i am trying to replace the tensioner shock and adjustment rod on my kids 190. I replaced the alternator, and then the belt started singing. I then discovered that the belt was extremely loose. i loosened the 19mm bolt but not tensioner adjustment "a friend of mine who selles them says the rod is usually stripped". So i got a new belt tensioner rod, the pulley holding tool and 8mm socket, and was going to order the shock, and tensioner pulley if needed.
of course i start taking it apart and you gotta take all sorts of stuiff off to get to the fan clutch.

I just discovered it would be easier to do if i got the radiator completly out of the way but my benz cd didn't say anything about the condensor...... so hissss. guess i'll fix that next... good thing it's winter time.
i still don't know how to get the radiator seperated from the condensor, but i got the fan off, and the pulley it was attached to. how do i get the radiator out???

i need somebody to tell me how to get the waterpump pulley off, and the power steering pulley too. They both rotate freeley even with the belt on and i don't want to screw them up. i have to get the pulleys off to get at the bolts for the tensioner bracket!!!! of the 3 bolts all 3 are behind a pulley (Fan, waterpump, powersteering).

the car is great when it's running but my knuckles are getting scratched up working on it. just replaced the wiper moter and it works great!!!

i got the pulley bolts off by using a oil filter strap wrench to hold the pulley while turning on th 13 mm bolts.
i still need to know how to get the radiator and condensor seperated, and the radiator/ or both out for some more room.
i was gong to replace the shock, adjustment rod, and tensioner pulley.
this because the shock seems shot, and the adj rod is in fact stripped. the pulley looks good but i just thought i would replace it too.

any advice would be appreciated
thanks

I won't claim I figured this out myself but when I did my fanclutch I found your answer here. To seperate the radiator and condensor on a 190 you have to take tthe front bumper off to get to the bolts. Its not hard just 6 bolts to get the bumper off and I think two on the condesor.

Hope this helps

thanks i think i'll do that since i got everything else off of this puppy already.

well i put the adjustment rod and belt on to see if my problem was just the old belt had streatched, and much to my dismay not that the tensioner was moving it required me to back it all the way out (turn the tensioner nut clockwise) to get the belt almost tight.
so now i proved to myself that i needed something other that the rod to get the travel, the guy at the benz place said i needed a new tensioner to get the adjustment (is this right that i need a new tensioner to get the adjustment necessary to tighten the belt, the one i have looks good, i mean the rubber isn't deformed and bulging like my friend said it would look if it was shot). i'm scratching my head but, i'm like ok whatever it takes to get the belt tight.... i don't know what else it could be.
so now i'm goig to order the tensioner, rod (my new one got bent somehow when i was test fitting it), and shock and hope this takes care of everything.
if not i'm gonna be angry because of the agrivation and the fact that i'm no further along in getting it working

Read this thread on the belt tensioner.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=129793&highlight=failure+analysis

Duke

thanks duke!!!
i was looking for this thread last night when i was wondering what was happening, and you summed it up pretty good. in this sentence.

"Job number 13-3452 describes a tensioner functional test. It impllies that in the unloaded state, imaginary lines from the two flats on the back side of the inner bushing should pass equidistant on each side of the pulley axis."

so i jump up from the computer and run down to the garage to look at the tensioner.. i pull the adjusting rod bracket off and eyeball the flats, and the axis they form with the pulley. they are nowhere near parallel since i didn't have a compass in the garage, but i do have 20 yrs experience as an engineer i estimated the deflection as about 30 degrees. i took a picture.

well next i come back up and read the next section of you post...

"Then, using the pulley as a hand hold, rotate the housing about 30 degrees off line in each direction, which should take a good deal of force. (This is the approximate angle the pointer moves through during tensioning, which indicates the relative angular displacement between the inner aluminum bushing and housing). If the pulley does not return to its original position after being displaced this angular amount in each direction, it is not serviceable. DO NOT USE IT!"

Well that settles it the thing is crap, crap , crap truly shot and this is difinitive confirmation, albiet of a technical sort of nature.

so now all i need to do is get the partzzz and put it back together, of course this little job has created the need for a condensor as i twisted the copper fitting off while loosening the fitting by the bumper.. oh well live and learn.

i'm glad i found this place cuz i haven't found a good mechanic in central or southern ohio that is less expensive than the dealership.

well i just got my new tensioner from performance ptz and it looked cool within specs and all and i thought it would be smooth sailing but.....
i had to take the shock off the old tensioner and install it on the new one..
easier said than done.
the new one seems to be tapped a slightly larger size than the original.
i'm like wtf i only work on this car on the weekends and then this....
so i guess i'll be calling perf in the morning.

btw thw new tensiones did line up with the flats parallel to the pulley wile the shot one was about 30 degrees off.
i'd be done now if it wern't for that part with the messed up threads.