
Front Hydraulic Distributor - R129 SL-Class 1990-2002
There are two options for placing your order:
1. (Most affordable) You send in your leaking Front Hydraulic Distributor, and Top Hydraulics rebuilds it.
- Top Hydraulics replaces & upgrades all six seals in your distributor with much tighter, durable square shoulder seals. Top Hydraulics' seals have a far more reliable seal and much longer service life.
OR
2. (Fastest) Core Exchange Option where Top Hydraulics ships the part from our inventory first ($140 plus a $100 deposit).
- Option 2 means that you get a rebuilt & upgraded distributor from Top Hydraulics' inventory first, then you ship back your original part for credit of your $100 core refund. You get a distributor that has been rebuilt to outlast and outperform OEM replacements.
The distributor p/n 1298000022 fails mostly in early model year R129s at this point, and typically after the front lock cylinders 1298001672 have been replaced. Leaks will show most likely by drips from the rear view mirror area, or by fluid running down the hydraulic lines towards the front lock cylinders, making it appear as if the front lock cylinders were leaking.
To remove the original distributor, you will need to remove the dome light assembly.
First, remove the rear view mirror. The mirror is held in place only by a strong spring - push forward on the mirror (simulating someone hitting it in an accident), and it will pop off. Next, remove three bolts on the mirror’s bracket. To remove the dome light assembly, you must also find the Phillips screws behind the map lights. The map lights swivel out: push on one side.
Note: push screwdriver firmly into Phillips screws, or the screw heads may strip.


FedEx 2-Day Delivery
Most orders placed within the USA will ship via FedEx 2-Day Service.
FedEx Priority Overnight Service
Orders placed with FedEx Priority Overnight Service can typically ship same day as long as the order is received before 11AM Pacific Standard Time
FedEx International Priority
For Customs clearance, you must declare a value on the package you are sending us. Please note: parcels with a declared value under US$750 enter the US without incurring taxes, duties or clearance fees. Considering that you are sending us broken parts for repair, it is most reasonable to declare a value under US$750. You can insure your parcel only up to the amount that has been declared as the value for customs, so your best insurance is good packaging. It is extremely rare that parts get lost on the way to us.
Please be sure to drain or cycle all fluid out of your parts, then wrap them in plastic, so that the parcel does not get soaked in oil. It is generally a good practice to double box pumps or sets of cylinders because heavy parcels take quite a beating in international transit unless you are using a premium carrier such as FedEx. Clearly, you don't want to just stick a part into a cardboard envelope without any further protection or buffering. Buffer your parcel well inside so that parts don't rattle around or the parcel gets crushed from others on top of it. Ideally, tape all around all surfaces of the parcel, which generally provides excellent protection against losing components that are trying to escape through small holes in the cardboard.
We use FedEx International Priority for almost all outbound international shipments, as they tend to offer the fastest and most secure service. Due to our shipping volumes, our rates for return shipping your parts via FedEx International Priority are typically equal to or cheaper than Postal Service. We cannot offer shipping labels for your shipment from you to us - you will have to shop around for the best option to ship your parts to us.
In the rare event that you feel you have to declare a value over US$750 on your parcel shipping to us, please understand that we will need to be reimbursed for any importation fees or duties incurred. You agree to this by accepting our terms and conditions when you place your order. On high value parcels, we are typically charged an Entry Prep Fee (currently about $25) plus 2.5% tax on the declared value of the package, there are oftentimes delays in customs, and it can take a while for us to receive the actual customs invoice.
Depending on the parts you are sending us, your customs declaration might say "hydraulic cylinder for repair" or "hydraulic pump" for repair. Please note that DHL does not like to carry hydraulic parts or used car parts in some countries. If your carrier asks for the "harmonized code or tariff" of the parts you are shipping, those are 841221 for linear actuators (cylinders) and 841360 for pumps.
At Top Hydraulics, we pride ourselves on providing new and remanufactured parts with unmatched quality and longevity.
It is very rare that our parts fail. Obviously, we are only human and we could have made a mistake or one of our components might indeed have had a hidden defect. Please contact us first when you suspect that you have a warranty case, so that we can try to help right away. It could be that the failure you are experiencing is caused by a different component or that the installation was not quite proper, so we like to be in touch first to go over the situation with you.
Unless stated otherwise, there is a 3 year warranty on all new and remanufactured parts provided by Top Hydraulics. This warranty is transferable. All parts manufactured or rebuilt by Top Hydraulics have unique markings, so there is no additional paperwork needed to transfer a warranty. The warranty does not cover labor, direct or consequential damages. The warranty is void when the parts have been abused or have been installed incorrectly, or when brake fluid or stop-leak additives have contaminated your hydraulic system..
You will have to send your failed part(s) back to Top Hydraulics for a warranty evaluation. In the extremely rare case of failure on rebuilds or new parts shipped or provided by Top Hydraulics, Top Hydraulics' warranty covers only parts and is limited to rebuilding the products previously shipped by Top Hydraulics, or replacing them, or refunding the rebuild fee at Top Hydraulics' discretion. If the failure was our fault, then we will refund reasonable shipping costs, as well.
Reviews (1)
The rebuilt hydraulic distributor was installed in my R129 and everything went together as it should.