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does anyone know where to find seal kits for the hydraulic cylinders that control the soft top for a 2000clk 430. my cylinders are 2088000072,2088000172,208800272,1298001672,and 1298002172 .Don't have a lot off money to spend so i'm going to try to do the job myself .I've seen kits for the 129 cylinders but unable to locate kits for the 208 cylinders any info would be greatly apreceated
Last edited by lemee; Dec 7, 2014 at 04:24 PM.
Reason: clarification
I was just like you when I was young and learning, Did not let anyone work on my ride.
The ability to self survive is rare especially on today's computer controlled monsters. But education prevails.
Serendipity is correct, Klaus has a very reputable business on all European cars Hydraulic cylinders with some special seal technology. I bet he retired Citroen suspension systems. (LOL)
I use his cylinders fault free for 2 years plus and recommend him as well.
If you are determined to DIY please consult with him and possible to purchase the right seals.
If you can do upholstery then you are better than me, I do not sew.
03 SL Kleemann, 97 SL320 pano top, 95 Lorinser E320 Cabrio, Ferrari 360, Tesla X
Serndipity and GatorMB,
thanks for the kind and prompt responses. The CLK cylinders p/n 208800xxxx require some serious precision machining for rebuild, plus CNC machined parts and our special seals - that's why Top Hydraulics has no competition in this arena. We use $20k+ machines just for opening up the cylinders and getting them ready for seal replacement. Even a very good machine shop couldn't do the job, because they wouldn't be able to get the seals, and they would have to practically re-invent the wheel in trying to figure out how to open up the steel cylinders and close them up again. Besides, they would charge you a fortune.
There are "kits" for R129 cylinders and R170 cylinders, but buying those is worse than throwing your money away. The kits are simply not suited for the job. O-rings in place of cup seals will last for a short time, if you are lucky. Most folks ruin their cylinders when trying to open them up. We see those results arriving in the mail every day, and have to charge extra for replacing damaged parts. Here is a little more detail:
Rebuilding these cylinders is NOT a matter of changing o-rings. Every R129 cylinder has one o-ring, and those rarely ever fail. What fails most frequently, are the other seals, which have special shapes for proper function. Top Hydraulics replaces and upgrades ALL seals in the cylinders with superior material:
1) Rod seals. They are cup-shaped and seal the piston rod from the rest of the cylinder. When they fail, you will see fluid coming out next to the chromed shaft (rod). These are usually the first seals to fail in the cylinders.
2) Piston seals. They seal the input and output sections from each other, as the piston slides through the cylinder. The piston seals have been made of different materials and sizes even in the same p/n cylinders throughout the years. Failing piston seals will cause internal leaks, which result in a pressure drop in your hydraulic system. Early model years have the added problem that the piston seals swell up and make it very hard to move the piston inside the cylinder. Crumbling piston seals can block valves or pinholes inside the hydraulic system, and it can be difficult to diagnose a piston seal failure without testing several cylinders once you find that your top is moving slowly or not at all.
3) Cap seals. These are just o-rings that seal the top cap of the cylinder from the housing. They are usually the last seals to fail, but these o-rings are penny items.
4) Port seals. They seal the hydraulic lines where they are pushed into the cylinders. Port seal failure is becoming more and more common as the convertibles age. Port seals have a special shape that makes them seal under pressure. O-rings wouldn't do the trick. They are secured by precisely machined brass rings (accuracy about 1/100 mm). DIY removal of the brass rings will almost certainly destroy the brass rings. Top Hydraulics installs port seals that are tighter than the originals, just in case the hydraulic line fittings have been scratched.
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