otmal

The v6 sits so tightly in the engine bay
that I am not how one can reach for the plugs that are near the struct
towers.

Have anyone did it? I hope it doesn't require the engine to be lifted!!

saturnstyl

Total pain in the butt. Try to get the special MB spark plug socket for those engines, the plug well usually won't accomodate other sockets. Probably well worth it to pay someone else to do. Careful with the plug wires, they are about $40.00 each.

levelr123g

not any more difficult then any other car. as for special socket, NAAAA. whats so special about the plug wires, they just pull right off.

mleskovar

I have read several posts where the tool (plier type tongs) is recommended...evidently the plug caps tend to tighten more as you pull harder on the wire...leading to crimp separation. The tool puts the pressure on the end of the cap and relieves pressure on the wire/crimp. The cost of one wire = the cost of the tool. Finding which wire out of 12 you buggered after a plug change can be very frustrating.

redcoupe

I would defenitly recomend the spark plug wire tool, but there is not special spark plug socket.
Just just a regualr spark plug socket and a extension.

vinceC

The tool that M-B instructs their techs to use is an old 17mm crowfoot for adjusting the valves (on a M130 or M110?). They slip the open end over the boot and rock the boot off using the valve cover as a fulcrum. I made a substitute out of a peg board hook and a short length of 1/8" pipe. Tweak the fork of the hook (the part that fits into the peg board) until it fits closely over the metal portion of the boot. Use a straight hook. Slip the pipe over the straight part. Use the valve cover as a fulcrum point. The rocking action should exert a pull in line with the axis of the plug. The boots slip right off. I don't think there is enough room for spark plug boot pliers. Use a standard 3/8" drive spark plug socket. For most of them a 3" extension will work, but I needed a 4" for one cylinder. A "flex-head" ratchet helps also. I recommend removing the coil from the valve cover during the process - pop off all the boots - disconnect the input wire and remove the single socket head screw holding the coil in place.

mleskovar

Tool = MB part #104-589-0037-00, ZDMAK #104-0037X

c4791p

At least not as bad as my '69 Bonneville 428 where I had to jack up the car pull the wheel and go in through the wheel well to get at the plug nearest the firewall on the passenger side, and found that even though I'd paid the Pontiac dealer who sold me the car for several services which included change of sparkplugs, that particular one had never been touched in four years. Amazing how forgiving big V8s in american cars used to be.

vinceC

Tool = MB part #104-589-0037-00, ZDMAK #104-0037X is not designed to be used with the M112 & M113 engines and will be useless. That tool needs a lot of room, which you generally do not have in the W202, W203, W210, W211 and other modern M-Bs using this engine series. Good M-B tool site though.

levelr123g

so what is the special tool # . does anyone know?

mleskovar

Wish I had checked with you first :-) just received the ZDMAK tool, and although it is made well it definitely doesn't work...17mm crow's foot? That sure sounds hokey for an 'official' tool but whatever works. Thanks for the description of what and how it works.

vinceC

mleskovar & nov0798 - I don't know the part number for the official M-B tool. Gilly at mercedesshop.com described it as the old crowfoot tool for valve adjustment. ZDMAK sells a HAZET tool, #HAZET2770-4, that looks like the old valve adjustment tool and should work. Also, ZDMAK sells a tool they describe as a Spark Plug Boot puller for the V6 engine, #ZX MB100. Frankly, it looks like an offset open end wrench. The feature to keep in mind is that each of the above tools have a distinct knuckle above the open end, which allows you to lever against the valve cover. Thats why I made my own out of the peg board hook. I just needed something that could seat under the last "bulge" on the metal boot, yet could apply a nice straight pull to the boot.

levelr123g

http://www.mytoolstore.com/sk/sk03223.html

try these

vinceC

nov0798 - I assume you are referring to the pliers, not the sockets. Those will not work in the tight areas. Those pliers are very similar to the ones mentioned in an earlier post.