Hi. On my 87 300e, I'm going to do my first brake bleed; it's of the entire system because I had to replace the master cylinder, and the fluid from PO is pretty dirty. I put the car up on ramps and located the bleeder caps & 9mm nuts, but I can't figure out how to get a wrench into the small space to loosen the bleeder nuts. I saw on Fastlane there is a special MB tool with tubing attached, which sells for over $100, but a can't imagine everyone uses this. Do I need a non-standard wrench? Would it help if I took off the wheels ? Thanks.

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87 300e (white/black; amg body kit)
88 300ce (red/cream; amg body kit)
93 300ce cabrio (white/blue/blue top)
93 300ce cabrio (black/grey/black top)
98 ml 320 (totaled @ 137,000 miles)
99 clk320 (black/grey/black top)

Deep socket...

Thanks Arthur; and then when the fluid runs clear I hand turn the nut to shut off the flow, pull the tubing and fully tighten?

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87 300e (white/black; amg body kit)
88 300ce (red/cream; amg body kit)
93 300ce cabrio (white/blue/blue top)
93 300ce cabrio (black/grey/black top)
98 ml 320 (totaled @ 137,000 miles)
99 clk320 (black/grey/black top)

Basically..yes
Best to pressure bleed from the master

Use the Serch feature if you do not understand Bleeding Procedures

The reason you are having difficulty getting to the bleeder nipples is that the car is on ramps. Much, much simpler to jack the car up and remove a wheel at a time. Then you have plenty of room.

You are supposed to bleed with 30 psi pressure. I have found that the Motive Products bleeder works very well. Makes this a trivial process. Around $65.00. You will need a small clear container and plastic tube that connects to the nipple. That way you can see the bubbles and pretty much tell when the old fluid is pushed out by the new fluid.

Steve

I have a pressure bleeder, Motive, and plan to do exactly that as described in the Haynes manual & the various posts on this forum. I'm especially glad I will be able to do this with the car on ramps, which to me is the safest, and really the only, way I want to be under it. Arthur, I'd also like to take this opportunity to express my great appreciation not only for your reply here, but also for the help and learning you provide so regularly to everyone here.

__________________
87 300e (white/black; amg body kit)
88 300ce (red/cream; amg body kit)
93 300ce cabrio (white/blue/blue top)
93 300ce cabrio (black/grey/black top)
98 ml 320 (totaled @ 137,000 miles)
99 clk320 (black/grey/black top)

You are Wecome and Thank You...

Not trying to beat a dead horse, but I am trying to picture how you avoid making a mess trying to do this with a deep well socket. You can't use the socket if the tube is attached.
You can't attach the tube if the socket is on the bleeder nipple. So when you loosen the bleeder you are going to have a mess.

Much less messy to take the wheels off, stick the tubing on, and loosen with a small wrench.

Steve

The socket is to break them loose..much easier and much less likely to snap off a bleeder.. snap a few and you will wish you had a good ,straight shot the first time around, believe me.

I do them all without any pressure and then I have a hose that attaches firmly ot the bleeder that allows you to turn them with the hose on by hand.
Very easy/fast/ and clean operation.

Best to use the socket again for tighteneing. A 1/4" drive socket w/extension makes it real simple to sneek in there without taking anything off.
I have done so many over the years that I can do them by feel without even seeing the bleeder.

Ok, I am always willing to learn a new approach. I will try that next time. I just did it so I will have to wait until next spring.

Steve

If you do it again now , you won't have to do it til the spring after next..
Isn't that how it works????? Matter of fact, if you look in the archieves, there are post swearing we don't have to do it at all..

On the socket, the trick is to loosen/tighten the bleeder a few quick turns before applying pressure at the master..that limits any mess to a few drops at each bleeder [actually lubes them a little and the threads clean themselve up and then they are easy to turn ]. I use BP Blaster on the old rusty ones ..works great ..once you snap a blleeder off , you are up the creek...you can still bleed at the line going into the caliper, but you never get all the air w/o a bleeder due to it being located at the very end of that line/caliper...
Yearly bleeds and 2 year flushs/new fluid keep everthing clean...and seldom does a maintained system need calipers or masters..

Thanks again to both of you. Last question, any preference about the brand of DOT 4 brake fluid- based on another post, I was going to purchase Castrol LMA- about $4.00/12 ounce can at NAPA; I have seen Prestone brand (now owned by Honeywell) at Autozone for a little less. I think I need two cans for the 300e.

__________________
87 300e (white/black; amg body kit)
88 300ce (red/cream; amg body kit)
93 300ce cabrio (white/blue/blue top)
93 300ce cabrio (black/grey/black top)
98 ml 320 (totaled @ 137,000 miles)
99 clk320 (black/grey/black top)

I use the Castrol, but get the big can..it is much cheaoer in the large size and you will have some at your disposal that is campatable to what you have in there..

I do it every year, because I use messing around with the Mercedes as mental down time.
Other than the normal services, which don't occur that frequently, there really isn't much else to do. Things that come up that either are over my head and/or over my desire to get dirty and ache for days afterward are farmed out to my indy.

My next task is to do Motor mounts on the S320. I am going to try this because there appears to be plenty of room in this model. Had the indy do them on the 300E's.

Steve

Do them one at a time ..if you have trouble with the left one, it is sometimes easier to take the mount bracket off the engine as a unit with the mount still attached...use 2x4 for engine jacking if needed..protects the pan and distributes the load