Gearbox removal & installation: Mercedes-Benz W169, W245 M266 (266.920, 266.940, 266.960, 266.980)

🧭 Before you start

Remove the wheels and arch liners, loosen the drive shaft nuts, lock the steering centred and support the engine on a hoist. Disconnect the anti-roll bar, track rod ends and ball joints, then lower and remove the subframe. Disconnect the catalytic converter, shift cables, reversing light switch and supports, plug the slave cylinder hose, remove the starter and bellhousing bolts and lower the gearbox. Refit in reverse, bleed the clutch and, with automatic clutch, initialise its programmed values.

Fits: platform codes 150, |, 160, BLUEEFF, 170, NGT, 180, 200, TURBO

• Opens: brake fluid

Don't miss

• Lock the steering wheel in the centre position before releasing the steering column bolt.
• Plug the clutch slave cylinder hose as soon as it is disconnected.
• Bleed the clutch at the bleed screw until no bubbles come out.
• Vehicles with automatic clutch need the clutch programmed values initialised with a diagnostic tool.
• Check for stored fault codes once the job is done.

Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.

🔧 Engine codes this applies to

📐 33 workshop diagrams for 266.920

Real factory drawings for this job — timing marks, bolt locations and routing. Locked in the free view.

📋 Procedure

Preparation and removal

1. Loosen the drive shaft nuts
2. Front left support to gearbox
3. Remove the front wheels
4. Remove both front wheel arch liners
5. Raise the vehicle

6. Note: Do not disconnect the wiring
7. Remove the air inlet
8. Open the bleed screw
9. Until no bubbles come out
10. Close the bleed screw
11. Release the clutch pedal
12. Lock the steering wheel in centre position
13. Loosen the steering column locking bolt
14. Disconnect the electrical connector(s) from the power steering
15. Remove the coolant reservoir, but do not disconnect
16. Use a hoist to support the engine
17. Raise the engine until it leaves the engine supports
18. Remove the anti-roll bar
19. Disconnect the track rod ends
20. Disconnect the lower arm ball joints
21. Fit a lifting jack
22. Place the jack under the front axle subframe
23. Fit a lifting jack
24. Place the jack under the engine sump
25. Raise the engine slightly
26. Disconnect the engine supports
27. Lower the subframe
28. Remove the subframe
29. Remove the lower suspension arms
30. Disconnect the catalytic converter
31. Disconnect the gear-shift cables from the gearbox
32. Disconnect the reversing light switch
33. Lower the engine slightly
34. Remove the drive shaft centre bearing bracket
35. Disconnect the front engine support
36. Support the engine
37. Disconnect the engine/gearbox support
38. Disconnect the clutch slave cylinder hose and plug the hose
39. Remove the starter motor bolt(s)
40. Fit the special tool to support the gearbox
41. Remove the engine/gearbox attaching bolts
42. Remove the gearbox from under the vehicle

Installation and checks

43. Refit all parts in the reverse order of removal
44. Tighten the bleed screw(s)
45. Lower the vehicle
46. Switch off the brake fluid replacement unit
47. Disconnect the brake fluid replacement unit
48. Vehicles with automatic clutch:
49. Initialise the clutch programmed values
50. Check for any fault codes
51. Use a diagnostic tool

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