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Coolant Expansion Tank Hose to Radiator V12

11K views 43 replies 11 participants last post by  Jaimonides 
#1 · (Edited)
While i was changing lights on the car & doing my routine maintenance today i noticed that the hose that goes from the thermostate to the Coolant expansion tank & then back into the radiator is made out of plastic just like the famous T behind the engine ,when i touched it ,one side of that T snapped off leaving that side inside the rubberhose,lots of water pours out of it with a hot engine so to prevent that from happening again I drove down to the nearest Autobarn car store and purchased the same connection but in brass (metal) ,now it wont happen again .
Check your pipes at the front where the plastic T is on the left side going to the Coolant expansion tank ,but before you touch it make sure you have a spare ,if that brakes in the middle of nowhere you would be stuffed & stranded ,unless you have a few screws to close the hole there temporarily on the pipes where the water is coming out from (X3).
Only posting this to prevent this happening before it would happen to any of you guys ,the Autobarn car stores also sell the T that is at the back of the engine in Brass ,around $15 .
I think that this T connection at the front of the radiator there is on all w140's ,but the once affected by heat to harden that plastic pipe would only be the V8 & V12 .:thumbsup:
 

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#13 ·
What happen'd to your crossmember that holds the radiator ,unless you changing that ? :thumbsup:
 
#9 ·
Ok ,Let's assume it would have a chemical reaction ,What would that reaction be or result in ? ,forget the monsters etc ... . :thumbsup:
 
#12 ·
It wouldn't surprise me one bit that the previous owner did a cheap repair there , however in a way it is good because the fittings with the plastic I see on the pictures posted here ,they ,when they erupt that would even be a bigger headache ,you either need to buy a complete 3 way new hose or chop it & add the T piece in between ( smart ) , with a T fitting its an easy fix ,i think that's why the owner did that ,not dum at all i reckon . :thumbsup:

Awesome picture you posted there "kubasz"
,thanks . :thumbsup:
 
#16 ·
Hello,

My Mercedes 600se has exactly the same problem,instead pay 60 euros to mercedes ,I am planning to buy a metal t and hose to duplicate this part.

Can anybody give and idea of the diameter of the T and hose I need,Its 10mm,12 mm or bigger?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
#17 ·
Welcome to BenzWorld.
The hose in question is likely 10 mm. You don't need a new one -- just cut the molded 'tee' and re-use the rest of the material.

I did it last year -- look up my threads from about a year ago.
Since I am in the US, I didn't want to pay the unnecessarily high charges for metric fittings -- used the closest common size in inches, which is 3/8".

I sourced a stainless steel fitting (see the picture) that has multi-barbed ends with a surface treatment for enhanced corrosion resistance.

Best regards,
Steve
 

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#18 ·
Thanks Steve,great answer.

You know what that my hose leaks in the junction to the expansion tank and termostat,one exterior plastic protection is broken,so I think the bast option is using a metal t fitting and new hose and new clamps change the whole part.

In this process I am going to need female torx wrench to unscrew the 3 male torx screws are bolted to the metal plate that covers the radiator,would you be so kind to help me with the number of this torx bolts?or maybe if this car has many torx screws is better to buy the complete set?

thanks in advance
 
#19 ·
I am afraid I cannot help. On my car, those were just regular metric bolts with 13 mm heads. See the attached.

Either the previous owner of your car (or mine) changed them, or, MB used different fasteners for the US and the EU markets.

Good luck,
Steve

PS Are you sure the leak is from the hose and not from the plastic nipple of the expansion tank? In any case, if the hose is 25 years old, I would also replace with new...
 

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#21 · (Edited)
From 4000 miles away, looking at those pictures, I think:
1. The bolt is likely E12.
I have NOT seen a single one like that on my car.
US model year 1993, but a late 1992 production (one of the 1st 600-coupes)

2. You should replace the expansion tank. It has been replaced in the past (the pressure cap is not the original design), but it looks burnt, at least from the picture.

3. The hose clamps seem over-torqued, particularly the one on the T-stat housing. New hose, new clamp.

4. You've got a sagging hoodliner and/or bad engine mounts.

Good luck,
Steve
 
#22 ·
Steve you know very well these car.

From 4000 miles away, looking at those pictures, I think:
1. The bolt is likely E12.
I have NOT seen a single one like that on my car.
US model year 1993, but a late 1992 production (one of the 1st 600-coupes)


****I will buy the complete set of torx,its a invesment not a expense,there is no big diference buying just one for 4 euros or a set of 10 for just 15 euros****

2. You should replace the expansion tank. It has been replaced in the past (the pressure cap is not the original design), but it looks burnt, at least from the picture.

***I want to mantain the expenses low before decide if I am going to keep the car,I put a new cap with new o-ring,lets see if detailing the engine compartment and changing the hose and clamps I fix the leakings***

3. The hose clamps seem over-torqued, particularly the one on the T-stat housing. New hose, new clamp.

***I agree but also the rubber with age grows and deforms,so maybe its a mix of both******

4. You've got a sagging hoodliner and/or bad engine mounts.

***I inherit the car from my father in law,in the last years he dindt take care of the car very much,it was my first fix,I bought the clips in mercedes and put in place and now the hoodliner is in good shape,but the effect still remains in the engine.************

This is great I talk about cars and practice my english at the same time,I have posted same problem in a spanish mercedes forum and after 140 wiews ,0 comments so I am happy to move overseas.


;)P
 
#23 · (Edited)
Welcome to Almighty Benzworld Jaimonides , as you already found out ,Don't waste your time with other Forums .

You find the Perfect fitting T joint in any Hardware Store , Metal-Copper or Brass ,look in the Plumbers section ,Some car stores also should have them , take a sample hose with you so you get the correct size , your hoses there look bigger then what I have on mine so I can't give you any measurements here .

Wash your engine with Diesel ,engine only not the surrounds under the side coverings , once finished it might smoke & smells for a while but does a fabulous job cleaning the engine without the hassle of having wet wires & connectors ,let the engine idle for a bit until the smoke cleared .
When you work on a clean engine ,you enjoy working on it more & see better.
TIP:Best way to wash an engine is with a Warm Engine not Hot or cold , makes the oil deposits soft & wash of easy.

When you buy the Torx set also look for a Screw driver with Flexible Shaft extension (Pictured below ), you will need it if you have to take the lower Radiator hose clamp of to change that hose ,without it ,you cant do it ,well you could but it's a huge headache.
The set you see below is for any kind of Clamp ,Torx -
Nut or Screw's ,it's pretty good for all over the car .:thumbsup:

Tool to always have with your W140 in the Trunk .With this you can also unscrew the consoles ashtray nuts inside & all your Clamps etc are covered .
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-in-P...860531?hash=item3ad68ff033:g:atUAAOSwG-1WyngG
or this one ,cheaper .
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CT1135-5...310182?hash=item56934a5726:g:hWIAAOSwa~BYd5p9
 

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#26 · (Edited)
That's why we are here for ,to Help when/where possible .

When you wash the engine , spray the Diesel on with a spray bottle or even better if you have a small Compressor (high pressure air) , you need a small container with a small/medium Paint brush & big toothbrush as well .
Don't get carried away when you clean it as the Diesel will make a huge impact on your engine , she will look like new again & resist the Temptation to spray Engine shine sprays ,that could result activating Limp Mode & or ASR mode .
Don't get scared after you finished with the Diesel ,as the engine heats up ,she will start to smoke all over ,it will look like as if you doing a long burnout ,just let it idle & wait ,a bit of water spray to wash the diesel of wont hurt around the sides .
The good thing about washing with Diesel is that you get a New looking Engine ,the Bad thing is that it smells in the Cabin for a while but as it dries out goes away .

Like Steve mentioned ,clip in the top left hood insulation clip ,(check them all) those are the stains on the air box you have there ,you can wipe them of with Metho or Turp's.

Another Tip for you:
The Engine Harness's on the early W140's are made of Biodegradable Soy bean materials ,Right! ( if you have ever noticed a Rat or Mouse around your car ,that's why ,usually they nest in the engine comp.. ) , all the wiring in the engine compartment including lower wiring is affected by Heat ,the side mirrors are also infected with this on all W140's .
I always open my hood after the car goes back into the garage for the rest of the night ,this way the heat affects it less , while driving the car , Air comes in from everywhere so its all good , damage occurs when the car is standing for long time with hot engine ,Open the hood when ever you can .
READ : >> http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w14...n-biodegradable-engine-wire-harness-91-a.html <<

My Message has come thru here ,look below ,lol. :thumbsup:
 

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#33 ·
Chris,
Would you explain your statement to a slow learning yank?
"The opposite is also true -- did you know that products from the refinement of crude oil make it to your kitchen table? And you eat them but cannot tell that this came from the partially decomposed body of a dinosaur ..."
Anziani
 
#34 · (Edited)
It was me, Steve, not Chris.

I exaggerated a bit, but Margarine for example can be made (synthesized) 100% from products of oil refinement. It is not of course, most of it is based on industrial vegetable oils that are modified using fractionation, esterification, and/or hydrogenation. Margarine is not butter, but close, and surely doesn't resemble crude oil, does it?

Hard to explain without becoming too technical, I am sorry.

My point is/was that the chemistry of making carbon-carbon bonds is so advanced these days, that you can take some of the simplest hydrocarbons (ethylene or propylene) and convert them into food/drugs/clothes in several steps on a ton scale.

Or, you can take corn starch and convert it into fuels/polymers/etc.
The end product -- some plastic for instance -- will look, and feel, and behave the same, regardless of whether the source material was oil or some other organic matter. And it will NOT taste like corn if the feedstock was generated from corn starch, that's for sure... :grin

Best regards,
Steve
 
#40 ·
the leak was in the t hose but also I have discovered there is a leak in the nipple of the expansion tank,so I think I need to buy this part :

Depósito compensación, refrigerante FEBI 38803.

There is a Hella deposit one cheaper,does anyone have this one in a v12?,is it exactly the same?

I imagine I should chang ethe sensor level from the old one to the new one right?,its dificult to change this part?.

I think there are 2 screws and of course unplug all the hoses.

Thanks for the advices
 
#42 · (Edited)
the leak was in the t hose but also I have discovered there is a leak in the nipple of the expansion tank,so I think I need to buy this part :

Depósito compensación, refrigerante FEBI 38803.

There is a Hella deposit one cheaper,does anyone have this one in a v12?,is it exactly the same?

I imagine I should chang ethe sensor level from the old one to the new one right?,its dificult to change this part?.

I think there are 2 screws and of course unplug all the hoses.

Thanks for the advices
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pr...1405001749A&gclid=CIq84Pm Z_9ECFcWIswod-AUN7Q

Yes, the coolant expansion tank, just as we discussed in post #21.

The tank is very easy to replace. Drain the coolant. Remove the clamps, one electrical sensor connection and, IIRC, two small screws. It can be lifted and tossed out.

I recommend, STRONGLY, new cap, new hose clamps, and new coolant.

Good luck,
Stev
 
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