W208 AMG Tear Down - Top To Bottom

[bobbyjo9]

Good job getting it back on the road and for not bad $$. Most would have thrown in the towel or thrown in the check book!!

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[400HP55]

Thanks man! Ive been detailing it for a few days cleaning the inside, under side and engine bay. I took it out for a drive today. Didn't push it to hard. Maybe 75% throttle. Man its got some get up. More than the last engine. Its been so long I've forgot how they shifted. I might be worried for nothing but: during shifting at like 5500 rpms, can you feel it shift? Or is it supposed to be smooth?

[bobbyjo9]

To be honest I've always really felt the shifts were a bit sloppy. When cold they seem a bit erratic and abrubt at times. When shes warmed up they are very consistant but more soft than firm. The delay in manual mode is pitiful. 5500 should be round the rev limiter, so you may be having the driving nany taking over control?

[boxeswithknobs]

congrats and welcome back!

RE: shifting, I noticed a couple weeks ago after driving pretty hard coming back from SF to LA, the car was shifting sorta "chunky". After parking it for a while, it's back to normal - I think when you notice this it's just the trans adapting for the driving style, but it always seems to go back to a more normal shift pattern after being parked for a while.

I'll have to play with manual mode again today...

[400HP55]

You guys hit the nail on the head. Thats exactly how it feels. Ya its like chunky or clunky. It does have a new engine in it with about 150 miles so I think it may be adapting to the driving and such. But also it does seem to reset after being parked. More pics of the old engine... More tear down to come...

[boxeswithknobs]

Yeah, definitely sounds like the adaptive shift logic in the trans adapting to driving style. I noticed mine picked up a harsher shift pattern 1-2-3 after I did a jousting match with a 911 coming out of the grapevine. After an ignition off cycle and a few hours, it was back to "normal" program.

With the new engine, the hp/torque specs will be slightly different, so that probably has some impact too.

[Charleserion]

If we intake manifold here, what's inside. The rather complex ...

Pic # 5 & 6 - The long and short plenums for low and high speed. These butterfliesare open at low speeds and is closed to traffic at high speed air balanced perfectly for all RPMS to maintain. Turn, depending on the RPMS. Very interesting!

[400HP55]

Back to the tear down. I managed to tear down all the accessories and such.

There was a few and I broke a few. There is a order in which you need to take them off. First starting with the A/C pump. The Fan Clutch was a bit tricky. Anyhow, more pics.... Picture 1 and 2 is before and after. 3 is a bottom shot of the crankshaft and 4 is all the mounted accessories.

I got to get the crankshaft pulley off to continue. Then the block case will come off and then the bottom crank case will come off.

[Kevwood]

Great thread (for unfortunate reasons albeit), thanks for all the pics, very interested to see how this all turns out.

[400HP55]

I am tearing down/rebuilding our suspension. Heres what I got so for. I put a hold on the engine for now. I need a 2" socket for the under drive pulley. I'll go get one at auto zone tomorrow.

I think I'm gonna change the wheel bearings while I'm at it. Anyone know how to get them off?

I was also wondering, in picture 3, whats the next step to drop the knuckle out to lower the control arm??

[bobbyjo9]

Only thing unique about the wheel bearing is they used an allen head to jamb the outter locking nut instead of a castle nut with cotter key. You'll see as soon as you remove the dust cap... which by the way was a REALLY tight fit on mine. I've read other struggling with the cover also. As for the "knuckle", I think you're talking about separating the the LCA from the ball joint? If so just use a ball joint tool or a pickle fork if you dont have one. Make sure you have your spring compressor in place first though because the LCA will be under load.

[400HP55]

So the dust cover comes off before the wheel bearing? Because it looks like the dust cover is wrapped behing the wheel bearing.

Ya the ball joint.

[tri-star tech]

Originally Posted by 400HP55

Pic#4 - To get to the camshaft was fairly easy. I needed to order a special tool in order to get the camshaft out. Its a bit tricky cause you need to keep tension on the other camshaft. I couldn't loose the chains position on the balance shaft.

Your engine doesn't have a balance shaft, only an idler gear. The one on the left is the crank sprocket with oil pump drive and the one on the right is the idler gear. The rubber coating is to reduce noise. The used ones have about 80k on them. Only the V6 has a balance shaft.




As far as the cylinder walls go a good rule of thumb is if you can catch a finger nail on it, the block will need to be replaced.

[blackbenzz]

Originally Posted by tri-star tech

As far as the cylinder walls go a good rule of thumb is if you can catch a finger nail on it, the block will need to be replaced.

Or sleeve it

[400HP55]

Very interesting. Idler Gear. I haven't torn it down that far yet. I hope to this weekend.

But to sleeve it I would need to punch out the old sleeves. So I would need to heat up the sleeves?

I wonder how much it would cost to put new sleeves in it.

" If so just use a ball joint tool or a pickle fork"

So do they just pop apart with a pickle fork? I tried but I don't want to break the screw...

[tri-star tech]

Your block doesn't have sleaves

[bobbyjo9]

Originally Posted by 400HP55

So the dust cover comes off before the wheel bearing? Because it looks like the dust cover is wrapped behing the wheel bearing.

Ya the ball joint.

Yes.. remove the the dust cover and you will see the jamb nut retaining preload on the outer bearing. It is a very tight fit in the hub. If your replacing the bearings it will come with a new cover.

Originally Posted by 400HP55

" If so just use a ball joint tool or a pickle fork"

So do they just pop apart with a pickle fork? I tried but I don't want to break the screw...

Yes the will "pop" apart. They are a taper fit shaft so they will take some work to get them to separate. You can use the spring pressure to help release the vertical mount but the horizontal mount you can hammer directly on the shaft to help it release. What screw are you talking about? There is a a pin that locates the ball joint on the LCA but no screws? Wait, If your talking about the two locking nuts, you will want to loosen them both but dont take them all the way off till you have loosened both shafts.

[400HP55]

The bushings on the LCA which is the lower control arm inner bushing or lower control arm outter bushing???

Which is inner and which is outter???

[400HP55]

I don't get it. The dust cover is behind the wheel bearing. The dust cover can't come off unless the wheel bearing comes off because the dust cover is wrapped behind the wheel bearing. The wheel bearing has no screws to take it off WTF lol

Then the ball joint isn't coming off either I can push the upper control arm to release the lower ball joint HOWEVER the other side of the ball joint has a screw that is not coming loose.



AHHHHH

[bobbyjo9]

Ok.. I think I follow you now. It's a terminologly thang... The DUST COVER is the small round cap on the outside of the hub that covers and protects the WHEEL BEARINGS. The SPLASH SHIELD is that large ring of sheet metal behind the hub and rotor. Sorry...after your pics I think we were talking two different things. The nut on the ball joint (screw) will spin with the stud if the taper is loose. There should be a slot in the top of the stud for an allen key to hold the stud so you can remove the nut. Vice grips on the stud itself will work also since you are replacing the balljoints anyway

[bobbyjo9]

Originally Posted by 400HP55

The bushings on the LCA which is the lower control arm inner bushing or lower control arm outter bushing???

Which is inner and which is outter???

It's a front and rear. The large rear one is the bushing that goes bad. Fronts are more along for the ride. I used the poly's from FCP.

[400HP55]

Got it. Had to take a hammer to it


Ok back to the dust cap, Picture 3. I'm not seeing how this thing comes off... sill. I was messing with it and punched a hole in it ha.

[400HP55]

Heres my LCA. Look at the bushings,You can see my bushing is torn to ****

Picture 5- I read a post somewhere about changing these bolts as well???

[bobbyjo9]

HAHA... yes a BFH will also work to remove em! Your LCA bushings were long past due for sure. I used a press to get the old ones out but the new poly ones slide in with only hand pressure. Where you poped the hole in the dust cap is where it separates. You can work your way round with a hammer and chisel against that ridge to remove, but there is a pair of pliers for dust caps that works MUCH easier. You may even be able to "rock" it out with channel locks.

That bolt in the fore ground is the ecentric bolt you've been hearing about. The one in the back ground is the non adjustable OEM bolt.

[400HP55]

After it was said and done, I guess it was more complicated than I thought...

Ya I took a chisel to the dust cap and it came off! Then the wheel bearing was easy to remove, like you said it had that allen key to get it out.

Man my LCA bushing was torn to all crap. The center came out and the metal part was stuck inside. I had to take a hack saw to it and then pry it out because the rubber came out by itself without the metal housing.

Heres a picture of the hole in my right wheel well with almost nothing in it.
Then the other picture is everything in my right wheel well other than the drag brace and steering rod and the brakes lines and sensors.

Ok so..... Can you tell me more about this fore ground ecentric bolt please. What is it and how does it work?? Where can I order one? The eccentric bolt is for the big LCA bushing right? I can re use the other bolt for my smaller LCA bushing?

And as far as the poly bushing, I hear that the poly bushing squeak a lot? And that if I change the big LCA bushing with Poly I have to change the other smaller LCA bushing with poly as well. Where can I order the Poly LCA Bushings?


You got a part number for the Splash Shield, the big piece of sheet metal behind the hub and rotor? I can't seem to find it...

Poly bushings dont absorb as much of road vibrations as the OEM ones correct??
Thanks for your feedback much appreciated!! I'll wait to order until I hear back from you.