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Hydraulic Top Help

2K views 15 replies 6 participants last post by  Floobydust 
#1 ·
I have a '95 E320 Cabriolet. Great car. Love it. I live in Southern California and I don't often put the top up. The other day I did put the top up and then put it down later. Later in the day, I noticed some oil on the small strip of metal between the top cover and the trunk. At first, I thought one of my kids spilled something on the car. Later when I went to put the top up I noticed oil dripping from the cover mounted under the tonneau cover. I know how expensive the parts are for the top mechanism and I'm worried that something major has broken, however, I cannot figure out what's under the cover without removing it. Can someone give me an idea of what issues I might face once I remove the cover? Are there rams under that cover? For the time being, I'm glad I live in Southern California and I'll leave the top down.

Thanks for your help.

Dutch.
 
#2 ·
...sounds like your hydraulics are leaking, it happens especially when you dont cycle the top often like you have noted. you want to talk to klaus at top hydraulics. hes out on the oregon coast but hes the hydraulic top guru. he rebuilds them and will help you re sync everything. i dont own a flip top but lots of people have removed the cylinders themselves, sent them to klaus for rebuild and then re installed.
 
#3 ·
Oh Well

I thought I was doing my car a favor in not working the top mechanism too much. It works so great and it seems so complicated that I thought the less I used it, the better it would be. Oh well. I'll unbolt the cover and take my medicine I guess.

Thanks

Dutch
 
#4 ·
there are tutorials that will guide you through.;... if not there are some of us who have done it...myself included..... Top Hydraulics is tops....

This is not a difficult job per se' ....but extremely tedious and time consuming... some say it can be done in 16 hours...it probably took me closer to 24.... if i had to do it again.... i can probably do it in 12-14 hours....

but for about 500..... fluid included... it should be the one and only time you have to do it...

as others will tell you... you have to pull all 8 cylinders.... you can't just do the leaking one....
 
#5 ·
I have done both of my Cabrios. The hydraulic cylinder seals deteriorate over time. The lack of use had nothing to do with their deterioration. And, as Lee pointed out, you MUST do all eight cylinders.

This is not a complicated task, but it is time-consuming. If you have the skills to remove the cylinders from your car, then rebuilding them yourself is very do-able.

Order seals from Klaus:
Mercedes-Benz Convertible top hydraulic seals.
Good info on his site, too.

I attached pertinent info for you. I did video the entire process, but never edited it to upload. If needed, I can get it to you.
 

Attachments

#16 · (Edited)
. . . you MUST do all eight cylinders.
I would somewhat disagree. I have found that on both the W124 and the R129 you can divide the cylinders into what I call "work groups" which are groups of cylinders that must be replaced should any one cylinder in that group fail in order to avoid repeating the same dis-assembly/assembly work should other cylinders fail in the future. On the W124 there are two groups - those that are on the top bows (main lift & bow retract) and those that are on the tonneau cover (lift, latch, and bow latch). The R129 has three groups - the windshield header cylinders, those that are on the top bows main (lift & bow retract) and those that are on the tonneau cover (latch and bow latch).

Replacing your cylinders by "work group", one group at a time, will require no more dis-assembly/assembly work (and hence, your time) than replacing all of the cylinder at once. Now, some will say that the un-replaced cylinders will fail shortly due to increased hydraulic pressure and in some cases that's true and in others it's not - it's really a function of how the seals in you car have deteriorated over time. On average, I've gone about 2.5 years between the time one "work group" was replaced and when cylinder in the next group failed (average of both cars).

Using my system, the total work effort is about the same, but each failure is less work at a given time and the cost is spread out over time. On the other hand, you do have the potential for the next problem (until all are done) hanging over your head. So, like many things, this will be a function of your individual temperament and finances. It's kind of like do you peel the bandage off slowly or do you rip it off in one fast pull.

- FD
 
#6 ·
I sent all 12 of my R129 cylinders to Klaus at TH,cost $550 ,he also puts new port seals in each unit , he makes seals that will outlast MB seals,dealers send him cylinders for rebuilding,something you can't do at home and I like to do all my own work,if one is leaking then all will start leaking in a short time! do them all,8hrs labor,not hard to do just time consuming.
A working top is the best! good luck.
 
#7 ·
MB seals,dealers send him cylinders for rebuilding,something you can't do at home and I like to do all my own work
I must disagree. Rebuilding these cylinders was significantly easier than removing them from the car.
 
#11 ·
Yes, I did this myself. I would not define the seals in these cylinders are "port seals." Each cylinder has only one seal (a circular ring), and some have o-rings, additionally.
 
#12 ·
I would think they are installed similar as mine? this is what sold me! from TH website

Port seals. They seal the hydraulic lines where they are pushed into the cylinders. Port seal failure is becoming more and more common as the R129s age. It also applies to the front distributor p/n 1298000022. Port seals have a special shape that makes them seal under pressure. O-rings wouldn't do the trick. They are secured by precisely machined brass rings (accuracy about 1/100 mm). DIY removal of the brass rings will almost certainly destroy the brass rings. Top Hydraulics installs port seals that are tighter than the originals, just in case the hydraulic line fittings have been scratched.

Cylinders and distributors upgraded by Top Hydraulics should easily outlast your car!
 
#14 ·
Port seals. They seal the hydraulic lines where they are pushed into the cylinders. Port seal failure is becoming more and more common as the W124s age. Port seals have a special shape that makes them seal under pressure. O-rings wouldn't do the trick. They are secured by precisely machined brass rings (accuracy about 1/100 mm). DIY removal of the brass rings will almost certainly destroy the brass rings. Top Hydraulics installs port seals that are tighter than the originals, just in case the hydraulic line fittings have been scratched.
There is no reason to remove any such brass ring. I had emailed Klaus quite a bit during my work on the car; no such recommendation was made to deal with brass rings...which still don't meet the definition of a port seal, lol.
 
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