Tools required for basic 6.9 maintenance

[chrisp]

Hello everyone, as some of you might know, I am soon due to be taking delivery of a newly spruced-up silver 6.9, ex Styria. While the Godfather is readying the vehicle for its new home, I am starting to think about what equipment I will need to perform basic maintenance tasks on it as required.

To give you some background as to my abilities (or rather lack of them), as I type this I am halfway through reading Gregory's "Automotive Mechanics Fundamentals" and have a garage little larger than the car itself. Clearly, I will not be attempting anything advanced! Well not yet, anyway...

However, I am keen to learn and was wondering if any people here on the forum could recommend a basic set of tools, lubricants, fluids, parts etc. that I might need to keep the old girl going between trips to the experts.

Many thanks,

Chris

 

[Michel]

Hello everyone, as some of you might know, I am soon due to be taking delivery of a newly spruced-up silver 6.9, ex Styria. While the Godfather is readying the vehicle for its new home, I am starting to think about what equipment I will need to perform basic maintenance tasks on it as required.

To give you some background as to my abilities (or rather lack of them), as I type this I am halfway through reading Gregory's "Automotive Mechanics Fundamentals" and have a garage little larger than the car itself. Clearly, I will not be attempting anything advanced! Well not yet, anyway...

However, I am keen to learn and was wondering if any people here on the forum could recommend a basic set of tools, lubricants, fluids, parts etc. that I might need to keep the old girl going between trips to the experts.

Many thanks,

Chris

You mean the Godfather hasn't done that yet?

 

[chrisp]

Just thought I'd give everyone a chance to chime in...

 

[Des]

Re: Tools required for basic 6.9 maintenance

 

[abl567]

Thanks Des

 

[-bb-]

Aint that the bloody truth

 

[WGB]

It is not a hard car to work on and basic tools will do most of the ordinary stuff.
A good Metric Socket set, Good metric spanner set, Good screwdrivers,
Good garage jack and set of axle stands.

I would purchase a good 1/2 inch drive allen Key set and if you are even going to look sideways at the hydraulics - a set of metric "flare" spanners for hydraulic fittings .

Money and a good mechanic is also a very reasonable option.

Due to the quality of the fittings I like to tighten everything with a torque wrench but the only really different procedure concerns raising and lowering the car safely when you work on it due to the characteristics of the hydraulic system.

Bill

 

[Styria]

What an interesting, and possibly controversial, topic. One could just about agree with all replies posted thus far, but I like WGB's best as it is the most practical so far. A good set of metric sockets, both half inch and the next size down (3/8th ?) is almost a must, plus a good selection of metric open end and ring spanners.

As Bill says, 6.9s are relatively easy to maintain and work on, but primarily from the view of normal maintenance. Most routine items are easily accessible , such as Spark Plugs (you should have a magnetic socket, long extension and ratchet), fairly long, bladed screw driver to remove and service distributor caps and rotor button, a good set of screw drivers (both Phillips and Bladed), a good quality 1/2inch socket set with the ratchet having a SMALL head mechanism, a good strong extendable magnet and a set of long sleeved small sockets, particularly 10mm in order to loosen and remove the small nuts that fasten the battery bracket to the battery frame.

In addition, you should have a set of 1/2" metric Allen keys, in order to facilitate removal of the engine oil drain plug.

I'll have a bit more to add to this subject in due course. Really, on an everyday maintenance basis, 6.9's are dead easy to look after and maintain. In my view, home maintenance should be restricted to oil and filter changing, and replacement of spark plugs. Also, what is not always realized, 6.9s hold 12 liters of oil, and disposing of that is another aspect again that needs to be taken into consideration. Regards Styria

 

[chrisp]

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful.

I was under no illusion that it would be cheap!

 

[BAR]

Congratulations on the purchase.

I'd have loved to have bought the car myself, but Lotto has yet to oblige my fortunes!

Whilst tools will not be cheap there is a local Australian supplier who also has their 'own brand' of well made tools that won't cost you an arm and a leg. The experts buy Snap On as a rule, because they're guaranteed for life and they use them all day every day.

For the enthusiast / hobbyist, I'm happy to report that I have 'sets' from Total Tools that have served me well for over 10 years of infrequent use, on my W116, Go-Karts, Boats and others.

They are located at the following suburbs in NEW SOUTH WALES:
Albury
Brookvale
Granville
Moorebank
St Peters
Taren Point
Wagga Wagga
Wetherill Park

I'd select the Ratchet Spanner set [ring and open end spanners with a built in ratchet at the ring end]. You may find one or two sizes that get minimal use but then the whole set will be less than buying one offs. 8mm/ 10mm / 11mm / 12mm / 13mm / 17mm are minimum requirement to my mind.

Hydraulic lines for brakes, suspension, steering will benefit if you have 'Flare Spanners' for those nuts: here again you may find buying a set will be cheaper.

Of course metric allen keys, screwdrivers [don't forget a 'stubby' Phillips driver] and a metric socket set will be a must - 1/4 square drive sockets will be the better selection so as to reduce the risk of over tightening any nuts in my opinion: if you plan to do your own oil change then get a separate socket drive allen key for the sump plug. A Sanp On item will cost over $60, but you should get a Cokin item for $16 [the Cokin tool works fine for me]. Again, for spark plugs, get a spark plug socket spanner: make sure its a good one - if you buy a cheap item the rubber grommet that's supposed to grip the plug as it's removed or inserted will fall out and you'll keep dropping plugs!

Other 'tools' that won't get into any tool box: but a must for working on the car. A hydraulic jack and a pair of 'axle' stands. Ramps may a secondary purchase you can consider, but due to the overhang, especially at the rear, you'll need to get a pair with low angle of inclination.

 

[chrisp]

Thanks BAR, good advice re Total Tools vs. Snap On: I wouldn't want to end up the "all the gear but no idea" guy.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

Hello everyone, as some of you might know, I am soon due to be taking delivery of a newly spruced-up silver 6.9, ex Styria. While the Godfather is readying the vehicle for its new home, I am starting to think about what equipment I will need to perform basic maintenance tasks on it as required.

To give you some background as to my abilities (or rather lack of them), as I type this I am halfway through reading Gregory's "Automotive Mechanics Fundamentals" and have a garage little larger than the car itself. Clearly, I will not be attempting anything advanced! Well not yet, anyway...

However, I am keen to learn and was wondering if any people here on the forum could recommend a basic set of tools, lubricants, fluids, parts etc. that I might need to keep the old girl going between trips to the experts.

Many thanks,

Chris

Visa debit card.
AmEx
Visa Gold
Visa Platinum
American Express Gold (not so widely accepted these days)
MasterCard
another Visa Gold
MasterCard Platinum
Visa again,
do you still have your UK BarclayCard?
Maybe a loan account?

etc

C.M.

 

[abl567]

This Forum.

And the M-100 group

 

[Styria]

Just some further comments in relation to this subject matter. I might even start another thread as purchase of an 6.9 or, for that matter, most 116's and probably a lot of other Benz models as well, should be approached in a manner as rational as possible.

However, for the time being, I'll stick to what we've got. I see Des' hand with a wadful of notes - anyone like to guess how much he is holding in his hand ? I wonder if it represents the selling price of his 6.9 ?....after spending a lot more than that carrying out various facets of maintenance. I honestly think that Des was a bit unlucky in purchasing an example that showed a certain degree of lack lustre condition even in the dealer's advertised pictures. I saw them, I also saw the advertised price and I could not help thinking that the value for money margin was less than desirable. Des bought that car sight unseen and its story has been told a few times over.

bb ? Another story altogether and I can appreciate fully what he is talking about. I inspected that car for him, and felt that it was just reasonable value for money. It had suffered from neglect by the previous owner, and some traces of that are still evident at this stage. Of course, it is very easy to over capitalize with not only a 6.9, but any older car, and it becomes a question of prioritizing repairs and visual improvements if costs are to be kept to a reasonable level. At least, with a 6.9 you have a reasopnable chance of not straying too far off the ledger.

Anyway, I've gotten away from the subject matter a bit. We were tgalking about tools, after all, and then the thread got somewhat hi-jacked. However, when we were at Berrima yesterday, I managed to show Chris some of the tools that would be handy to have and I even demonstrated to him the effectiveness of the magnetic spark plug socket by removing two of the plugs in a jiffy. The mixture, by the way, was spot on. Regards Styria

 

[WGB]

The trouble with all 116's is that they are now mostly 30+ years old and for the last few years have been of very low Dollar value - usually associated with decreasing levels of maintenance.

This is combined with a level of complication that a 1970's Falcon owner couldn't even consider so that with the probable minimal maintenance carried out most are going to need a lot of minor stuff sorted even if the "Guts" are good - meaning rust and drive train.

I would like a list of any rubber bits that will have survived 30 years unscathed - it would be a very short list.

Bill

 

[Styria]

Bill, you're a man of wisdom and common sense. If one considers the lack of maintenance many 116's, including 6.9s have suffered from, it really is quite surprising how well the majority will still run reasonably satisfactorily. In fact, unless you knew better (after checking), you'd give a lot of them a clean bill of health. Regards Styria