lindenengineering
Well-known member
As any good catholic knows its the sign of self benediction, and so well irreverently done by actor Eli Wallack in the spaghetti western Good Bad Ugly!
However it was an apt action yesterday!
In came a 2012 Sprinter Van with a noisy rear end. The vehicle has about 75K on it and carries funerial products, Urns, caskets etc, or 'Cawfins" if you have ever read works by a certain Mr Charles Dickens.
A glance at the rear end showed a bit of slight impact damage to the rear cover and DRIPS!!
Removing the cover and out came the stink! Plus some burnt oil!
A another further glance inside and its got hot!--more than glowed in the dark!--should I state cremated?
Price to fix----Well exchange rear axle Ex MB dealer $6100, plus install.
Price to fix -----Ring gear/pinion $1200 , kits of parts & labor estimate $2700.
Price for 60K used take out repair $3000 plus install.
Anyway no matter how you cut it read expensive!
For those of you taking more than a cursory look under there for the first time, observe the compact nature of the rear axle, its like that because to gain road clearance the guts is quite substantial. This means less oil holding capacity than might be expected at not quite 3 qrts.
So any ignored drips can result in critical loss of lubricating oil and a catastrophic failure.
I can imagine this happening to any Sprinter owner, it will have you doing that self benediction while grabbing your wallet over the cost and your watch on how long is this all going to take to fix it.
I think its time to offer a ballistic steel impact guard for the diff al la Landrover! Certainly cheaper than a new axle.
Dennis
However it was an apt action yesterday!
In came a 2012 Sprinter Van with a noisy rear end. The vehicle has about 75K on it and carries funerial products, Urns, caskets etc, or 'Cawfins" if you have ever read works by a certain Mr Charles Dickens.
A glance at the rear end showed a bit of slight impact damage to the rear cover and DRIPS!!
Removing the cover and out came the stink! Plus some burnt oil!
A another further glance inside and its got hot!--more than glowed in the dark!--should I state cremated?
Price to fix----Well exchange rear axle Ex MB dealer $6100, plus install.
Price to fix -----Ring gear/pinion $1200 , kits of parts & labor estimate $2700.
Price for 60K used take out repair $3000 plus install.
Anyway no matter how you cut it read expensive!
For those of you taking more than a cursory look under there for the first time, observe the compact nature of the rear axle, its like that because to gain road clearance the guts is quite substantial. This means less oil holding capacity than might be expected at not quite 3 qrts.
So any ignored drips can result in critical loss of lubricating oil and a catastrophic failure.
I can imagine this happening to any Sprinter owner, it will have you doing that self benediction while grabbing your wallet over the cost and your watch on how long is this all going to take to fix it.
I think its time to offer a ballistic steel impact guard for the diff al la Landrover! Certainly cheaper than a new axle.
Dennis
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