CanuckMerc

2001 E320 4matic wagon.



These 3 and 1 red part found under the car, drivers wheel side and the 4th is in about 30 pieces sprayed under the hydraulic box. (you can see the bits in the first pic)

These appeared after I ruptured the main hose to the steering pump. The picture shows where the rupture took place.

I'm thinking these were part of something and the pressure release from the rupture dislodged them. I've no idea where they belong.



Anyone else recognize these?

Overheated

The red tab looks like it came off the transmission tube cap lock. The white ones look like the caps to hypodermic syringes.

So I don't make the same mistake, how did you rupture the hydraulic hose that runs the steering and SLS?

CanuckMerc

Well what happened was a slide of stupidity. It first started with me not taking a picture of the self levelling valve. I had to replace the spheres. But the hydraulic fittings were buggered by the past owner so the lines had to be cut and replaced. I removed the bleeder valve for more wrench room and forgot the locations when I put the lines back, threading in the line to the spheres into where the bleeder valve should have gone. Leveler was destroyed and had to be replaced. Fantastic. And the other hydraulic fittings to the two main lines to the front of the car, also buggered which meant those lines had to be replaced. Mistake 2, I didn't mark/paint the lines before cutting to replace the back halves. So I was following lines from the front of the car and sure I was correct.

When we rehooked up everything and started the car back up for the level valve to repressurize the back end of the car, a high pressure high under the drivers wheel well popped off. At this point I believed this was due to the lines not being correct, so I switched the lines and fixed the hose under the wheel well only to find the hose under the wheel well was another fix by the previous owner. They had cut both steel ends for whatever reason, cut a part of the hydraulic hose line and then put everything back using regular 1/4 worm clamps, not sure how that held this entire time but when we emptied the system and repressurized it, the hose let go.

So still under the impression the mistake was mine...after replacing that hose and securing it with high pressure clamps....yep the hose to the steering pump ruptured.
And referring back to the diagrams on the WIS/ASRA I can now see how the lines are configured and where they should be going.
One mistake I had made was not realizing that when everyone told me there's one line that goes to the tank and one to the pump that in a lot of cases those instructions were off base. Both lines go to the steering pump, it's the back line on the pump (towards cabin) that is the (p) pump line and the (t) tank line attaches to the front of the steering pump.

Hope that helps.

Overheated

At one time or another we evolved shot ourselves in the foot.

I'm about to change out the accumulators on the old ladiy's "98 wagon. What's all the hubbub about having to flare the lines that connect to the globes.? Is it always necessary? Under what circumstances do these lines need to be flared or re-flared?

CanuckMerc

'Flaring' a line whether that be a steel hydraulic line or a copper brake line is the process that involves simply squeezing the **** out of the end into a flare. There's different types of flares made by using the flaring tool differently. A flare is required in order to keep your hydraulic fitting on the end. Without a flare there's no way to do that or to match with the insert the hydraulic fitting has to screw into.

That's the flaring definition.

Take a look at your accumulators and where the lines attach. Are the fittings in good shape? Then you're ok! Buy a set of flaring wrenches to remove them (break the seal) and put them back on (tighten). Mine could not be salvaged as the previous owner used a regular wrench on them and rounded them. That's why my lines had to be replaced. Do not use a regular wrench on a flaring fitting when you're tightening or breaking the nut.

DO USE YOUR FINGERS!!!

Hydraulic nut fittings do not require a wrench or any tool to screw them in. They are so easy to put in, you can use your fingers and you SHOULD. Why? Because hydraulic nut fittings are also very very very easy to crossthread. If you do that, your part is dead and broken and you'll need to start again with a new part.

You can use a regular wrench to save you time to loosen up the slack or take off the nut for the remaining part but do not for tightening or breaking.

Start with your fingers. You'll find yourself struggling to get that nut to grab and start threading properly. Why? Because it has a line attached and the line will dictate the angle at which it is entering the fitting to be screwed into. So bend the line the best you can to match a perfect direct angle into the fitting and you'll find that it begins to screw in.

Don't just thread it a turn and believe it's in and start wrenching. If that nut has properly threaded you can wiggle the line with one hand and continue to keep threading with your finger until you can see that the nut has indeed threaded into the fitting and at that point you can use a regular wrench to take you all the way in and then finish with the flaring wrench.

I've learned this the very hard and expensive way by destroying the SLS valve 3 times. Take pictures. Pay attention. Go slow.

This is a doable job for anyone who can shower and sing at the same time.

Overheated

Thanks for this. Better safe than sorry on a car this old.

CanuckMerc

Solved! Those plastic parts are inserts inside the high pressure hose I ruptured.