I feel like overhauling my ABC plumbing

[Conor]

Yrs ago I researched this. I think outfit in states, yellows springs? But at that time nothing for Vdoz 230.

You mean for a coil over conversion ?

I don't think I could ever live with myself lol..I think ABC is the R230 party piece..

Hopefully after thus overhaul, followed by appropriate fluid changes. It should be another long while before such work is needed again..

 

[ajlsl600]

It's a good, but over complex system and I am not impressed with the rtn line filter system instead of filtering before oil enters system if my understanding correct, any crud does thru the valves n seals and is removed after the event.

 

[Conor]

With regards to the

It's a good, but over complex system and I am not impressed with the rtn line filter system instead of filtering before oil enters system if my understanding correct, any crud does thru the valves n seals and is removed after the event.

Yes, I remember reading about that before.. it is a bit odd that the filter is on the return alright. That reminds me actually.. I might actually take out the reservoir and give it a clean.

I'm not sure it makes a difference to your comment or not.. but there actually little gauze filters in the valve body too, at each port. I only realised after my block had gone through the cleaner so I couldn't tell if they had anything crap present.

You can just about see it in this pic, if you squint.. I was tempted to take one out for a look but I think the only way would be with a screw and you would damage it.. i'm not sure if you could easily find a replacement, either.

 

[Conor]

Quick update on all of this..

(Still working on the front and not looked at back yet, plan to start that tomorrow)

This evening I cut two lines. I used one of those small pipe cutters so as to get a clean cut without generating any swarf.



1) First one runs from valve block, under radiator and then to the OSF strut. I nipped it on one the vertical runs where there would be plenty of space to install a compression joiner. A fatal mistake I only realised mid cut was that where I was cutting was all pitted with rust .. so if I add a compression fitting at that point, i'm not sure it will seal.. The point I cut was at the vertical section, just to the left of that pump (leaking lol).

Come to thin of it.. it's actually all pretty pitted along that run.. As I type this i'm getting quite concerned really.. I might have actually shot myself in the foot by cutting there.... oh well, it's done now and a solution will be found.




2) The other line was in a similar orientation. I don't have my notes with me, and can't recall where it comes from but I think it's the valve block and runs to a line that goes in under the body somewhere.

One issue I had was that I must have had the cutter on a***ways because it seemed to walk up and down the pipe as I was turning it.. resulting in this pattern. I noticed half way through and managed to get most of the damage on the pipe that will be replaced. There will be a compression fitting here anyway.. so I don't think it will be affected by an out of square cut.



Here are some of the hoses and lines that I have removed. It's basically the two mentioned above.. along with a short line (with the Banjo) that runs from a return dampener (I think) and then the line that runs from the oil cooler back to the valve block. The one with Banjo was actually leaking, which is why I removed it. The idea with it is to remove both ends and just replace the hose. The line from the radiator has a weird fitting on it which incorporates an o-ring, so I will re-use that end and just replace the rest of the line.



There are still two line attached to the car that need repair. The both consist of flexi hose crimped onto a hard line that goes off into the abyss.. so the idea there will be to carefully remove the crimps without damaging the underlying hardline.. then get a threaded end crimped onto some new hose.. and re-join it back to the hard line with a compression fitting.




In hindsight.. I didn't actually remove either of these lines below.. and wonder if I should. If I was to do it, it would be two more threaded fittings going onto a compression fitting. They look fairly healthy to me.. and perhaps I should leave well enough alone? Orrr.. I absolutely should change them because of the lengths I've already gone to.. Thoughts??

 

[Conor]

So I made three mistakes (that I can see..) this evening.. the first two are mentioned above (cutting pitted line and cross cutting the other line).

The third is where I said i'd remove the fittings for the strut position sensor to clean up. I went and snapped the fixing, didn't I!!? Complete disaster..is this going to finagle its way into a position so as to throw off the ABC readings after some hundreds of miles..?

How to fix?

Also, what do people think of those quick release connections from the strut to the hard line? Do they represent borrowed time? Part of me feels like that whole connection could be removed and replaced with a 90 degree hard line connected at both ends by compression fittings. That would actually solve my issue with the pitted lined from earlier too.

Why do manufacturers use these quick connect fittings? is it to save time during factory assembly? My Range rover had similar on the oil cooler and they were a disaster too.


....Oh and yess.. I see the damp patch on the strut. I've been telling myself that's due to the leak from the valve block/connections.. which is probably fair.

 

[Snake Charmer]

What type of fittings go into those valve blocks?

 

[Conor]

These type.

Basically the flare a single convex DIN flare and fitting is similar to what would be used for brakes. Just over a 10mm pipe.

 

[Conor]

(Arrrgh... I knew I had a bit of de-ja-vu .. some of the content below is covered in a previous update)

Good evening all.

Time for a quick update since it's been a minute.. Since my last update I have removed all the hoses/pipes from the front, with the exception of the lines running to the strut quick connects and the line that goes to the rear.. These will also come out..

Oh, before continuing, I should point out a decision I have made. I have decided (90%) to focus on just the front section of the car and get it back driving after that. As far as I am aware, there are no leaks at the back (only a bad valve block seal, causing car to raise on it's own). One thing that will prevent me from doing only the front is if I cannot safely block off the system when removing the rears, in order to prevent loosing all that expensive fluid. I mean there is no point in splitting the job if it will waste all the fluid.. I will decide on that later.. (Interested in peoples thoughts)

After reviewing what a strut looks line online, I have decided to remove both front struts, assess the hard line and then repair the remainder of the line so I know it's in good stead. The main reason for this is the quick connect fitting from strut to hard line looks fairly ropey, and the whole point of this exercise is to reduce chances of failure... note how I didn't say increase reliability - I feel like there is a subtle but important difference here



Here you can see the quick connect in question. My hydraulic guy reckons we can tidy that up nicely with a nut and olive and 90 degree fitting.



Now, on to everything I removed from the car. All pipes came out intact, with the exception of the "pulsation dampener" pipe, known as the "car killer" pipe that runs in a round about way between the subframe and engine. I cut one of the rubber lines and managed to get it out....was still a struggle though and i'm not looking forward to putting it back tbh. the other cuts then, were to the hard lines leading to each strut and the one that runs to the rear.

Here is a selection of the bits removed that are not lines/hoses - these are all from the NSF wheel well area. From left to right, we have the accumulator, valve block, with solenoids in place, manifold type thing/ which is just a block to accept returning fluid (I think).. A hard line, can't remember where to/from, and mounting place for the valve block, manifold..



Here you can see I badly mashed some of the nuts when removing them. Hindsight is 20/20, but I really had no option but to use a vice grips as they were kind of seized into the aluminium block. I cannot easily get new lines formed and flared.....so against my better judgement, I will be tidying up these nuts with a file and re-installing with vice grips again, and a touch of copper anti seize..

Flaring the lines and forming them, are likely possibly on their own.. but the flares and nuts would need to be done before forming the lines and it's all just too tight. I imagine these were made in the factory using custom dies. It would be an interesting project for a machinist to make up dies to form these lines and make new lines for sale..




A selection of fixtures and fittings for mounting the lines to the body. I have since placed cleaned these in the ultrasonic cleaner with dish soap, followed by vinegar. They are just about clean metal now, which I will prime and paint. I had a look to see about buying these, but it's a bit of a faff to find all the parts on EPC and also they would probably all add up to a few quid - putting them in the ultrasonic doesn't take that much time.





This image reminds me that I need to replace the sirens and the car also needs a new A/C condenser.. will both be done while it has it's guts out.



Dirty parts before and after cleaning in dish soap/water. Things come up really clean with this and it's perfect pre-cursor to same treatment in vinegar to remove rust. I'm on the fence as to whether or not I'm replacing the accumulators. Primarily because they are expensive, and i'm not sure they are actually faulty. The other thing is that they won't be that difficult to replace when needed...and I don't think they will leave me on the side of the road, when they do.. the system will just start throwing errors due to insufficient pressure.





Look at the hard line in centre of photo (just to the left of that water pump..) I cut right in the centre there and I think I shot myself in the foot - because an olive won't seal on the pitting.. Thankfully, I have since decided that I will be removing this line as it goes to the strut - new lines will be made up.

 

[Conor]

Valve block disassembled. They aren't in bad shape but you can see one is corroded .. that is the one with the o ring in the worst condition - go figure. I am very tempted to find a solution that I can put these in and give them a good clean in the ultrasonic cleaner. Any ideas?





The valve block has little filters on each fitting - which is a nice touch.. I can't tell if mine were any way dirty as I only discovered them after coming out of the ultrasonic cleaner. I also didn't want to pick them out as I suspect that would damage them and i'm not sure they would be easily acquired.



Here is a shot of the flare (single DIN, convex) and the corrosion on the nut which made removal difficult.



So called car killer hose .. the end with the Banjo fitting comes off the pump, and the other end goes to the pulsation dampener to the rear of the NSF wheel.

You can see where I cut it in order to remove it from car.



At this stage, with most front lines removed .. I brought them into my semi local Pirtek branch. The guy was very friendly and instilled a lot of confidence in me. He said he could either crimp on new fittings and or use threaded fittings + nut / olive in some areas. We agreed that I would go home and remove all the crimps to make his life easier. He also assure me that he can make the new lines overall the same length as the current ones. He is also happy to replace one of the hard lines with a combination of bent steel and hose. I stressed the importance of needing a close to identical formation due to the mounting points etc in the car.

Now that I have crimps removed.. some of them are actually barbed and tapered as opposed to smooth metal. I am going to return to him now and see what's what. I think what I might do is get him to make up new hoses to the same length. I will then bring everything home and dry fit everything. This will enable me to clock/index each hose/line/fitting. I can then return to Pirtek, where they an be crimped.

While this approach seems like a lot of extra hassle.. I think it's preferable as it would look closer to factory (but who really cares!!) and also.. they should be easier to fit as I won't need to tighten counter rotating nuts while in situ. The one except to this might be the "car killer" under engine hose which will need to be installed in two pieces..

Here is a selection of images of me cutting the crimps off.. was fairly time consuming tbh.. and I did mess up on one or two places.

I would also strongly suggest the use of a cut-off tool for this. An angle grinder is too big/heavy in my opinion and you wouldn't have enough control. A dremel would be good but you would need a massive number of discs as they don't last long at all for this kind of thing. A vice is also advisable, although I didn't have one to hand.. I just used a G Clamp on the worktop, which was a faff tbh.







It's a bit tricky removing the crimps. Best way I found was to make two cuts along crimp and then pry them off.. sometimes you get lucky and the entire shoulder comes off. Other times you need to remove the shoulder separately.

 

[Conor]

If you need to remove the shoulder piece on it's own, it's usually easier once you have removed the hose from the fitting.







This line will need to be replaced to be honest. Mr Pirtek reckons he can solve it for me. Ace!



Did I say it took a while...?



Need to be very careful not to mix up any of the hard lines / fittings with the hose..



Here are the two types of fittings used under the hoses. There are other web forums which should using a nut and olive, but the only show the smooth connections. I don't think a nut/olive would work on the barbed fittings.

You can also see where I was a bit over zealous with the cutoff tool and scored the fitting. I don't think this will be an issue when crimped? Will it?? I hope not..

You can see some of the hard lines / fittings are rusty. Before going back to Pirtek, these will be cleaned and painted.





Oh also.. the hose that goes under the engine (car killer) has some springs in it to stop it kinking. I won't remove these as I don't see a need, but Mr Pirtek says their hoses won't kink. The MB OE hoses don't seem to have any wire in them, but the Pirtek hoses will be "1 wire" so will not kink.

 

[Conor]

And here is the finale .. Most of the hoses from the front of car. This picture was for me to reassemble after removing the hard pieces and cleaning / painting.



The stuff of nightmares..

 

[Flyinspanner]

This is a great thread, and hopefully will encourage others to persist and maintain their ABC, hope the refit all goes smoothly

 

[Flyinspanner]

Those concerned that the 3mu filter is on the return side, it’s ok - any debris from o-rings/seals in the system is intercepted before the pump (saving pump) and is then pumping only ‘clean’ fluid into the system.

Just a stray thought on the side, but I wonder if Pirtek can do a little stand alone filter which could be added in (for easy annual cleaning) - just a thought. -fit it half way around system, or one after each valve block and it could help diagnose developing issues?

 

[Conor]

This is a great thread, and hopefully will encourage others to persist and maintain their ABC, hope the refit all goes smoothly

Thank you... but let's see if I can get it all back together first

I donno man... I genuinely think this might encourage more people to sell their R230 than to do this work..

There is a huge amount of lugging back and forth to remove the hoses.. I guess doing it on stands didn't help.

Then again.. if somebody started this in a garage at beginning of winter they could tip away at it over the off season.

If the car is a keeper.. I think its definitely worth doing.

 

[Conor]

Those concerned that the 3mu filter is on the return side, it’s ok - any debris from o-rings/seals in the system is intercepted before the pump (saving pump) and is then pumping only ‘clean’ fluid into the system.

Just a stray thought on the side, but I wonder if Pirtek can do a little stand alone filter which could be added in (for easy annual cleaning) - just a thought. -fit it half way around system, or one after each valve block and it could help diagnose developing issues?

Yea makes sense. I guess people's concerns are that the reservoir might contain crud.

I guess that pirtek could add a filter as I am sure there are off the shelf solutions.

The question would be where to install it. Everything is so exact and tight fitting.

Heck.. I even wonder where a nut and olive could be placed without causing an issue.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Hi

Just saw this - not sure if jubilee clips would withstand ABC pressure levels, but an interesting idea!

I’m sure Pirtek may have units that could be plumbed in.

Abc Magnetic Filter C215 W215 CL W220 S CLASS R230 L Active Body Control Chassis | eBay

A magnetic filter is offered for the Active Body Control hydraulic chassis from Mercedes-Benz. This magnetic filter ensures that metal abrasion in the ABC chassis is filtered out. The magnetic filter is inserted between the return hose of the ABC container and secured using the hose clamps...

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Snake Charmer]

Hi

Just saw this - not sure if jubilee clips would withstand ABC pressure levels, but an interesting idea!

I’m sure Pirtek may have units that could be plumbed in.

Abc Magnetic Filter C215 W215 CL W220 S CLASS R230 L Active Body Control Chassis | eBay

A magnetic filter is offered for the Active Body Control hydraulic chassis from Mercedes-Benz. This magnetic filter ensures that metal abrasion in the ABC chassis is filtered out. The magnetic filter is inserted between the return hose of the ABC container and secured using the hose clamps...

www.ebay.co.uk

Goes in a low pressure return hose so the clips would be acceptable.

@Conor Have you looked into using Aeroquip or similar hoses you can make up yourself?

 

[Conor]

Hi

Just saw this - not sure if jubilee clips would withstand ABC pressure levels, but an interesting idea!

I’m sure Pirtek may have units that could be plumbed in.

Abc Magnetic Filter C215 W215 CL W220 S CLASS R230 L Active Body Control Chassis | eBay

A magnetic filter is offered for the Active Body Control hydraulic chassis from Mercedes-Benz. This magnetic filter ensures that metal abrasion in the ABC chassis is filtered out. The magnetic filter is inserted between the return hose of the ABC container and secured using the hose clamps...

www.ebay.co.uk

Interesting. It would work on a low pressure line like the return line. It is redundant on the return though, as there is already one.

Personally I'm not too worried about the filter situation.

Goes in a low pressure return hose so the clips would be acceptable.

@Conor Have you looked into using Aeroquip or similar hoses you can make up yourself?

I've not, to be honest. I had dealt with a hydraulic hose company before who went great. I said I'd give Pirtek a go this time. To be honest the guy instilled great confidence in me and didn't really flinch at of the bits.

I've decided I am probably going to forgo but and olives unless absolutely needed.

I am going to get hoses made up to length then dry install, index the fittings on the hose, remove and get crimped. Obviusly more labour intensive but should provide a nice OEM look when done.

That said, this line from strut will probably do with a rejig, using a 90 degree union with nut and olive.

 

[Snake Charmer]

I like the idea of pre-filtering the pump and the magnet to pick up wear debris from the struts. Have you used Think Automotive before? I have not used Pirtek in a long time since working for a pump hire company and I remember some astounding prices being charged for simple crimped hoses. Then again, I have done a few eye watering Aeroquip installs!

 

[Flyinspanner]

Yes the OEM 3mU filter is just a filter, the one I put up is a magnetic one which would attract sub 3 micron steel debris