I'm completing the change out of the blown flex disk on ly 230SL. Decided to take care of several other issues while everything is out. Some interesting discoveries as well as several issues. The rear cover on my ZF is being switched out to replace the one with the broken off pinch joint. Had to switch over the small gear and the shaft from the old cover since the new cover is supplied without these two items. Must have been a lot of collaboration between MB and ZF designers back in the day, because comparing the shaft and gear from the ZF and MB 4 speed box reveals these items are exactly the same. I also discovered that whiel they look alike and will screw into the same fitting on both the ZF and MB boxes, the reverse light switch on the ZF Box has a slightly longer nose so that the actuator pin can be acted on fully by the reversing mechanism in the box. Checking with a multi meter shiws that the new switch will finally fix my reversing light problem resulting from using the stick MB switch. Now the problem! I disassembled the aluminum cross piece that attaches to the steel cross on the transmission in order to check the inside bearing. The snap ring and spring along with the bearing halves came out easy enough and checked out fine. Now I can't seem ti figure out a way to compress the spring in order to reassemble with the internal snap ring. I have a press but can't seem to figure a way to get some sort of mandrel on it ar the same time inserting the ring. Anyone done this job before?
