Differential Build Tool Ideas - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

97 SL320 · #31 12-26-2018, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roncallo

I haven't but I know that the 2.47 and 2.65 carriers have a 6mm difference. Your not going to shim that out short of putting a 6mm spacer between the ring and carrier.

How 'bout splitting the 6 mm between the ring and bearing shims? This should allow you to still be on the ring register.

I've done a GM 10 bolt 3.08 LSD to 3.45 gear swap by shimming the bearings. This was on an axle with bolt in wheel bearings and enough spline area not to be a problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roncallo

Also if you do that you loose the ring gear pilot area and for the life of me I cannot find longer bolts required. They are an ultra fine thread that I just cant find. I would guess the larger carriers and probably a 12mm difference. Does Quaif or Wavetech make a suitable carrier for these gears?

There is a company that cuts off laser welded ring gears on BMW , perhaps they have long bolts. Did you try ARP? Maybe an aerospace bolt maker? How about a flywheel bolt?

Roncallo · #32 12-26-2018, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97 SL320

How 'bout splitting the 6 mm between the ring and bearing shims? This should allow you to still be on the ring register.

I've done a GM 10 bolt 3.08 LSD to 3.45 gear swap by shimming the bearings. This was on an axle with bolt in wheel bearings and enough spline area not to be a problem.

There is a company that cuts off laser welded ring gears on BMW , perhaps they have long bolts. Did you try ARP? Maybe an aerospace bolt maker? How about a flywheel bolt?

Not a hope in hell on a 126 style diff side cover shims are only about 1mm so that would be the maximum you could get. Of course you could shave down the case. But your better off just purchasing a wavetech or quaif carrier. It doesn't take long for a precision ground and fabricated plate and custom made bolts and all the hassle involved to add up to a to the cost of one of these carriers or for that mater a early 90's 300 SD carrier like I'm doing.

Never contacted ARP or any aerospace bolt maker. This is something I am total uninterested in with proven solutions readily available.

Roncallo · #33 12-27-2018, 04:48 PM

A $24.00 needle scale from Northern Tool makes quick work of removing paint and scale. 4 steps of POR 15 are next.

rwd4evr · #34 12-27-2018, 07:12 PM

What gears are you changing to? Is this for Sampson?

Roncallo · #35 12-27-2018, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwd4evr

What gears are you changing to? Is this for Sampson?

These will be 2.82 for Samson.

Roncallo · #36 12-28-2018, 12:08 AM

Found some good use of large washers I had lying around. I always save my scrap cutout washers. They come in handy for something. The large washer came from the cutout for my engine mounts required to fit the M120 into the R107. The smaller washer came from the tool I made to hold the pinion input.

I used these to mask off the inside of the side bearing caps for sand blasting.

Roncallo · #37 12-28-2018, 06:16 PM

1 Last tool simply made from a piece of 2x6 wood. Holds all the bolts for sand blasting and painting the heads.

Roncallo · #38 12-30-2018, 01:19 PM

Painting

When using POR-15 a full paint suit gloves and respirator are required. respirator is a must for the etching chemicals.

I taped my gloves to the paint suit and also had slip on covers over my shoes. I also busted the zipper so I had to tape that shut.

Also note that a spare axle flange makes a good holder for painting the input flange. They are the same spline. I will probably also use that axle flange to make a tool to set my clutch friction.

97 SL320 · #39 12-30-2018, 07:10 PM

Please walk around the front yard then get into a white Pontiac Aztek. . . .

Roncallo · #40 12-31-2018, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97 SL320

Please walk around the front yard then get into a white Pontiac Aztek. . . .

I must have missed the movie, but I get it.

Roncallo · #41 01-30-2019, 07:34 PM

I have completed the last of the tools I need to assemble the differential. The ones in these pictures I made myself. there is still one coming in from China that should be here Monday.

First picture is the pin I use to line up the spider gears. It made from a 3/4" 9.5" long bolt available from McMaster Carr for about $10. No need to make it pointy but if you have a lathe it helps. At least cut off the threads and camphor.

Next is the torque wrench adapter. One of the things I learned about this is there are two different sizes of flanges for the stub axles. The stub axes from the diesel have a smaller bolt circle that the ones from the 126/107. Had I known that I would have made it wider with 2 hole sets. I have no use for the diesel stub axles so they are now my permanent tool for these installations. and consequently now I have to make another adapter and use my 107 stub axles that I just painted for now.

The last tool is the ABS toothed wheel installer. Mercedes has this one in the manual as a self made tool. This tool is probably more important than the pinion bearing installation tool because the wheel is small and easy to crack and there is no lead in for it and the wheel is no longer available.

I ordered 10 of the pinion bearing installation tools from China and I will be putting them up on Ebay once I test them. Based of the popularity of those sales I may also off the ABS wheel tool.

Roncallo · #42 02-09-2019, 10:59 PM

Last of the tools have come in from China.

The pinion bearing installer is now ready. I had 12 of these made so anyone interested can purchase them on my Ebay page below.

Roncallo · #43 03-10-2019, 09:13 PM

One more tool I decided to make after seeing how my side bearings races wanted to cock during installation. I made a piloted mandrel for the side carrier bearings. That worked much better.

Roncallo · #44 03-23-2019, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

All the shims I've come across so far have been seriously expensive. For the parts I've been trying to find a surprising number of options are still available in principle. I'm not sure how long they are going to be around though - the impression I get from Germany is that they are running down their stores inventory and are less and less likely to be restocking.

I've found the cost of shims has been similarly expensive for Volvos and for Land Rovers.

Now trying to shim the pinion. I ordered 1.85 and 1.95mm shims because I had 1.90 installed. Mercedes has discontinued the intermediate sizes and they sent me 1.9mm and 2.0mm which are totally useless to me so I have to resort to grinding.

I happen to be fortunate enough to have a grinder but it was not in any shape for the required precision. So I spent the week resurfacing the magnetic chuck mount and the top and bottom of the magnetic chuck. I also did a few practice runs on some standard washers and found I was able to get within 0.0001"

A grinder like the one I have can be had for about $500. I got mine for free but it cost $1000 to overhaul and install a single phase motor.

There are three areas that will require grinding of shims on the 210mm MB diff so having access to one of these is important to do a really good job. Years ago here in the states, there used to be many local machine shops available that would do this. There still are a few but getting them to turn them around quickly and without working from a purchase order or contract is getting to be the challenge. That being said you might find yourself doing this by mail sending you shims to a diff builder for grinding. It can all still be done with patience.

On the bright side I have found that the Dana 44 has the same size pinion bearing as the MB 107/126 210mm. Here is a set of 12 shims for the Dana 44. I have not tried them and have no way of knowing if they actually do fit but it looks promising.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LW3OJWS?pf_rd_p=1cac67ce-697a-47be-b2f5-9ae91aab54f2&pf_rd_r=VZJJ55Z85EZE9D2PW7W5

For the moment I have been either out of town or sick so final grind of the shim will have to wait.

Frank Reiner · #45 03-23-2019, 03:27 PM

JR:

If those shims are of the correct diameter to go under the bearing cup, and of appropriate thickness, then they are a great find. Dana 44 pinion bearings were also shimmed under the bearing on the shaft, although the under-cup method seems the more common one.