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Steering Coupling Question

Started by 116.025, 09 October 2006, 01:14 PM

s class

Congrats oscar,

That bolt reminds me of some that I have in my trophy collection - I'm proud that I managed to get them out but not proud that they got into that state in the first place.

Ryan


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

oscar

 ::) nooo - Ok yes I did.

I know it doesn't look pretty, but once I cleaned it up it looked intact and the head of the screw was much taller than what I thought.  I managed to tighten it again to about 1/8th of a turn less than what it was before.  I just wanted to get it all aligned first. 

Knowing that I can take it out again without upsetting the alignment I suppose I should take it in and get another.  Should be able to take into an engineering shop and get something similar shouldn't I?
1973 350SE, my first & fave

Tomi

hip hip hoorey, Oscar, a cold fosters never taste better than after a battle like this.

yes I think I forgot to mention about the turn signal switch which has to be removed temporarily, and about the steering shaft which is a telescope for safety reasons, but in my case it was stiff enough not compress while pressing it to the new coupling.

Styria, be sure to hammer the hex key in at least about 5 mm into the screw, before starting to apply force on it, so you wont get a rounded screw head.

oscar

Hi Tomi,

As strange as it may sound, "Aussies drinking Fosters" is a myth.  When it comes to a good beer, we're like John West, drink the best and sell the rest overseas. :D  But I did have a celebratory drink after, it was a can of diet coke, there was nothing else left in the fridge. :'(

FWIW, my alignment wasn't as crash hot as what I first thought.  Driving straight, the spline marking is perhaps 10o off.  The best thing is that both turn signals return to center, so no more having to remember to return the left turn after turning.  With the steering wheel looking straight, I can't tell that it's out by a bit.

Good tip re driving the allen key home.  I used a hex socket, but one of the reasons mine rounded was perhaps because I used an imperial socket rather than metric.  Everything is usually metric on a merc. 

Does anyone know what the right size socket/key this bolt should take?

Thanks for those part No's BigR.  My nearest dealer is 2hrs away, as is my mechanic, so next time I'm down in Wagga I'll get them.  I might price a new coupling too.  A job for next year and I'll determine center the proper way like Tomi posted.
1973 350SE, my first & fave

Tomi

#19
Quote from: oscar on 25 October 2006, 03:30 AM
Does anyone know what the right size socket/key this bolt should take?

Its a 6 mm hex originally (but in the pic above and on ebay I have seen them with some sort of torx screws)

oscar

Yeah you're right Tomi.

I saw you're 6mm post but I forgot about the torx ones.  A while back whilst searching prices, I noticed a disclaimer on an ebay seller's pics of a coupler saying the item supplied may not be of the same brand pictured.  In other words the coupler looks OEM but you'll get an inferior product for the lower price.  I wonder if OEM is hex early and torx late or whether torx is the cheap substitute.

I'll give ebay and the like a miss on this one.  It's too much an important part. 
1973 350SE, my first & fave

shadetree77

thanks all for this thread; i'm in the process of replacing the steering coupler right now. this was a tremendous help
1979 300SD
1983 300SD
1991 420SEL