air cleaner discovery

[seabrighter]

Today I did a Diesel Purge, changed fuel filters, and cleaned my banjo bolt to try to improve performance. While I was watching the engine run during the purge, I noticed the rocking of the engine made my air cleaner unit hop up and down, causing some noise.

Upon further inspection, I noticed it was not properly bolted down. I took it off and found that it had rocked so hard that the rubber mounts were ripped clean in half. What's more, there was an air line that connects to the bottom which had been rocked right off, leaving it just dangling.

At the moment, I'm temporarily gluing the rubber mounts back together until I get new ones later this week. However, I'm wondering about this air line that comes straight out of the bottom. It goes down to what looks like the tranny? It's hard for me to tell. There also seems to be oil leaking into the air filter from somewhere.

What would be the effects of this air line being disconnected? I haven't put everything back together yet, so I'll know soon enough if there's improvement when I reconnect it, but does anyone want to take a gander at it?

[cchkaiban]

It's not an airline. It is the oil return. Engines have blow by (oil and vapor coming out of the crank case). The air filter housing is designed to seperate the oil from the vapor and return the oil to the oil pan.

[seabrighter]

Originally Posted by cchkaiban

It's not an airline. It is the oil return. Engines have blow by (oil and vapor coming out of the crank case). The air filter housing is designed to seperate the oil from the vapor and return the oil to the oil pan.

Good to know! So maybe the oil wasn't draining from the air filter properly because of the oil return line being disconnected. Oh well, it may not improve anything but at least it's good to have things connected the way they should be.

When you replace the rubber mounts, make sure they have their little heat shields installed. The heat shields do help keep the rubber from degrading.

[seabrighter]

Originally Posted by Craig

When you replace the rubber mounts, make sure they have their little heat shields installed. The heat shields do help keep the rubber from degrading.

Do they come with the heat shields? I just let the guy at the parts store order them for me because they were cheap. If they don't come with it, will I find them for sale separately on most MB parts sites?

Originally Posted by seabrighter

Do they come with the heat shields? I just let the guy at the parts store order them for me because they were cheap. If they don't come with it, will I find them for sale separately on most MB parts sites?

The heat shields look like this:

http://catalog.worldpac.com/mercedesshop/sophio/quote.jsp?header=header.jsp&footer=&product=6170940220&partner=mercedesshop&baseurl=http://catalog.peachparts.com/&clientid=catalog.mercedesshop&cookieid=1CQ0J3JZ42750S9DBY

You may already have them installed, so you can reuse them. If not, you can order them here, or the dealer may have them.

[seabrighter]

Originally Posted by cchkaiban

It's not an airline. It is the oil return. Engines have blow by (oil and vapor coming out of the crank case). The air filter housing is designed to seperate the oil from the vapor and return the oil to the oil pan.

Another question on this oil return line. Because it's metal, it doesn't have any kind of clamp to keep it on tight. It seems like it doesn't make a good seal around the fitting at the oil pan. Is there some kind of o-ring or something that I might be missing? I noticed a lot of oil all over the top of the oil pan. This thing may have been disconnected for a while before I got it. I want to make sure I've got it connected as tight as it should be. Who knows, maybe the oil pan itself has a leak too. It's kind of a mess down there, oil gunk all over the front rocker arm and what not.

[tangofox007]

There should be an o-ring on the nipple on the bottom of the air cleaner housing. It is the same size as the one on the oil dipstick.

There is also a same-size o-ring at the lower end of the tube.

[tangofox007]

Originally Posted by seabrighter

At the moment, I'm temporarily gluing the rubber mounts back together until I get new ones later this week.

Don't waste your time with the glue. The expectancy of the repair will be measured in seconds.

[spugeddy]

I was working on my today conincidently, and noticed that on the passenger side of the air clear housing, I could press it down and it would depress about a half inch to an inch and spring back. Is that normal , or are they supposed to be tight, with no play. I couldn't get on the lowest bolt for the air clearing bracket to tighten it.

Originally Posted by spugeddy

I was working on my today conincidently, and noticed that on the passenger side of the air clear housing, I could press it down and it would depress about a half inch to an inch and spring back. Is that normal , or are they supposed to be tight, with no play. I couldn't get on the lowest bolt for the air clearing bracket to tighten it.

No, it shouldn't move at all, one (or more) of the three rubber mounts is probably broken.

[P.E.Haiges]

I have been working on 617 engines for 15 years+ and never saw those heat shields. I replaced a lot of the rubber air cleaner mounts. Maybe I should install some of the heat shields.

Do the heat shields go under the rubber mounts?

P E H

[toomany MBZ]

Yes.

[spugeddy]

The mounts are new,

I changed them a few months ago, it is the lowest bolt that is under the air clearner frame (bracket)

I can't get to the bolt to tighten, and it is visably loose

Originally Posted by Craig

No, it shouldn't move at all, one (or more) of the three rubber mounts is probably broken.

[toomany MBZ]

Those rubber "buffers" screw into the bracket, no nut on bottom. Hand tighten as best as you can. I'm undecided about those shields.