hi, i'm a first-time poster, long-time lurker. this forum has helped me learn a lot of new things, and i got a code3 sc pulley after you guys had so much positive feedback. thing is, i've run into one teensy little problem... the tensioner bolt is rounded-off. see, me and my buddy tried to install this thing, but we made some critical errors in judgment... we had too many beers before we started, we did this at night, we didn't let the car cool down, and we had too many beers after. so, i wake up the next day with a decent hangover, and, much to my surprise, i still have the stock pulley on my car. and the bolt for the tensioner (marked as an e11 in the instructions) is rounded off, badly. i will man up to this and take complete blame, although i do vaguely remember my buddy going to town on that tensioner the night before. either way, it seems like i'm up a creek without a paddle, from my point of view.

what i now ask of the forum, is what my options are. i'm most hellbent on getting that pulley on, and while i'm assuming i'll have to fix that rounded-off star bolt, it's not necessary to me at the moment. i have basic hand tools, and i've wrenched on my car before, so ideas are welcome. if it comes down to taking it in to a shop, which shop should i take it to (chrysler dealer, mercedes dealer, independent mercedes mechanic, or independent general mechanic)? also, would anyone happen to know the part number for that tensioner bolt (and ballpark price)? it doesn't seem too hard to fix (famous last words), but i may be mistaken.

anyways, this forum is a great resource for these cars, and thanks for any help i get!

 

You have 2 choices:

-Rent a time machine and go back in time, when you are not looking swap out your beer with O'douls non-alcoholic.

OR

-Take a e10 or a e9 socket, line up the threads and pound it over the stripped nut.


The code3 pulley takes about 7 minutes to install if even that.

 

use vice grips or a small pipe wrench
when you brake a belt the new cost to replace it with the tensionerwill be 676.55 so you should fix it now insteat at midnight on the side oof the road, jim

 

There are standard socket tools for removing f'ed up screws like that - available at Home Depot/Lowes etc. Bolt extractors etc...
http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/...IrwinCat100497

I don't know how much room there is around the bolt head, but you could grind 2 flats on opposite sides of the head and use a regular wrench.
Use your imagination, but stay away from the alcohol this time.

 

I think I read on another thread here that the E11 bolt is held in place by a 12mm(?) lock nut and that you can use a 12mm socket on that instead of the E11. Using the lock nut may cause the lock nut to loosen up. But since you need to replace the E11 anyway....no problem. Good luck.

MikeR

 

thanks... is 676.55 the price of the belt, or the tensioner bolt? sounds crazy if the dealer charges that much just for one bolt...

 

i gotta look at that thing again sober, but i remember a lock nut on there. i tried to use that to release the tension, but mine was on there so light that the belt didn't move at all. i think it was a 15mm..... i'll have to double check again though.

 

to be honest, i'd rather deal with this crap than the embarassment of asking for o'doul's in a bar.

option #2 sounds like a decent plan. any advice on pounding it on without breaking the radiator fan too? just figured i'd ask since i already dug one hole and i wanna make sure i don't dig it even deeper.

 

Fan removal is 90 seconds )sober time(.


Find and release fan connector, goes down off the shroud.
Release fan connector halves and separate.
Find and pull up and off the two fan clips on top L and R
Remove from plastic clip the small hose and hold it out of the
way as you lift the whole fan and housing as one piece
straight up. Check manual on line in forum

Reverse for install. Water heater hose on driver side will flex out of the way with some care, I have done this several dozens of times while doing testing and changes on cooling.

Woody without a BUZZZZZ

 

Try reverse drilling out that screw, it will unscrew it while your drilling it out.

Also DO NOT drink and drive........You may spill your drink all over the inside of your crossfire! And you wouldn't want that to happen!

 

Thanks for the advice! I'll try it ASAP, and I'll let you guys know how it goes!

 

I'll look into that. You'll be glad to know that I had a can, and the cupholder worked flawlessly! Guess there's some use to canned beer.

BTW, the beer that got me into this mess was a Guiness Stout. Outside of a Vegas blackjack table, this is one of the most expensive beers I've had!

 

Does anyone know what the part number is for the E11 bolt on the tensioner pulley is? Mine is a little bugger up from using an E12 and I need to replace it. I couldnt find anyone that had the bolt PN in my searching. It is not listed in the parts list .pdf document. Thanks for any help.

MikeR

 

If you can get it back out you should be able to find one at Lowes.