Hood pad replacement - Something better?
 

My hood pad was disintegrating (again). Spent yesterday scraping hood. Was about to buy a replacement, but thought that maybe it was time to think about a better solution.

First, is to leave it as is.

Second is to use a better glued on product.

Third would be some type of mechanically attached pad, like later cars have.

For 2nd option, I have used a heavy duty high density acoustic carpet foam to rebuild the carpet mats on my SL. About 5/16", black & surface embossed on both sides. It might stand up better than the usual pads. But Home Depot (where I bought it) doesn't seem to list it at present. Will check other sources.

Anyone come up with a good alternative?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4huznslz6n...raped.JPG?dl=1

When I bought my Car the hood pad was already gone. I have never missed it.

The carpet pad won't stand up to the under bonnet heat and will quickly fail.

Where did you source the existing bonnet pad?

Hood Pad
 

I'm profoundly deaf and I notice the difference....

? How did you get the under hood so clean ? .

I need to do this on twp my my W123's right now, I have the new pads but the old residue is kicking my butt .

you can try some armacell foam sheet but they weigh a lot, I think the factory hoodpad is pretty decent itself. Just get a new one.

There are other products that you can install nowadays, I saw one shop here installing a hoodpad that the installer was using a heatgun to contour it to the factory pad shape. It was black and pretty thin like on new cars.

I'd stick with the "original" pad personally but I'd hate to have to redo that every so often. How long did this one last you? I just did my '84 not long ago and its very awkward to scrape the old stuff off as you know. To me it was worth it and I know mine will last a while as the car rarely gets driven and is garaged.

https://i.imgur.com/Ywzegjwl.jpg

I happened to still have the invoice for the pad. I installed it about 14 years ago. (Car gets used about 7 or 8 months and low miles). It was an Altrom product sold by NAPA.

The carpet underpadding I spoke of, is commercial grade high density polyurethane foam with acoustic and fire ratings as required by codes. The foam hood pads we get sold for our cars are low density foam of some type with apparently no acoustic or fire rating specifications. Can't see how they would be superior in any way.

The pad on my 300D had literally turned to dust so did not stand up to the heat.

If I could find the underpadding, I would use it. But Home Depot here no longer have it. Someone else may.

For the first pass, I used the ice scraper end of my snow brush. You have those down there? :) The old pad just crumbled away. Then I used a small hand scraper to remove most of what was left. For the tenacious spots, I used a 6" wire wheel in my power drill. Spent about 3 hrs.

I did clean the hood off 14 yrs ago before I put the pad on. I seem to recall that being a bigger job. Had hood off and used solvents to remove the adhesive build up. This time, just the 3M 8090 remained and I would leave that if I install another pad.

After first scrape with ice scraper:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xkhqvoer1x...aped1.jpg?dl=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1s41y52yz5...saper.jpg?dl=1

Nice looking car and unusual color!

The pad I just removed lasted 14 years. Car is always garaged and driven about 2500 miles in 6-8 months each year.

I could just buy another pad. But I would like to see and feel it first! Not too impressed with the ones I have installed in past on two of my cars.

Hard to know what "original" is:

This site sells an OEM pad, but doesn't say who it is from. They also sell Febi, Meyle, GK.
F.C.P sell the Febi pad and they say that is OEM! Low price!
AA sell a pad that they say is OE but no brand name. They also have Meyle.

OE and OEM are misleading. Says the company is or was a supplier to MB of some parts?

One other thing - Some of these pads have a heat shield above the turbo. Apparently only needed for California cars?

Not sure where I would find Armaflex sheets here. I think I have seen it as pipe insulation. I will check around. Seems it is usually used for low temperature applications, like A/C etc. I could use some for my heat pump air handler!

Ceramic wool would take the heat.

I loved the foil-covered foam that I had for awhile but the problem was the glue would come loose with heat and make it sag. If I ever found a heat-proof glue I would do that again in a second. At the moment I have nothing.

how about contacting a diesel generator place and ask whats in the canopies? or whats used in the doghouse of van/truck converted shuttle buses.

Ideally, ordering direct from MB would eliminate any guessing. Unfortunately, the W123 hood pad is NLA from MB, so that means your choices are all aftermarket. I would go with the Febi. It has the same waffle type pattern that genuine MB hood pads have, though that's not a real reliable indicator as to whether it's really OE/OEM. In my experience, it seems all MB diesel hood pads start to turn into dust after 10 years or so, regardless of brand. Check out Pierre's video on installing a hood pad. I usually use 3M 08090 adhesive, but he used a different type of glue from MB. That might help your pad last longer? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcYQWiCP3Kc

Hood Pad
 

Wow that car looks nice ! .

I don't want to use a wire wheel or anything that might go through the paint .

Yes, I know what ice scrapers are, I used to have them in my cars but they keep 'growing feet' .

I have some plastic scrapers, they're handy .

When I was with L.A.P.D. Air Support we'd cut 1/4" think plexiglass into handy scrapers, they'd remove old baked on gaskets from alloy things and never damage the sealing surface .

M-B stopped selling the hood pads a while back .

I only get 10 years or so out of them, I'm in the Desert a lot .