
If you need the car as daily transport, get everything in hand before touching the assembly with a wrench. Be especially cautious with pinching off the big hose from the tank. You really don't want to have to replace this puppy! I waited until the tank was almost empty, then pulled the thing off and drained the rest into a big container, without risking pinching and rupturing it. Very, very messy BTW, get long sleeved rubber gloves and good eye protection.
All said and done, it was about 5 hours work to modify the sedan assembly to fit the SL, most of it in fitting the accumulator line and bracketry. If you don't need to do all this work, I'd go with about 1 hour to remove the assembly (I'm including jacking up the rear, draining the tank, and undoing bolts/nuts/hoses), about 1/2 - 1 hour to R&R at the bench (depending on what needs replacing)(don't forget to order new copper crush washers and hose clamps), and 1/2 hour to replace the assembly.
Not really a bad job....have fun

[coleyjf]

Hi

I had a replacement filter as part of my last service - charged .5 hour - should have got him to change the pump but didn't think at the time - got a pump on eBay and changed it myself - took about an hour - it would have taken 2 hours tops to change the pair myself as the hardest part is stopping/draining the petrol (sorry gas!) and you wwould only have had to do it once.

If I had been changing the filter at the same time it would have taken another half an hour at the most.

Remember to get replacement washers for the banjo attachements from the pump to the filter as they tend to leak if you don't. Most of the fixings are well plated or brass - in the UK we use salt on the roads when it's frosty and even corrosion from that didn't cause me any great problems getting the bolts/nuts undone.

Don't pay for any more than 2 hours whatever they say - BUT take the car in with a nearly empty tank.

Cheers

Jim

Cheers

[karburn]

My thread subscription must not be working, so this is late, but THANKS to everyone for the feedback. This information confirms that I will indeed take it to a shop ( got a referral for a good local shop owned by people with integrity) and now I know the approximate number of hours so that I can watch for bill padding.

Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with the 3/4 tank of gas that's still in the car!!! I have an electric pump, so with some plastic line I can make my own gas pump and top off my other vehicles. I know the shop will charge me for draining it - they are going to check the tank screen because I have been using fuel preservative for storage.

[mobley]

I have a 1987 560Sl with 173,000 miles. Less than a year ago I changed the filter, pump and accumulator. Jack up the right rear and remove the wheel so you have plenty of room to work. Lay out the tools you need and the new parts where you can reach them from under the car. The only suprise was when I removed the fuel line from the tank to the pump. Be prepared to put a finger oner the end of the hose ASAP. Expect to spend approximately 2 hours. The only major fuel leak was the one described above. Also, disconect the battery before you start.

[karburn]

PS: I took the car to a local independent shop with a good reputation - not a single Better Business Bureau complaint in three years. Turned out to be the #1 pump was going bad and sending metal shavings into the #2 pump. Replaced both pumps and the fuel filter. The job ticket had six hours of labor on it. There was some diagnostic time involved, so it basically broke down to 4 hrs for diagnosis and 2 hours for the R/R of the pumps & filter. Still seems high. I probably won't go back there. Parts & labor totaled a little over a grand.

The car runs incredibly better, though. The moral here is to not ignore buzzing fuel pumps. Trouble is brewing.

Thanks to all who responded.