1993 190E has worn reverse disk. I've been told that the condition is common and that the fix is rather simple. The disks readily accessible they are at the front of transmission. May be called a K3 pak. Most difficult part of job is pulling the transmission.

Does anyone know of someone in the Washington D.C. area who might be interested in doing the job?

Maybe a mechanic who has been layed-off and who could use some work? If so or if there are other suggestions please reply.

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Earl



1993 190E 2.3
2000 Toyota 4x4 Tundra

Might try Rick at RC Imports, he knows the W201 well

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

ejsharp, Since youare replacing the B3 reverse bands...it should'nt cost too much more to replace the seals up front too, like the two main seals for the front pump (common leaky area)....mine was not leaking but one of the seals in the front pump was torn. I checked my B2 piston (was updated already with the plactic sleeve) and updated the K1 spring set. All the parts were well under $150 for OEM parts. Straight forward things to check out while the tranny is out.

Yeah, it's really straightforward, if you download one of the tranny repair manuals found here in the archives. The only real issue for the home mechanic or non-MB professional is fabricating a lever mechanism to push the B-1 brake band cover back in. It's got a pretty big spring, and requires a bit of ingenuity to hold it in place and set the c-clamp. Yes, do the front radial seal and cover seal, and be very careful with the teflon shaft seals.

I started several threads on this very job a few years back, so there's lots of good info in the archives

DG

Thanks fellas. Can anyone tell me what the approximate cost will be to have a shop do the work... including parts?

__________________
Earl



1993 190E 2.3
2000 Toyota 4x4 Tundra

Here in MN, I was quoted $1k to do just the B3 clutch pack from an indy shop that works on German cars only. But from reading some recent post the past year the cost ranges from $600 to 1500 around different parts of the country...kinda wide range but many shops do not like just doing the B3 only and also do not want to under estimate if there is some big issues when it's apart. Mine had all the "classic" symptoms of a worn b3 reverse pack
1. Slow reverse engagement once trans is warmed up. Mine took 3-5 secs for the reverse to kick in.
2.Clicking noise 40% of the time when in reverse. When I had the trans cover off and looked in the front area...pretty obvious why it was clicking.


The parts are pretty straight forward in cost (about $60 for 5 B3 friction disc, $30-50 MB spec seals, $30 7.2 qts AT fluid Dex III($100 if you use MB tranny fluid), $25 at gasket pan and filter). I know this adds cost but I also replaced my speedo cable ($25) and two shifter plastic bushings (2 bucks..and mine was rattling for the past two years and felt sloppy when putting the car into any gear), and front flex disc ($85). All these things kinda add up but are a huge pain to do with the trans still on the car. I did have some laid off worker offer me $400 labor only but after I quizzed him a little.... I didn't trust him. I thought about hiring someone to drop the tranny and reinstall only (got estimates from $300-500 for this only)...and doing the partial overhauling myself. Looking back at it, it would saved me a boat load of time...cause the all the work described on this post took me 2-3 hrs once the tranny was dropped. Dropping took the longest time (whole day 8hrs) and re-install about 5hrs...but this was my first trans job ever too. I learned a ton from this forum and its archives.

Beings you will have to remove the transmission. It might be wise to check the difference between those costs and the cost of a rebuild. Especially, if the transmission has been down the road a ways. It's just a thought.