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Hi there,

any tips how to remove the inlet manifold - specific the up-side-down n° 5 hex-bolt underneath the manifold, attached to the engine via a support bracket?
Really an issue to get this hex-bolt loose and of course back into place after replacing the glow plugs.
My arms don't go in all those directions

Many thanks !!!

Cheers,
H.

 

[AlanMcR]

Getting it out the first time is quite a pain, eh? I used a 5mm hex clamped in vice grips. Not elegant, but it worked.
To make this job easier next time, replace the bolt with a much longer bolt that has a pair of nuts locked together on the shaft. Do this so that the threads at the end are about the same length as the original bolt. That way you can put an ordinary wrench on the end of the nut. It is also much easier to get started.

 

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Thanks Alan!!!
I managed to get out the original Hex-bolt out yesterday evening - my wife helped me because she has thinner arms
Was thinking the same as you mentioned, longer bolt and a couple of normal nuts, that will ease up the next time removal for changing the glow plugs.
Thank you very much and have a nice weekend!
Cheers,
H.

 

[Deplore]

Yeah about that bolt.... I just leave it out on mine. No issues at all, and next time I need to take off the intake manifold, it's done from the top.

Also be careful with GP replacement, they break. I have two broken on mine. Didn't feel like drilling them out, and they weren't setting check engine light, so meh.

 

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Hello hello,

thanks for the tip on not to use a bolt and nut.

And indeed - we have a winner

Started this morning with cilinder n° 1 glow plug removal - and guess what?

Yep broken the glow-plug head off.
Although I used to classical old-timer-methode: turn a very very tiny bit left (loose), and then a tiny bit right (fasten again)...and so on / repeatedly when you start to get some movement of a half a turn.

Then proceeding with the next half turn and again so on...

After 30min and 1complete turn left (loose), the glow-plug head broke off

Completely frustrated, I started doing some check-ups and preventive maintenance on my G300TD - and discovered a complete f**k-up of the Official Mercedes Dealer when I visited them the last time - 7 years ago.
Anyhow, called it a day for now.

Will continue tomorrow or Tuesday evening with the Glow-Plug removal kit.

Will keep you posted of course!!!

Cheers,
H.

 

[Deplore]

Ideally you want the car to be as hot as possible. Leave the intake manifold off, start the car and let it run until it's at operating temp, or ideally around 100c, then shut off and try to remove glow plug.

 

[[email protected]]

Heat will indeed do some expansion and shrinking actions in the metal glow-plugs and aluminium cilinder head.

I prefer to heat up the glow-plug themselves by an external heating source, which I tried but no success !

Believing these are the Mercedes original 21-year old glow-plugs...

 

[AlanMcR]

Posted nearly two decades ago: howtoremovebrokenglowplugs-mercedesom606 - alanmcreynolds
Crude, yes. However, I've gotten at least three broken plugs out this way. I've helicoiled the threads and never had a problem since. The head is made of pretty soft aluminum and the threads bind up easily. I did the intake manifold threads too as two of them had stripped.

 

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It's evening here now and I'm my way to try to get the remaining 5 glow-plug moving...

I will keep you posted on the progress perhaps the others will be "a wolk in the park" or NOT

After this, I will be focussing on the current broken one...or additional ones in the coming days...

Cheers,
H.

 

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And Alan, thanks for the tip and reference article!!!!

 

[AlanMcR]

Heat up the engine first. You can run it without the intake manifold. Just make sure nothing get sucked into the intake ports. Remember the turbo is still running so it will blow up a storm down there.

 

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Hi there,

work still in progress due to some lack of time but I will post soon the/my complete report with pictures. What to use as solvent to smoothen and loosen the glow plugs, how to get a broken glow plug out of the cilinder head, etc etc.

Cheers,
H.