W124 Manual andParts CD? What handtool sizes for maintenance?

[jackafrica]

Having purchased my first W124 280E sedan, I'd love the advice of those who have gone before and continue to do their own servicing and maintenance, please.
Yes, I do my own work, have to, due to my locale and my short pockets.

Handtools, spanner sizes and types. What are the common sizes?

Are cross screw heads Phillips or Pozi-Driv?

Any special tools which are affordable, worth having?

I don't have a hoist, though plenty of jackstands and a quality trolley jack.
Can a rod or tube be inserted in the jacking points to prevent damage?

What is the best "aftermarket manual out there ( if any) which covers the III Series of the W124, the 1993 to 1996 models?
I downloaded a comprehensive online factory manual, which of course wasn't compatible with MAC. Why am I not surprised.

I've done some searching here, however there doesn't seem to be a thread which covers this topic. It's relevant for me, perhaps too handy for others.
Happy to accept PMs if you're not into revealing sources.
Thanks, I look forward to your input.

 

[stwat]

You might find this online manual useful.

Untitled Document

 

[jackafrica]

Thanks,it doesn't actually cover my model, being the last of the series between 93/94 and 96.
I'm led to believe the differences, suspension, electronics, passenger airbag are specific to the model in my signature. Happy to be addvised otherwise, or at least what IS compatible and what isn't.
Thanks again.

 

[219]

Hi , re the tools - everything is , of course , Metric .

A decent socket set with a range of Metric sockets and spanners from around 8mm up to around 19mm will cover most things , with larger sockets being needed only very occasionally . Some metric Allen keys or sockets will also be needed as there can be quite a few Allen head bolts around the car . TBH , I'm not sure about the cross head screws and will need to check !

As for manuals , here in the UK , Haynes do a manual on the W124 which covers most of what you will need , although it does have some shortcomings .

 

[jackafrica]

Thanks Derek,
I really would like to know which sizes are used and which aren't, in the way of sockets, combination spanners,etc.

For example, is 9,15, 16 or 18mm used? Are the socket cap (Allen) keys required in all sizes, or are there specific sizes? Any Torx or spline head? As sockets also?
1/4 or 3/8 drive better, or both?
Combination spanners or double open end, or double ring spanners?

For instance, access to the hose clamp securing the inlet tube to the throttle body unit (for want of the precise nomenclature) is difficult. Made a doddle with a 300mm (12") 1/4" drive and a 7mm socket. Needed to loosen this clamp to check the condition of the dreaded wiring loom and remove spark plugs beneath the camshaft valley cover.

From what I could see of the Haynes manual, it covers only up to 1993, not the later fuel injection system or suspension repairs of the post 1993 models.
Is the Brooklands offering any better or simply another rehash of something else?

Apologies for sounding critical, it is more the nature of what a bloke needs in his kit rather than carting about (or buying) shiny tools that stay shiny 'cause they don't fit anything on the car.

I'm wanting to make up a kit which could help me get out of trouble on the road, to get me home, rather than melting the plastic, if you get my drift.

Thanks again, I appreciate the reply.

 

[219]

Hi Richard ,

This is from memory , but certainly used on the cars are 8,10,11,13,15,17&19 . I 'think' I have probably used most of the 'even' sizes as well at one time or another . My spanners are mostly combination ones , the small toolkit I carry in the car is one of the smaller Halfords 'advanced' ones , bought on a weekend when they were reduced by 50% , and has a range of sockets from about 4mm up to something like 22 or 24mm , some hex and spline bits , as well as screwdrivers and combination spanners , all in a compact plastic case .

Yes , there are some spline head bolts ( driveshaft to diff bolts come to mind ) and a fair number of Allen bolts , mostly sub 10mm tools needed ( although I did need a 17 mm hex key at the weekend to change a belt tensioner ) .

I have a comprehensive set of tools at home , but tend to only keep the small kit in the back of the car for emergencies ( they tend to get used more for fixing other people's cars than my own though ) .

The haynes manual I have does cover the 280/320 engines with HFM / distributor less setup , as well as the earlier engines with K jet and distributors , plus the earlier Diesels but not the one I now have , ironically .

 

[nick mercedes]

1/4 or 3/8 drive better, or both?

A good 3/8 socket set and a set of combi spanners is all you really need.

 

[jackafrica]

Thanks nick, it is more the specific sizes to carry, with the car, in the event I may need to work on the car to get me home.
At home is a workshop better equipped than most businesses with a sign out the front.
As a practicing tool perve Stahlwille and Snap-On have been my mainstay for 35 years.

I would prefer not to have a raft of useless shiny tools, rather a compact kit containing the sizes relevant to the 124 series in question.

3/8' socket sets come in all sizes, with any number of accessories, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

A practical selection rather than an ad hoc assortment is what I'm seeking.

 

[219]

The link below should show the set I carry in the car ; I hasten to add that I bought it on special offer at 50% off and would not have paid £90 for it , but it is sufficient for anything I might need to do at the roadside . The advantage of a boxed set like tis is that it is obvious if anything is missing when you have finished a job .

Whilst not Snap On , I find the Halfords professional range to be of decent quality , with good fit onto fasteners , and have a large cabinet full of them at home .

Halfords | Halfords Advanced Professional 90 Piece Socket Set.

 

[stephen coy]

Back In the days before I joined the AA (Automible Association), I would carry around in the boot a 1/2 drive socket set, a toolbox of assorted spanners, pliars, molegrips, allen keys, adjustable spanner, gaffer tape, torch, hammer, jubilee clips plus other odds and ends. Thing is, you never really know what you will need ( decades ago My GT6 dropped a valve, believe it or not, I took off the rocker cover and held up the valve with a small G clamp,put the cover back on and drove home on 5 cylinders).

 

[grober]

W124 MBCI - MERCEDES-BENZ BOXER CLUB INDONESIA (W124 MBCI) should tell you all you want to know. The E 280 engine/injection/ignition is virtually the same as the E320 M104. The only thing missing is the gearbox data but you might find this useful? http://www.w124performance.com/docs/mb/other/tranny_722_repair.pdf

 

[hotrodder]

My personal take on carrying in tools is that there's not much point with more modern stuff... i carry tools and a few spare parts in old cars with clockwork ignition and carbs but in the w124 the odds of a easy to fix (improvising at the roadside) breakdown are pretty low if it's well maintained. The only change i've made to the stock tool kit in mine was to replace the comedy wheel brace

I suppose if i were making were long trips across deserted bits of Australia i'd think differently but where to draw the line? having the tools is great but you're not likely to be able to, say, patch up a broken fuel pump in the same way you could to a car running a mechanical pump. If you're carrying a spare 'fan' belt etc then obviously having real tools to fit it with is a bonus. As Pontoneer my choice is hellfrauds for out and about/just in case tools.

I forget what size allen key (8 or 10mm?) and socket (13mm? with extension) is needed to deal with the belt tensioner on mine but yours is probably the later type anyway. I normally use Mercedes Benz Model 124 - M104 Maintenance Manuals as there's none of that flash nonsense. I think it might have been a Brooklands manual i had for w123s, whatever it was it was pants compared to Haynes which as we all know aren't great typically