Andy.M
Senior Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2012
- Messages
- 903
- Reaction score
- 133
- Location
- Rochester Kent
- Your Mercedes
- 2014 GLA250 Premium Plus, Night, AMG Exclusive Leather, Driving Assistance Packs COMAND DAB HK Audio
Off sick
I'm really enjoying Alex's occasional series of pictures from his workshop. I don't generally do this sort of thing, as I'm rubbish with a camera and rarely get the time. I thought though that you might like to see what I have mostly been doing today...
Another little garage local to me had recently replaced the torque converter on a 2010 E350cdi. W212 shape. I've done a few of these myself, they occasionally develop a judder while changing gear usually on cars above 150,000 miles. Anyway, said garage had replaced the converter and about 50 miles later the car stopped with a bang and complete loss of drive. The car was recovered to the repairer who diagnosed a complete failure of the gearbox and asked me for a second opinion. In fact my diagnosis over the phone from seven miles away ended up being spot on. They had not engaged the dog on the torque converter correctly into the oil pump in the gearbox, and the two little drive pegs had sheared off. At this point the mechanic on the phone began sobbing. A few hours later the car was delivered to my place, and now my workbench resembles a plane crash...
The oil pump is located in the bell housing, but it is bolted in from the inside. That involves quite a strip to get to the bolts. That's why the other garage chickened out. New pump with intact drive dog is on the blue vice, but there's a bit of cleaning to do first and a new gasket and some O rings coming tomorrow. Ideally I'd pull the clutches and inspect them at this level of tear down, but the brief on this job is just to fix it.
nice write up/pics. auto boxes are not that much of a mystery, except perhaps ,these days, the electronics that run them , i always thought they were like a best kept secret . i have done a considerable number ,mostly earth moving machinery, in my experience the biggest drama is getting hold of or making the tooling that each manufacturer dream s up for dismantling them and getting hold of the tech specs for individual components so one can be sure of whats still serviceable. as for this case had the garage guy been a little more careful he would have "felt " when the pump dogs were engaged, but experience helps a lot. here brute force/ignorance has caused considerable extra drama/expense. doubt this guy will make the same mistake again !
He must have struggled to get the box to line back up, or forced it.