1986 300e leaking coolant - doesn't appear to be directly from the radiator. I am planning on replacing the upper/lower hoses and the water pump myself. Any thoughts on whether these are easy DIY jobs and/or other possible culprits where the leak might be?

Thanks!

There are many places that coolant can leak from an M103 engine and it's associated cooling system components. If you cannot see where the leak is coming from, rent a cooling system pressure tester from one of the mass-marketers like Auto Zone and test the system. Do the test on a cool motor.

It's been my experience that the pressure tank cap adapter that comes with the Auto Zone kit fits perfectly on the 300E overfow tank without any additional adapters. Pump it up to about 15-17 lbs. and watch for the leak.

If your leak is not external, then you may have a head gasket issue; I would pursue the external leak test first.

My 2 cents.

__________________
Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"