JoeJErnst

I guess it's a good thing I read the service manual for this job because there are a few things that I hadn't counted on.

First, it says the flywheel bolts are one-time use, torqued to 45 NM and then turned an additional 90-degrees. I guess I'll have to stop by the dealer and get some new ones.

The part I have questions about is installing the seal itself. The manual says to install the backing plate first, and then use the special Mercedes tool to install the seal. I was planning on just installing the seal into the plate on the workbench and then installing the plate with the seal already pressed-in. Is that going to work, or do I need to find one of the special tools and do it "by the book"?

Also, the manual says the crank circumference and the seal should be dry during installation. Is it old-school of me to think the seal needs a little oil on it prior to installation?

What have you guys done?

Elhonaz

yes get the new flywheel bolts. ive always put the plate on first, as its sealed with silicone i like to get it on there properly, but thats just me. after you have the plate on the actual rear main seal comes with a fitting on it, you push it against the crank and then slide the seal over to the crank and to its place. of course theres a tool to push the seal in to the plate, but with any common sense you can gently tap it in. and yes dry, always done it that way and never had a problem

MACEDON

Off topic but mine has been leaking as well.

Nothing serious but it does get the underbelly plastic pans dirty and the O2 sensor cables... how long can I delay it until it absolutely has to be done?

hayseed

iTrader: (2)

it really never has to be done, but at some point you will have more and more leakage and have to add oil, depends on your threshold for oil mess,, also how much you drive the car -- the trans has to come out so may be a good time to do engine/trans mounts and high speed stall if your going that route

Racin_fool

I have also seen oil leaks from the rear main seal go on for years and eventually oil soak the crankshaft position sensor (even recently installed new sensors) and cause the sensor to fail resulting in a no start condition. Yes it is a pain, but if you intend on keeping the vehicle for a while and driving it on a regular basis, I would recommend repairing the leak.

MACEDON

Already did all my mounts, and yeah it might be a good idea to refresh the torque converter...

This isn't something I can do on my own I just don't have the time to google back to back work on the car back to back go to work on monday 8-530...

How much do you guys think it'll cost to get it done somewhere? I'd imagine it won't be anything less than $1200 at a decent indy...

I'd say it drips maybe an ounce of oil every 3000 miles... Again all I see is oil acumulating on the already dirty (with dust and sand that sticks on it from the oil) underbelly plastic cover and the car was sitting in the driveway for 3 weeks waiting on replacement rims so I saw two spots the size of a dollar bill together of oil where it has dripped.

It just doesn't seem that serious right now. Every 722.6 car I've owned has been dirty under the tranny from the seal.

Racin_fool

Anything a decent indy quotes you will be far less than the $2500 or more that a dealership would quote for it. $1200 sounds okay to me considering the labor to drop the trans and clean everything up, but it really depends on how much the indy is going to mark up the parts and labor for the job.

bbirdwell

My personal criteria from my days of pulling Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services (PMCS) on deuce-and-halves in the motor pool many years ago. YMMV.

--Class 1 leak: oil droplets hanging but not falling. Keep under observation but take no action.
--Class 2 leak: oil droplets falling no more than once every 10 minutes with engine running. Schedule maintenance to repair in near future.
--Class 3 leak: oil droplets continuously falling at least once or more in a 10-minute window. Vehicle "deadlined" at this point until repairs are made.

Now, if I were in there because I had to pull a transmission, I would replace the rear seal just because I have easy access to it even if there were no sign of a leak.

pearlpower

I have replaced the seal 6 times total on my E55, and others. Have done it both ways, seal 1st, then cover vs. cover, then seal. No issues either way. The cover is very fragile, careful with an even application of goop, and torque properly. Might as well replace the input shaft seal on the trans while your at it.

MACEDON

6 times??? Why?!?!???!??! Are you that OCD about the leak?

bbirdwell

Interesting way to lock the flywheel...as the saying goes, "If it's stupid and it works, it's not stupid."

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...ml#post6265589

And here is a list of parts replaced by a shop out in California:
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...ml#post4735106