I guess that took an hour or so. There were more things sort of integrated onto the tank than my S550 so it took a bit longer.
After removing what I found is that coolant was actually coming from the overflow hole, meaning it was pushing past the cap. I don't think the tank was actually cracked. This also means I probably could have just done the cap. But since the tanks are supposedly known for cracking, that wouldn't make sense.
I followed the instructions pretty much exactly. What I find is that there is way more modularity to German cars (or maybe I should say the three Mercedes I have owned). You may not always be able to replace the component in a single step, but there are often a series of things you can move out of the way - things that on my previous GM cars were just....sort of there and not really meant to be quickly removed. I also love the O-ring quick connect coolant hose stuff.
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After I got the new tank on I went out and drove it in a spirited manner including some WOT pulls to triple digits. Then I let it sit and idle with the A/C on for 10. Then I parked it. Drove it again, parked it again. Everything is dry now. I also rinsed the coolant mess with the garden hose so I would say this repair was a success.
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I will say that there are several items that made this job easier, especially if you consider that many of these are tools I never had/used during Caprice times:
- Pneumatic fluid extractor - great for emptying the reservoir though you could do this a number of other ways. This was the easiest though.
- Hose pliers. The kind that are round to grab a hose to twist it without damaging it.
- Plastic hose clamps (to prevent the parts of the cooling system higher than the bottom of the tank from draining while I had the hose off the tank)
- WD40 for sliding rubber things, including O-rings. I never really did this before but it's great and WD40 seems pretty safe for everything.
- Right angle pick - I use this almost every time I work on cars now but I never had these until more recently. Example 1: spring retaining clips for coolant hoses. Example 2: pretty much all Mercedes harness plug locks.
- Constant spring tension hose clamp pliers (ratcheting)
Without most/all of these things, this simple job would have actually been a lot more difficult. For example, releasing the hose from the bottom of the tank. There isn't really any slack in the hose to pull it up so you can get your hands on it. Had to use the hose pliers. But they work great for this because that is their job. Or releasing the constant tension hose clamp and not fighting with vice grips or something. Using the right angle pick to unplug the coolant level sensor because there really isn't enough room to get your hand on it. Hose clamp pliers to prevent coolant loss while the tank is out. It all adds up.