SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: ABC hose repair
04-23-2015, 04:23 PM
#1
ABC hose repair
I noticed that one of my ABC hoses is wet. While it is not really leaking or dripping I am going to change it. This is the expansion hose. I am going to replace the other two as well while Im in there.
I found that the expansion hose is $350.00 and the other two are about $225 each. That got me thinking.
Im thinking of taking the hoses to a hydraulic hose shop and have them repair or refurbish them. I was going to ask if they could just replace and maybe even upgrade the rubber potion. Then install the rubber potion with couplers.
That way if the hose fails again it would be a simple mater of un screwing the rubber part and replacing.
Has anyone have any thoughts or experience on this type of repair?
Also any tips on removing and installing the hoses would be much appreciated.
I found that the expansion hose is $350.00 and the other two are about $225 each. That got me thinking.
Im thinking of taking the hoses to a hydraulic hose shop and have them repair or refurbish them. I was going to ask if they could just replace and maybe even upgrade the rubber potion. Then install the rubber potion with couplers.
That way if the hose fails again it would be a simple mater of un screwing the rubber part and replacing.
Has anyone have any thoughts or experience on this type of repair?
Also any tips on removing and installing the hoses would be much appreciated.
04-23-2015, 11:36 PM
#2
Senior Member
There is some discussion in this thread, starting at about post 110, but specific reference to your question starting at about post 162. The answer to your question is yes, and lots of good reference information in the link. It is an S600 but the same thing would apply here.
https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...03-s600-7.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...03-s600-7.html
04-24-2015, 09:14 PM
#4
Senior Member
Good luck, Howard did seem to make it look manageable! 
05-04-2015, 05:08 PM
#6
Just a little update. The expansion hose is a little different on my car than what is shown in the thread link above. I took the hoses to two hose shops and they both told me the same thing. The bends are too close to the end to install compression fittings. I was a bit apprehensive about compressions fittings anyway. With that I ordered new OEM hoses.
Glad I did. The new hose was obviously upgraded from the original. Very beefy compaired to the one I took off.
Also above I said removing he banjo bolt was easy peasy. Well removing the bolt and installing it are two different things. With trying to align the bolt with the two hoses attached I just could not do it in that small space.
I ended up removing the cooler and expansion tank hoses. then removed the driver side motor mount bolt and used a jack from underneath and lifted the engine about 3 inches. That gave me the room I needed.
Glad I did. The new hose was obviously upgraded from the original. Very beefy compaired to the one I took off.
Also above I said removing he banjo bolt was easy peasy. Well removing the bolt and installing it are two different things. With trying to align the bolt with the two hoses attached I just could not do it in that small space.
I ended up removing the cooler and expansion tank hoses. then removed the driver side motor mount bolt and used a jack from underneath and lifted the engine about 3 inches. That gave me the room I needed.
05-09-2015, 11:30 PM
#7
Senior Member
Just like you I was worried about the compression fittings so I welded on AN fittings on the ends and then made hoses for the rubber sections. That will make it much easier and way cheaper to replace years later if they need to be replaced again.
Since they are welded I don't have to worry about the compression fittings ever leaking.
Since they are welded I don't have to worry about the compression fittings ever leaking.
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10-19-2019, 12:45 AM
#8
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thanks to the OP for this thread (very old thread that I found linked from another thread)... I am going through this now. I thought I would throw in some pictures too to help anyone else that is following this.
I took my hose to a hydraulic shop and they also told me that the bends were too tight to do a compression fitting. They told me to take it to another place to get the crimped part cut off to give more room. When I got there the guy looked at the pipe and pointed out some additional crimps as shown below. Does anyone know what these are for? He said they might be restrictors of some kind. In any case, I don't mind spending the money for the new one but I wanted to upgrade the hoses to higher pressure hoses.
@Flight Test Could you share more details on what AN fitting you used? Did you just leave out the other crimped portions here?
Lastly, I was wrestling with removing the bolt from the pump as a number of people did ... not sure how OP did it as easy peasy. I almost gave up on this (was getting frustrated with scraped arms and busted knuckles. But then I found this route up through where the front control arm mount pushing past the plastic dust cover gives you a straight shot up to the bolt and I used a long breaker bar to loosen it. tried multiple tools (crows foot wrenches, ratchet wrenches etc ..) but could not get the leverage to crack it open. Below are the specific pictures.
I took my hose to a hydraulic shop and they also told me that the bends were too tight to do a compression fitting. They told me to take it to another place to get the crimped part cut off to give more room. When I got there the guy looked at the pipe and pointed out some additional crimps as shown below. Does anyone know what these are for? He said they might be restrictors of some kind. In any case, I don't mind spending the money for the new one but I wanted to upgrade the hoses to higher pressure hoses.
@Flight Test Could you share more details on what AN fitting you used? Did you just leave out the other crimped portions here?
Lastly, I was wrestling with removing the bolt from the pump as a number of people did ... not sure how OP did it as easy peasy. I almost gave up on this (was getting frustrated with scraped arms and busted knuckles. But then I found this route up through where the front control arm mount pushing past the plastic dust cover gives you a straight shot up to the bolt and I used a long breaker bar to loosen it. tried multiple tools (crows foot wrenches, ratchet wrenches etc ..) but could not get the leverage to crack it open. Below are the specific pictures.
Last edited by turbo97se; 10-19-2019 at 01:18 AM.
10-20-2019, 10:43 PM
#9
Oem hoses are nice and some times easy to installed but when I got my hose fixed I went to a hydraulic shop, and got a higher rated psi hose and new high quality rubber (weather resistant) (some times mercedes parts for these sl's are just refurbish parts or sit in a factory for a decade, because demand is very low), but always cut around 2in of straight clearance on metal pipes.
10-22-2019, 05:59 PM
#10
Member
All you folks with hose issues, replace the accumulators or you'll be back where you are now. You put higher pressure hoses in? Good, something elsewhere will break, now, probably more expensively.
Hose failures are the classic symptom of flat accumulators being unable to absorb the pressure spikes in the system as they are designed to do. When the accumulator doesn't have its at-rest 1500psi behind the diaphragm, then the gas space behind the diaphragm disappears when the system pressurizes, and pressure spikes have nowhere to go except the hose walls.
Hose failures are the classic symptom of flat accumulators being unable to absorb the pressure spikes in the system as they are designed to do. When the accumulator doesn't have its at-rest 1500psi behind the diaphragm, then the gas space behind the diaphragm disappears when the system pressurizes, and pressure spikes have nowhere to go except the hose walls.
