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I like others had the dreaded transfer case issue... I had used one of the previous posters guide as a starting point https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...sfer-case.html. And felt it was lacking a bit of info so I will try and walk you guys thru the process.
One thing I like to say is that I tried to get a quote from the dealership to get a replacement transfer case it was 7865 + tax. And used ones were going for 650-950 and you have no idea what condition it is. This seems like a common issue so I didn't want to chance on a what if. After some digging and calling some sources I was able to find that "Magna Steyr Australia" who makes the transfer case in the first place, actually also refurbs them and you can buy them from http://www.libsontruck.com/transfer_cases.html I decided on spending $1200 ($1300 for 2yr/24k-miles) with 1 year 12K warrenty for a full rebuilt up to spec. What sold me is that they sell over 75 a year of these to everyone including dealerships.
Requirements:
ratchet and socket set.
T55 E-Torx Bit
2 - u-joints adapters for T55 bit
Multiple extensions I had some wobbly extensions that helped alot.
E12 sockets
* I really wished I had a universal joint E12 it would have been great for the top 2 bolts and the middle bolt on the driver side like this one. http://www.gearwrench.com/gearwrench...ocket-set.html
1. Disconnect the EGT probe on exhaust hang it up
2. Disconnect O2 Sensor clips on exhaust from the body
3. Disconnect the Exhaust.. Yes you must do this no way to get Transfer case other wise. You can leave the O2 sensor plugged in you just need room to remove the case.
4. Remove bracket that holds the wiring harness for the EGT sensor. Remember these 2 holes you may need to tap them with M8 later.
5. Remove T55 Bolts from the back of the transfer case.
6. unbolt the panels that provide access to the rear drive shaft center bearing.
7. Unbolt Center Bearing 2 17mm bolts. I had to do this as I could not get the drive shaft to move.
8. Now we can start working on the Transfer case itself.
9. Once the bracket is removed you can easily touch the top 2 bolts. Those are the hardest.. Break those free first and remove them. If you can't remove them you need more tools goto store/order more and etc. They will come off and you can feel them.
10. If you are making progress go ahead and remove the 6 T55 bolts from front drive shaft.
11. Next is to remove the last 6 bolts on the transfer case all E12 the biggest PITB was to me the bolt in the upper middle of the transfer case. There is a module on the way if you got universal joint T55 you are golden else you will have some fun with this one :-)..
12. Transfer case is ready for removal.
13. Pull of rear axle and move it out the way ....
14. Leave a couple of bolts with a few threads and slide the transfer case back there is a spot for a pry bar by the transmission mount.. Try and see if the front axle disconnects. For me it was a Pain and I had to use break free on it and also mess with the flange (transfer case side) to have it break loose.
15. Once that is done you are able remove the 2 bolts and pull the thing off. Please be careful as it weighs around 50lbs.
Once you have the transfer case out you can put your new one in. I used ATF134 FE fluid and I also had to tap the 2 bolts for the bracket.
I have around 85k miles and my problem was that I was getting gear noise when accelerating on mid to heavy throttle .. it is kind of obvious the sound is of the chain slipping on the gears because of stretch or broken tensioner, also I was starting to feel vibrations in drive train, now that I replaced it the truck seems smoother.
have you considered taking your old one apart and seeing if just the chain can be replaced?
i replaced mine with a used one that we checked over good before putting in the truck- my tensioner was broken off
but seems we were able to get just a chain if that was all that was needed
clvincent I need to send the old one back as a core.... I had thought of taking it apart and fixing it replacing chain before I found this item.. But then what about the main bearing? All those other bearings/gears would/should get replaced as they also wear out. I figured if I get a full spec'd/rebuilt/updated transfer case I would be the safest. Also the cheapest I found the chain was $400 bucks.. and knowing me I would have milled down the tensioner points then ribbed and tigged welded new extensions to make it stronger than factory. To me this a poor design and should have been redone a long time ago.
Thanks to Carlosrg for his writeup on the GL transfer case replacement. I also got the clicking sound the other day that is the transfer case chain skipping over the transfer case sprockets. It sounds exactly like the sound in this video at :12seconds.
The sound occurred when I stepped on the gas from a stop and gave it a hard acceleration. It doesn’t occur (for me at least) unless I really get on the accelerator. After a search on the forum, I found this thread and was very thankful.
History: in 2003 Mercedes changed transfer cases in ML320 from the previous BW4409 design to the current design which is called the Integrated Transfer Case or ITC. This design is pretty much the same for the GL and ML series of vehicles (X164 and W164 models). The differences (denoted by different part numbers) are mainly in some of the external features - like the GL has an additional bracket, which requires two bolts to be drilled into the case if you get an ML TC. But the insides are all pretty much the same. The TC chain stretches over time and when the chain gets too stretched, under acceleration, the chain will skip over the sprocket gears and cause a clicking noise. In theory: If the repair is made soon after the sound is heard, there is a chance that only the chain and seals need to be replaced. If you wait longer and allow the clicking/grinding to continue with the bad chain, it will progressively get worse and the chain guide may also get damaged due to the chain slapping against it. Btw, that’s what happened to the person in the video above. His chain guide was damaged so they replaced the whole TC.
Like the Carlosrg did, I also called http://www.libsontruck.com/transfer_cases.html and spoke with the owner, Jeff. He does a lot of business with the GL and ML transfer cases. His current price is $1,550 for a reman. exchange, plus a $500 core charge. While this is a lot better than the dealer quoted price of just under $6,000 for just the TC plus labor, I wanted to see if there is another option. When I asked Jeff if he sells just the chain and/or seals for the repair, he said he does not. He offered that I could ship my TC to him and he could reman. mine for approx. $1,100. Interestingly, I asked him if his reman. TC cases have all new bearings as well as the new TC chain and seals, he said they replace the bearings “as needed.” And from what I’ve learned, the bearings in the TC case are pretty strong and thus don’t often need replacing. Kind of like a wheel bearing - they do go bad, but not very often.
Doing some searching on the internet, I discovered what Carlosrg found in that the transfer case chains are expensive. Benzexpert on Ebay sells the TC chain for $330 - doing a search on Ebay for “GL450 transfer case chain,” I only came up with two different entities who sell the chain when you do a search for GL450 transfer case chain: Benzexpert and another source from Canada. Benzexpert.com also sells various products for differentials as well on his own website.
Finally, I found Cobratransmission.com These folks sell both reman. transfer cases ($1,200) and new ones ($1,800) for the GL and ML. The 2007 GL450 TC part number is A2512802100, but you can see the various models the same TC is applicable to here. They also sell the Borg Warner Morse (HV-091) transfer case chain for $125 and the ITC or transfer case seal kit for $90. After talking with a knowledgable rep, he said the sprockets in these transfer cases are very sturdy. He only sells 1 sprocket for every 100 chains sold. But he said he sells the seal kit 90 percent of the time, so the TC won’t leak after taking it apart to replace the chain. I found a source on Ebay that sells the same TC chain, HV-091, for $89.50 here, so I bought it. And I bought the ITC Seal Kit from Cobra Transmission for $90 here. The ITC seal kit has the input and output seals as well as the washers for the drain and fill plugs. I also bought some Alpha Grey RTV silicone from Cobra for $4 here.
I’ve read about members having a difficult time taking the whole TC out of the car to replace it. Getting access to the two top bolts seems to require a number of extensions and U joints. I like to always put OEM or better (i.e. Arnott struts) parts in my car, but there is a tremendous mark up in high quality parts. So I’m going to try to come up with an alternative to replacing the entire TC and do a DIY write up on replacing just the TC chain and seals with high quality parts. My plan is to get access to the transfer case cover then remove only the TC cover (15lbs) versus taking the whole TC out (50lbs). After getting the cover out I plan to take the old chain with sprockets out, remove olds seals and replace with new seals and new chain. Clean the magnet, then apply Alpha Grey RTV silicone to the case and put the shell covers back together and fill with .5L of ATF 134 fluid. If all goes well the cost of the repair should be about $225 and about 5hrs of labor. One of the variables is if the transfer case chain guide has been damaged or came off, that will need to also be replaced. Cobra Transmission sells a replacement chain guide for $42 here. I will be getting the parts just after Thanksgiving and will report back on the repair.
Awesome followup on this process. One of the reasons I found out that the transfer case chain slips is not stretching of the chain or wearing of the gears but the actual tensioner mount cracks. This causes lack of tension on the chain and thus the slippage. I had thought of fixing myself by taking it apart and rebuilding it and maybe even improving on the design as some trusses could be added to strengthen the weak point. I am looking forward to seeing your progress. I am kind of sad that Libson raised the prices on this transfer cases that is a pretty big mark up.
Carlosrg - after doing some more reading on this topic, I see what you mean about the Chain Guide (or tensioner) mounts actually breaking off. The following pics are from WvBlackbear's post on another thread. He ended up drilling out and putting in a new bolt into the chain tensioner mount to secure the chain tensioner to the case. I'm hoping my chain guide is in tact, but if it's broken I may try the same procedure as WvBlackbear. Here are his procedures:
"First, It's a GL350 2010/ 85K miles
Symptoms were popping noise during hard acceleration/tight curve.
I ordered a replacement chain via eBay, (Borg-warner) I think.. (notice chain stretch in pic)
Split the case, and cleaned it up. Found needle bearing making a bit of noise, and ordered it too.
My tensioner was ok minus a broken stud.
TIG welding that stud was risky, so I opted for a stainless bolt all the way through the case.
I drilled it out, and used 2-part epoxy all around it as it was assembled, so to seal and strengthen it. (from the back and left as much threads as possible in case)
Drilled broken piece all the way through.
Double-nutted and scored the threads as to lock in place.
Also pooled up a bit of epoxy under the stud to the case to hold chain stress to wall. (sorry, no pic of that)
Allowed 24 hours to cure.
Resealed, and installed.
Happy to say it's been working well 15K miles without an issue. I've even towed our 4500LB boat a couple times.
Drilling through the case was unnerving, but I figured it's junk if I don't anyhow.
380$ total costs. fluid/sealant/bearing/chain
Pics below.
Hope it helps!"
Chain guide is held on by two mounting bolts. In this pic one of the mounting bolts are broken off.
The manual says to change the transmission fluid at 40K miles. It doesn't really discuss changing the fluid after that. And it does not discuss changing the differential or transfer case fluids. Based on the information from others, I'm planning to change transmission, differential and transfer case fluids every 50K miles going forward.
Last edited by JamesMitchell; 11-23-2017 at 03:44 PM.
I had not seen this post before on the repair but the job looks scary to me.. I see 4 stress cracks on the cover which means that there is a lot of transfer of vibration Also the if you look at were it broke was after the truss.. I would get a small piece of alum and bridge it to the back of the case, the weld on more bracing all over it. This is just a design flaw by the Manufacture and mostly likey should have be improved upon. I also think maybe the guide needs to be longer but that is another story :-) Keep us posted.
Hello James, like you, I decided to do the ITC on my own. My problem is a leaking input seal. I finally managed to take the ITC out. I followed your tip and bought an ITC seal kit + Alpha Grey ATV from Cobra. Oddly enough, I tracked down genuine individual Mercedes seals for $17~28/ea, but one of the seals went up in price like 10x to $200+, and I had to divert to Cobra. By the way, Cobra sent seals 100% identical to the genuine parts, but without branded labels. Everything is identical down to imprinted numbers and color. Here are the individual part numbers if anyone cares:
Transfer case drain plug (need 2), p/n A0029900612 $3.53
Transfer case washer (need 2), p/n 007603016105 $2.03
Transfer case input seal, p/n 0169973646 $27.75
Transfer case rear output seal, p/n 0159975945 or 1642840045 $20.25
Transfer case front output seal, p/n 0159975845 $16.50
Well, I took the ITC apart and started seal replacement. I am curious about the torque numbers for the ITC reassembly. Please post if you know any of the following:
I am in California and found out from the dealer that I need to replace my transfer case for over $5000. Is there anyone in the Northern California area that can recommend a reputable MB shop/mechanic? Thank you all in advance.
I hope that you know the ITC replacement shall not cost you $5K. At the time of this writing, Cobra Transmission sells new ITC for $1,800 or remanufactured ITC for $1,200 (both require a core return). There are plenty of other vendors. Per Mercedes, labor is around 5.5 hours. Your total shall not come even close to the quoted number. I do not live in NorCal any more, but good luck to you with this.
Maxusa - I haven't done the ITC chain repair yet and unfortunately don't have the torque specs. I will be doing it in a few weeks when I have vacation. I would try Cobra Transmission and see if they have a spec sheet. So far, I haven't had any problems since the initial "grinding" noise, but I have been driving it fairly gently. I will update the thread when I do the repair. Thank you for all of the great info on the parts!
Naneki - I would highly recommend getting the ITC from Cobra Transmission. However, I would first find a reputable transmission shop that knows MB and has done this job before. I say this because sometimes shops won't do work with customer supplied parts -or- they won't warranty the repair unless they get the parts themselves. So, I would contact a shop and see if you could have them purchase the part from Cobra and have them do the repair. That way you can get a warranty for both the part and service. Please let us know your progress.
Thank you both Maxusa and James for your insight, and I will definitely look for a reputable experience MB shop/mechanic in my area and ask that he order the ITC from Cobra Transmission. I love my vehicle but the dealer has quoted me $10,445 in total to fix the various issues. lol.. I took it in because it was leaking oil and agreed to pay $180 to diagnose it, But they came back with this long list of the
ITC and recommendations without finding from where the oil was leaking. Then told me they can charge me $345 to clean the oil off first before they could diagnose it for the oil leak.
Concerning the ITC, I know that this is the issue because after reading many threads on this forum and others, I had the intermittent bumping noise as well as going limp for a while but was far and few in between. I believe the oil has just about completely leaked out because I hear the noise almost every time I accelerate now, and the car goes limp every time now whenever I go up a grade, and on flat roads, which is why I took it in to the dealer.
Funny thing is, it started leaking oil and I had the oil checked and it was never low, in fact was too full and had to take some out. Now I know where the oil came from and am just sitting here laughing at the tactics MB dealer is using to bamboozle me. WOW, just wow....
I will pay MB the $180 but ask them to discount that price being that they failed to diagnose the specific problem for which I took the vehicle to them, knowing that the oil was coming from the ITC. They are so funny!!
My sincere sympathy with your case. It is odd that the dealer took the position as described. This does not sound reasonable. Did you discuss with the service manager?
It appears that your vehicle may have developed several problems. Here are a few anecdotal tips to analyze your issues:
The grind noise (if yours is like in the video above) on hard acceleration points to the ITC stretched chain, but would not explain a fluid leak.
ITC leaks roughly around 1-3 feet past front fenders. ITC fluid has almost no odor and is thin. There is only 0.5 qt fluid in ITC, so when it leaks, it does not take long to lose most of it. There is no sensor to warn you. Beware.
Transmission fluid leaks 0-3 feet past front wheels and has almost no odor and is thin.
Engine leaks around center of front wheels. There are bottom covers, and even front engine discharge drains to the middle of wheels. Engine oil smells burnt, nearly black or dark brown color and is very oily to touch. Depending on the GL engine, there may be up to 10 qt of engine oil. There is a sensor to warn low engine oil level.
Front differential may leak around center of front wheels. Has 1.25 qt thick gear oil, sour odor. No warning sensor.
Other components may leak fluids, but your issue with limping and grind noise points to drivetrain.
You may want to consider stop daily driving given your conditions to prevent aggravated damage. I wish you best luck and fixing whatever it is soon.
I am in California and found out from the dealer that I need to replace my transfer case for over $5000. Is there anyone in the Northern California area that can recommend a reputable MB shop/mechanic? Thank you all in advance.
You be better to fly out @carlosrg and have him do it for you. Let him stay the night and give him dinner and beer.
...and felt it was lacking a bit of info so I will try and walk you guys thru the process.
10. If you are making progress go ahead and remove the 6 T55 bolts from front drive shaft.
Thanks for the time to document/publish all this! One related question to number 10 above (removing the front drive shaft). Did you have to rotate the shaft to get to the top bolts that hold the shaft, I looked and the bolts on the top are kind of hard to get to. Also, did you use impact wrench to break them free, or just hand ratchet. Also, once unbolted, did the shaft just drop down easy??.. it looks like it fits in between pretty tight in there. I am replacing my front shaft due to bad joint, that is my project. I just plan to drive my car on to ramps at the front
Thanks for the time to document/publish all this! One related question to number 10 above (removing the front drive shaft). Did you have to rotate the shaft to get to the top bolts that hold the shaft, I looked and the bolts on the top are kind of hard to get to. Also, did you use impact wrench to break them free, or just hand ratchet. Also, once unbolted, did the shaft just drop down easy??.. it looks like it fits in between pretty tight in there. I am replacing my front shaft due to bad joint, that is my project. I just plan to drive my car on to ramps at the front
I like his reviews alot of times when I have to do stuff at the shop I will use the MATCO And SNAPON and etc but at home its easier to just have a collection of my "Once in a while" tools.
Regardless what products you use.. I recommend you hit the heads with PB blaster and let them soak.
Thanks for the info! I was mainly worried on how to get to the top bolts, and not needing to rotate the shaft, as I will have the car on ramps, but it looks like you did not need to do rotate the shaft - that is good. thx!
06-11-2017, 09:46 PM
Replace transfer case 2009 ML30
