Merry Christmas all, and happy whatever you celebrate to those who don't do Christmas.

I'm swapping the IP on my 617 in my truck, and attempting to do so without removing the oil filter tower. I have everything loose/removed save the rear bolt. I have the two bolts holding the bracket removed from the block, just working on the last one connecting the bracket to the IP. I've gotten it loose, just having to get in there and lean way down and get one finger from each hand on it and keep rotating it 1/10th of a rotation at a time.

Thus far I have spent more time on this one bolt than I have on the entire rest of the removal procedure, including removing the other IP from my spare engine(lots of room to get to that bolt).

Now, calling down the wrath of the Mercedes gods upon me...............do I really need to put that rear bracket back on? Anyone go a significant amount of time without it with no issue?

The IP is both a fairly heavy and fairly long assembly creating lots of leverage on the mounting point, and Mercedes wouldn't have put that bracket on there if they didn't think it was unnecessary. The engine vibrates a good bit, so that's even more stress. I'm also not in an MBZ luxury car application, my truck is taken offroad and bounces around plenty. I'm sure the 617's in G wagons have that bracket.

Guess I've pretty well talked myself into putting it back on. Thoughts?

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap