ML270 swirl flap question

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
Hiya, I've picked up a ML270 of 2003 vintage with 60k on the clock, but it needs some attention before I can use it as a family runaround. Swirl flaps and black death onset primarily.

The threads here on removing the swirl flaps are very useful so thank you all for those.

I've got the inlet manifold off (not without some swearing) and removed the swirl flaps. They were very brittle and everything was crumbling away, unfortunately including the surrounds that insert in the manifold ports around the flaps. I can see how normally they would hold the rubber seal to prevent it deforming when clamped up against the inlet. How important is that, as I will need to make up some sort of replacement? Or can I get away without them?
 

bembo449

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
6,774
Reaction score
3,518
Location
gainsborough , lincolnshire
Your Mercedes
Mercedes Cl500, shitron dispatch
I know when I did the flaps on my old ML , I just used large bolts with a runner grommet on each as a seal , could you add pictures so we can see exactly what you are talking about pal
 
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
Good plan - it slots into the bits marked in red and faces against the metal around the engine ports.

port.jpg
 
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
I could 3D print some replacements in ABS. With the holes that spindle would normally go down blanked. Only trouble is that ABS melts at 105C, how hot does the head get?
 
Last edited:
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
Laying awake thinking about it - I've got a cunning plan! Will post pictures if it works.
 

Wighty

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2016
Messages
13,435
Reaction score
12,467
Location
Sunny Essex
Your Mercedes
W211/E320cdi/2009 and CLK200k 2009
Laying awake thinking about it - I've got a cunning plan! Will post pictures if it works.
Ive done the laying awake thinking , not always got a cunning plan at the end of it though :D
 
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Fingers crossed. Interesting to note though that the photo shows the intake material is PA6-GF35 which is a polyamide (the PA bit - aka "Nylon 6") and is 35% Glass Fibre reinforced.

JB Weld also happens to be based on a Polyamide hardener with silicate fillers and a similar thermal profile - seems like a reasonable material match.
 

iljalways

New Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2019
Messages
5
Reaction score
3
Your Mercedes
R320 CDI 2007 OM642
I did my flap delete on my om642, I love it,
I just took my Tig and welded the holes shut.

Put a 4.7k resistor in place, no problems anymore

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
80845bc8be21439577ae4534a7431ee3.jpg
 
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
I was very tempted to get a Merc with the OM642 but I've got a friend with one that has an oil leak from the oil cooler and it looks like a deep delve into the V to get to it to change the seals. Nice sounding engine though and some pull!

I've been pondering the inlet manifold issue and thinking about casting the missing fittings in place with JB Weld, which is wonderful stuff (good over 200C!) - but I'd have to dilute it with acetone to get it to run into place, which can lead to shrinkage and reduce the strength. Anything that could potentially come apart with aging makes me nervous.

In the end I've opted for this - stainless steel strips carefully formed to follow the port profiles and support the seals.

IMG-20190411-221140.jpg


To be honest the seals are pretty solid anyway so it's probably unnecessary, but I'll feel better knowing they're there.
 
Last edited:
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #10
Anyone know the torque setting for the OM612 inlet manifold bolts?

(Or better still, where I could find an engine manual!)

Thanks :)
 

W245207

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
111
Reaction score
85
Location
UK
Your Mercedes
W245 B180 CDi 2005
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #12
That is brilliant, thank you very much. That diagram and link also gives me a fighting chance of getting the right length bolts back into the right holes too!
 
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #14
I've got a hold of the WIS VM which looks pretty useful.

Been making some progress and I love posting photos of car work up because you never know who might find it useful in the future so here goes.

Stainless blanking bolts M16x20mm drilled both sides to key into the JB weld to stop them working loose:

IMG-20190413-125942.jpg


JB Welded into place

IMG-20190413-134235.jpg


With inlet gasket rubbers and hand-crafted stainless rubber supports:

IMG-20190413-135137.jpg


Socket chopped off swirl flap motor:

IMG-20190413-164751.jpg


"Why yes Mr ECU I'm definitely a working swirl flap motor" resistor, 4k75:

IMG-20190413-165614.jpg


I split and re-wrapped that bit of loom so the resistor can be placed somewhere accessible in case I got the wrong terminals.
 
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #15
All back together and power is restored, harrah.

However, there is a regular drip-drip-drip of fuel from the high pressure pump.

Looks to be from the back of the pump where it joins the engine - possibly a shaft seal failure?

Next on the list...
 
Last edited:

th3h1ghlander

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2016
Messages
662
Reaction score
436
Location
Wendover
Your Mercedes
CLS 350cdi (C218) 2012 / OM642
All back together and power is restored, harrah.

However, there is a regular drip-drip-drip of fuel from the high pressure pump.

Looks to be from the back of the pump where it joins the engine - possibly a shaft seal failure?

Next on the list...

I took my HP pump off in 2016 and did a full seal replacement. I may still have some photos but I followed a guide with photos on the forum of some other chap doing it, was invaluable. I can dig out the photos if you think it is worth it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Wighty

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2016
Messages
13,435
Reaction score
12,467
Location
Sunny Essex
Your Mercedes
W211/E320cdi/2009 and CLK200k 2009
I've got a hold of the WIS VM which looks pretty useful.

Been making some progress and I love posting photos of car work up because you never know who might find it useful in the future so here goes.

Stainless blanking bolts M16x20mm drilled both sides to key into the JB weld to stop them working loose:

IMG-20190413-125942.jpg


JB Welded into place

IMG-20190413-134235.jpg


With inlet gasket rubbers and hand-crafted stainless rubber supports:

IMG-20190413-135137.jpg


Socket chopped off swirl flap motor:

IMG-20190413-164751.jpg


"Why yes Mr ECU I'm definitely a working swirl flap motor" resistor, 4k75:

IMG-20190413-165614.jpg


I split and re-wrapped that bit of loom so the resistor can be placed somewhere accessible in case I got the wrong terminals.
Excellent pics and work buddy . As you say always useful for the next guy to learn from .
 
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #18
Was it this guide?

https://www.instructables.com/id/Universal-Bosch-Common-Rail-CP1-High-Pressure-Fuel/

Doesn't look too bad though keeping it clean of dust might be bit of a problem (in our house just fitting screen protectors to phones without getting dust behind them seems to be a challenge). Maybe just thoroughly flushing with diesel/isopropyl will be enough in that regard. How did you manage it?

This is the seal kit I've bought https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seal-Rep...ssure-Fuel-Pumps-with-Front-Seal/123190094144

At least this bit of the engine is easy to get to.
 

th3h1ghlander

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2016
Messages
662
Reaction score
436
Location
Wendover
Your Mercedes
CLS 350cdi (C218) 2012 / OM642
Was it this guide?

https://www.instructables.com/id/Universal-Bosch-Common-Rail-CP1-High-Pressure-Fuel/

Doesn't look too bad though keeping it clean of dust might be bit of a problem (in our house just fitting screen protectors to phones without getting dust behind them seems to be a challenge). Maybe just thoroughly flushing with diesel/isopropyl will be enough in that regard. How did you manage it?

This is the seal kit I've bought https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seal-Rep...ssure-Fuel-Pumps-with-Front-Seal/123190094144

At least this bit of the engine is easy to get to.

That wasn’t the fluid I followed but it does look good. Could be my imagination but that pump looks a little different?

It wasn’t difficult although you will need a bench vice to undo the bolts on the outside of the pump (and an impact driver also helped). I have similar issues with dust and crap but wasn’t an issue, I took mine off outside in the driveway and did the pump seals in a dusty workshop, I was just careful.

What spurned me to do mine is all in the post, but my leak in the cold weather was bad enough to not have enough pressure to start the engine.

Here is a link to my post about the process, has parts and costs too for you to compare:

https://forums.mbclub.co.uk/threads/fuel-pump-hp-renewal-c270-w203-borked-and-leaking.217409/

Here is the guide I followed:
https://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/...diesel-injector-pump-seal-replacement.105316/

While you have the pump off, check the hoses and seals that go to the pump and get a pack of spare seals for the hoses. May be best to buy a set of the hoses as I have been told the connectors are brittle and can break, mine were fine, but the hoses were expensive for what they were (OEM). Return the hoses if not used :)

Hope that helps!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
tttonyyy

tttonyyy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
72
Reaction score
68
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
'03 ML270 (owned from 60k miles, now on 90k+)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #20
That does help. Always useful to know things up front - like the fuel pipes being in the way of the bolts.

Is all that clear fuel piping nylon? I've used nylon air line before to replace rotten fuel pipes between tanks and engines, though it's bit of a pain to get it hot enough to go over the fitting barbs.
 

AIB understand your special Mercedes deserves a special insurance policy. We have a refreshing attitude to insuring high performance, modified, imported or classic and vintage cars and deal with the UK’s leading insurers. We offer discounts for length of ownership, where the vehicle is kept overnight and limiting the mileage and can also cater for those clients who need higher mileage and business use. To obtain a quotation please call the team on 02380 268351 or visit us atAIB Insurance
Top Bottom