Several factory. Odd number of cylinders, its a diesel, and a not very robust engine mounting system. After wrenching on these for some time, I really think the engine mounts are a joke. Go look at a Dodge Cummins powered truck, they have some stout mounts. I have NEVER had to replace one or even see one go bad.

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1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair

The nature of the mounts dictates the problem. If you need a soft mount that isolates the engine from the frame, by definition it's going to take a beating. It's not easy to engineer a "robust" mounting system that is simultaneously "soft".

I'm not familiar with the Cummins, but, you can rigidly bolt a 6 cylinder engine to the frame and not feel much vibration from it.

At Idle, with the stereo on you cant tell mine apart from a well tuned gasoline engine. It is perfectly still and idles softly. As a matter of fact, many people are shocked to learn that it is a diesel. Mine is a 6 cylinder though and has pretty good power. It will GET UP AND GO when I want it to and then you'll hear it. I hate to sell it because it is so perfect and one rarely gets lucky to find a car and the engine in such pristine condition but I would really like to have a 1999 S500.

The Cummins is not a rigid mount, but the mounting system is a very heavy duty unit, but does have a rubber isolator just like the mercedes. I think the way the load is spread out from the engine side on the Mercedes is not adequate. The rubber could be just as pliable but maybe a different compound.

__________________
1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair

I agree with you there. The load is very concentrated on a narrow portion of the rubber and the longevity is not present. But, the mounts are not costly and, usually, are not that difficult to change........especially with a lift.

Brian,

How the heck do you reply so fast?!
Does your computer "ding" when someone makes a post?

Yes the mounts are cheap, but I like the idea of never having to change them or mayby only once in the cars life. I remember that when I sold my '73 Camaro it still had the original mounts. I like that.

__________________
1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair

I just sit here and wait for you to post........Russell.......didn't you know??

For sure........never changing them is less costly than changing cheap mounts!

Yea I thought so.

You must be in the computer field and able to be available so quickly. I use to but no no more. I have 2 more quarters till I get my refrigeration diploma, then off to the races.

__________________
1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair

.........no computers for me.

.........check the profile.........it's just slow around this time.

ive always wondered why big rigs shook when they started up.. its cool seeing a big 15 foot thing shake like a dog starting up.. heh i rember playing with my toy trucks as a little kid .. id have a whole truck stop and all.. fuel depot.. diesel 1.10 a gallon and id pretednt to start them up .. make them shake a little and stuff..


i love it how my diesel shuts down.. it gives a nice little shake..

Agreed! I had a 1981 Toyota Cressida 4dr sedan with a 2.8L inline 6-cylinder. The engine was as smooth as silk. Even when it blowed a head gasket and was running on 5-cylinders, it was still smooth.

What a car it was. Too bad the head gasket went. I gave it to grandpa- he knew a guy that was going to repair for him at a low rate, but the guy never did it. Grandpa did not need the car, so he sold it to his neighbor for $200 who was going to repair it for his granddaughter. She got into some mischief and he sold it from under her.

I have no idea where the car is now.

Somewhat Off Topic, but Harley V-Twin engines shake like crazy from torque pulses.

Old British vertical twins, ditto. Sometimes the front fender would be a blur at idle, there was so much movement. The, with added rpm the torque pulses would change frequency and the bike would seem smoother, for a bit, until at maximum revs the handlbars would seem to get as big as the big end of a baseball bat.

My Subaru Engine is very smooth, no vibration at all, with 200,000 miles, and original motor mounts...

Very correct on this. I have driven the newer (2002 and later) Camry with both engine options and couldn't tell the difference. Test details by Consumer Reports later revealed to me that Toyota has mastered NVH control so well that its four cylinder engines are as smooth as the six cylinder engines! These guys are amazing in their never ending fights against NVH.

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1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

Big rigs are different. They are inline 6 cylinders, but they have a HUGE amount of mass to get moving compared to our cars.

__________________
1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair