PITA to install. Thought I'd learned the trick last time....fact the muffler is slightly off from level probably part of the problem.

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 159k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 179k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 145k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 77k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

Last time I did one we used a small rolling card jack to help lift the muffer into place. It made it much easier!

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

Use those jacks from Japanese cars that you slid under the muffler and jack it to level and hook the donuts (rubber hangers)...

__________________
1987 300SDL 314K mi, counting; #22 Head
1999 E300Turbo 405K original miles
1997 E320 180K mi (Son's)
2002 ML320 (Son's)
1998 S320 140K mi (Son's) sold
1985 300SD 311K mi
1984 300D 324K mi (killed by a hit-n-run turd)
*************************************

That is the only way I could ever install them.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I soak mine in hot water for a few minutes before I put them on. This makes them stretch a little easier and go on with less of a fight.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

Works well for the nylon bushings in the shift-linkage too.


Without pics. I don't know what the OP's issue is. I never had a lick of trouble replacing muffler hangers on my W126 300SD...

__________________
'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

Jacking up muffler and heating in water both sound like good ideas....thanks.

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 159k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 179k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 145k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 77k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

The issue is that the donut muffler hangers are extremely difficult to stretch into place....perhaps different muffler hangers are easier. The only way I've ever been able to do it is using a long screwdriver for leverage....still a pain.

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 159k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 179k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 145k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 77k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

I use a screwdriver and roll them over the hooks. Sometimes works like a charm....other times still a struggle.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

It's a tool on the market for this purpose , works beautiful you can pull on the donut or push
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/oes-25543?seid=srese1&gclid=COeG3YT81LkCFYqZ4AodOWkA6Q

Beautiful! Thanks...that's exactly what I need!

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 159k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 179k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 145k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 77k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

hell I use coat hangers lasting 4 years now

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt

haha I use those as REINFORCEMENTS!

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 159k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 179k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 145k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 77k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

Biggest pain for me has been the short lives of some of the aftermarket donut-hangers. I often grab decent used OE ones at the Pick-N-Pull to carry as spares.
I thought about making some 'permanent' ones out of fuel-hose with coat-hanger or stainless hose-clamps inside.
But the set on my 240D, from a local dealer, were cheaper than most of the aftermarket ones, and are holding up well after four years!

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Good point....I think after I use up my supply of aftermarket ones (last pair toast after 20k miles) I will buy from dealer.

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 159k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 179k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 145k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 77k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife