Familiar E55 W211 Moved to New Home Further North

[pmcgsmurf]

Had a small tool delivered today (2 x metal cups, threaded bar, bolts and washers) to remove the bush on the rear lower wishbone.

Tool looks absolute pants, waste of £30 it would seem, the metal cup that is supposed to go inside the bone and push the bush out is either just too large or it is not entirely round.

Might just take them along to my mate to use his press in his engineering shop (or buy a 20t press) instead tomorrow.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Seems it's a good idea to sometimes take ones time, evaluate, take notes then recheck what you are doing (about to do)

Had some time last couple of days to get all the suspension arms (got a couple of new ones too) refurbished ready for a good coat of lacquer before fitting.



If you have a look at the double wishbones at the right you will see that I've split one to fit a new bush to this.
The bush is not driven out, each half of the bone has a lip that would prevent this, in effect each half of the bone is held in place by the bush so it's just a case of clamping these together onto the new bush.

Just as well I didn't try forcing it out, could have been messy.

Thanks to Alps ^ for a spare wishbone, will refurb this one too and fit a new bush.

Got some more parts on order today, a few brackets that aren't worth refurbing as they only cost around £10 each and a pile of nuts and bolts too.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

So then onto the subframe and the issue of which bushes to replace (Alps already did 2 of these) and which to leave.

Ideally want to replace them all so found a good solution to do this.

All bushes brand new.




An extra like to the first person to guess how I managed this engineering marvel without even taking the old ones out?

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Not much done as been busy with this and that over weekend.

Drained the diff. oil off, 2 litres and very clean.
Diff. oil suggestions anyone?

Managed to get the diff. all cleaned up and degreased ready for some treatment and coating tomorrow.


I'll likely remove the aluminium end, media blast this, see how well it looks and then decide if I lacquer this or paint it.

 

[daveenty]

An extra like to the first person to guess how I managed this engineering marvel without even taking the old ones out?

Replaced with another subframe???

Drained the diff. oil off, 2 litres and very clean.
Diff. oil suggestions anyone?

I only use Fuchs in mine nowadays and THIS is the recommended one for your diff. Should only be about 1.5 litres though...

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Replaced with another subframe???

Well spotted, picked up a brand new subframe for the rear.

Also managed to get a brand new one for the front too but that's a job for later.

I only use Fuchs in mine nowadays and THIS is the recommended one for your diff. Should only be about 1.5 litres though...

Think it was about 1.7 that came out, just searched the Fuchs and I bought 2L of that very stuff last year, must have been for the diff. on the W211 E220. I'll get another couple of litres ordered up as it's easier filling while the diff. is out the car.[/QUOTE]

 

[merc85]

Awesome work there Pat!

 

[AMGeed]

Awesome work there Pat!

+1. A real rebuild from the ground up.

When are you hoping to have it back up and running again Pat?

 

[pmcgsmurf]

+1. A real rebuild from the ground up.

When are you hoping to have it back up and running again Pat?

Original plan was for the summer that has just been and gone.

Should actually get quite a lot done over the next couple of weeks and I'd like to see it back down by the end of the month.

As the guys keep saying to me but, you were putting it back together and you have now taken more parts off.

I certainly want the back end to look sort of "as new" when it gets dropped back down then maybe over the winter do the same to the front end.
That should see the car good for many more years/miles after all that.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

I got sidetracked today and didn't get a chance to get the diff. treated and painted, maybe tomorrow, will see how things go.

What I did do today though was decided to strip the wheel carriers of the RPM sensors, backing plates and the bearings.
Now history tells me that on these old wheel carriers on the back of the W211 there can be problems with the bolts for the RPM sensor and the wheel bearing.
These carriers are steel as opposed to alloy so that perhaps compounds the matter with the bolts.

After a good soaking in penetrating fluid and then a little bit of gentle work both RPM sensors were removed nice and clean without incident.

Now onto the wheel bearings and the problems begin, all the bolts are seized solid and when I say solid I mean solid.
On one wheel carrier two of the heads snapped not clean off, half way down the head snapping most of the torx part off, same on one of the bolts on the other carrier.

By this time it was time for a rethink and it was out with the drill and some tough bits to see about drilling the bolts out.
After chewing about a dozen drill bits I loaded both the carriers into the back of the car about to take them round to a mates engineering firm to get him to machine them about.

Then a sudden recollection of what we have done before on these so got them back out the car.

Pressed the wheel flange out, removed both backing plates then........

Got the grinder out and cut the wheel bearing off, after all new ones are going on.
Should have did this in the first instance and saved all the grief and drill bits.

Spent a little bit of time seeing how these clean up, looking not too bad after a half hour in the blast cabinet but need more time to get into the corners etc.

 

[AMGeed]

^ Damn handy having access to all these tools to help with this refurb.
I'd sell my left tessie for a ramp!

 

[pmcgsmurf]

^ Damn handy having access to all these tools to help with this refurb.
I'd sell my left tessie for a ramp!

One of the best things we ever got, real handy, of course not so much at the moment since an E55 has sat on it since the day I went to The Open.

We've always been great believers in having the right tools for the job and in cases when you don't all that is needed is a big hammer and a grinder.

 

[Alps]

Not much done as been busy with this and that over weekend.

Drained the diff. oil off, 2 litres and very clean.
Diff. oil suggestions anyone?

Managed to get the diff. all cleaned up and degreased ready for some treatment and coating tomorrow.
View attachment 79435

I'll likely remove the aluminium end, media blast this, see how well it looks and then decide if I lacquer this or paint it.

Castrol jet oil was what it had, only replaced it a few years back at PCS!

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Castrol jet oil was what it had, only replaced it a few years back at PCS!

Is that 75W-85 ?
Guessing not as a quick search doesn't show anything.

 

[Alps]

ill take a look, check the receipts as it should be in there


Castrol syntrax 75-140 if i remember correctly, but it should be in there.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

ill take a look, check the receipts as it should be in there


Castrol syntrax 75-140 if i remember correctly, but it should be in there.

That's it, just checked the spec. sheet 231.1, for a 211.076 (E55) the spec. sheet is 235.61.
Only 4 approvals on that list, one of which is Castrol Syntrax Limited Slip 75W-140.

 

[Alps]

also remember that this has the AMG LSD which is part of the performance pack and not the standard diff!

 

[clk320x]

also remember that this has the AMG LSD which is part of the performance pack and not the standard diff!

Alps you must be so happy your E55 has gone to such a good home! and not to some ‘boy racer’

 

[daveenty]

also remember that this has the AMG LSD which is part of the performance pack and not the standard diff!

I didn't know that, hence my previous post suggesting the stuff I did. Castrol Syntrax Limited Slip 75W-140, as mentioned above, is what I had to use in my W213 when nobody at Mercedes could confirm it had had the mandatory 1,800 mile change.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

also remember that this has the AMG LSD which is part of the performance pack and not the standard diff!

Yes, one bloody heavy diff. I lifted it myself on Monday and almost did my back in again.