I paid a visit last Friday to a local MB dealership to pickup some special order parts for my '91 300-SEL. It had been awhile since I visited this place. A former parts counter person, now parts mgr., recognized me and we started talking old MBs. I mentioned my situation with the center/rear exhaust. He quoted me a wholesale price for both. That's most likely the route I'll take.

The original exhaust is one piece; the dealer replacement is 2 piece - 2 separate part numbers.

Center Muffler - 126 490 4515
Rear Muffler - 126 490 5315

I believe he has the 2 parts numbers switched - no matter - both will be ordered.

This sites parts sections says one of these is no longer available from MB. The parts man I spoke with said they are.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Very interesting. Thanks for the tip Mike. My parts guy told me that the center muffler is NLA. He's been very helpful, and correct, over the years; but I'm hoping you're right, and he's wrong.

I don't think I'd bother with bolt-up semi-stock jazz if I wasn't going OEM somehow. Measure the muffler, go to summit racing or jegs and pick out a nice SS one from Borla or some other known name, have a muffler shop install it. If you want to be able to unbolt it they can put a bolted flange in wherever you want, you can buy those online too. The muffler will probably outlast the car, but it won't be cheap for a really quality muffler. If you need piping betwixt the resonator and muffler that should be relatively trivial as well but I'd reuse the stock stuff if I could. This is also an excellent time to fit a sedate dual or dual outlet exhaust.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

In post #16 above I mentioned discussing this with a local MB dealer parts mgr. He pulled up the part numbers and I assumed he thinks they are available.

A few days later I called another local MB dealer parts dept. and was told that neither of the part numbers in post #16 are available from MB, nor do they exist in any dealers inventory. I also went online to one of the largest MB dealer parts sites - south Atlanta - and queried them. Got the same answer.

I found a local muffler shop that's been around for quite a few years that supposedly has made custom exhaust systems for antique autos. Sounds like they may be able to put something together for me.

Other work on the MB + another car puts the MB muffler on hold for awhile.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Thanks for the update Mike. That's disappointing news. I kind of figured as much, but your confirmation made it official. Custom muffler building sounds like a cost, I'm not willing to incur. I've gotten use to the horrible tone and appearance of the "Garbage" that I ended up putting on, so it will stay. I think I'll go with the Ansa, if another replacement is necessary. I know how other work goes. I've got a box of parts for a front end rebuild on the 300SEL, that I just can't seem to get to. Maybe when I fix the groaning strut rod bushing, the muffler will again sicken me to the point of replacement. I love the car, but I'm getting too old for this.
Take it Easy, and thanks again.

Spoke with 2 indy muffler shops that "supposedly" do custom work.

One said he would have to use universal parts. 2 issues with this(he said):

- German cars louder after using universal parts
- Universal parts do not last as long

His way of saying he wasn't interested in doing the work.

Went to yet another shop and received a lot of pleasantries/lip service/ will get back to you. Never heard from them. There's one more shop left to visit. Not holding my breath.

In the after-market world - there is ONE company left that makes both the center/rear muffler for the 300-SEL. That company is ANSA. Borla - Bosal - Walker no longer make the CENTER muffler and some cases, neither of them make either muffler. It's interesting that some of these companies make a center muffler for the 300-SE, but not the 300-SEL? I understand wheel base difference is a factor.

I will in all probability be installing a new ANSA center/rear muffler myself this fall after things cool off. Too hot right now. The ANSA will likely do well for me as I do not live in the rust belt and winter in my area is not at all harsh - no road salts. I'll continue slapping goop on the center muffler 'til then.

I have numerous other maint. tasks to perform on Fraulein, so I'm putting this one on a shelf 'til the leaves start to turn.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Mike, interesting thread. I'm kinda knowledgeable on the 300SE exhaust, since I am on my 6th FREE Midas rear muffler since '97. Wife drove only two miles to work, so the OE muffler on the '91 only lasted about 6 years. The much cheaper Midas units lasted 2-3 years (in Texas!). On my last visit about 5 years ago, they had discontinued the muffler, so they had to buy me a new Eberspacher. But they said next time, they would just have to refund my original $250 form 1997 and send me on my way. Pretty fair all things considered.
The Eberspacher is a tank compared with the various Midas units.
We've moved, and now the car usually gets fully warm when driven, and the muffler is hanging in there fine.

I'm on my 3rd center muffler, but it's looking pretty bad. Have used both Ansa and Bosal. Both are VERY cheaply made, but hold up 6-7 years due to the faster heatup than the rear unit. I replaced these center units myself. Not too hard since they bolt right on at the front, and the slip-on to the rear muffler pipe is usually in pretty good shape what with being replaced every few years. Fit is decent on both brands

FYI, my '91 300SE rear and center mufflers were separate units from the factory, with a slip-fit near the rear axle.

Have you considered a center muffler delete? With a catalytic convertor and a rear muffler on it isn't going to be terribly loud.

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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.

S-Class Guru - interesting about the 300SE - separate units. My '91 300-SEL is equipped with what it came from Germany with - a one piece setup. This may be why Walker has a center muffler for the 300SE and none for the 300-SEL. Ernst has the same offering - center for 300SE; nothing for the 300-SEL. Eberbacher is no longer available unless you can find someone who's hoarding one.

Skippy - I want to stay with what I have - center and rear mufflers - pulling the center from the equation would net a much louder car. If this were a '68 Chevy I'd have no issues and none of the indy shops I spoke with offered up that option. As mentioned above, they are all concerned about a louder car and don't want to deal with an angry owner as a result of that happening.

As it turns out, I found an Indy muffler shop willing to install the one and only after-market option available for an 88-91 300-SEL.

ANSA ME 7005 - center
ANSA ME 6907 - rear

Many say they are junk - there are a few on this forum who believe otherwise. Around the WEB I hear good and bad.

I live in a warm climate - no ice/snow/road salts and most of my driving is highway and I never drive this car 2 miles and back. It's rare that I drive less than 20 miles on the hwy., so moisture build up won't be an issue.

I'm no spring chicken, so the 2 ANSAs may outlive me.

I will post the outcome of the ANSA install and my opinion of the noise level. Mufflers arrive Wed. according to FedEx. It will be next week at the earliest before I can have them installed.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

FWIW, I tried universal parts for my Sportline after balking at the price of an Eberspacher center section and it drones quite a bit and for unrelated reasons I would have actually saved money going for an Eberspacher center. If Walker made ones to fit, I'd assume they would be decent but the welds on Walkers look incredibly messy from my experience.

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Current: 1975 450SEL, 83 300D, 88 Yugo GVX, 90 300D OM603 swap, 91 F150 4.6 4v swap, 93 190E Sportline LE 3.0L M104 swap, 93 190E Sportline LE Megasquirt, 03 Sprinter, 06 E500 4Matic wagon.

Walker would have been my choice as they are stainless steel. They make one for the 300SE; not the 300SEL.

After reading S Class-Guru's comment above, I suspect their 300SE center muffler would work with my 300SEL, but it's too late, at least for now. ANSA will be on my porch tomorrow morning.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Finally found a shop to install both center/rear mufflers.

Center - ANSA ME7005 - origin U. K. - Klarius muffler

Rear - ANSA ME6907 - origin Taiwan

Also sourced new seals that go between the CAT pipes and front of center muffler and new flange bolts - M8-1.25X60mm - 10.9

126 997 01 41 - drivers side seal
202 492 03 81 - passenger side seal

Original hangers were not in bad shape - I may replace later, but for now, they are fine.

Sound - same as before the center muffler started rotting out, in other words, the new exhaust system sounds like the original. Not at all louder as I've read around the web.

So far - so good.

Now on to the leaky U-Gasket - broken speedometer/tach/etc./etc.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Hey Mike, Thanks for the update. Glad to hear you got the exhaust work behind you, and I appreciate the review on the Ansa mufflers.
It's a good thing you didn't order the 300SE muffler. It will not fit; I tried it.
Good Luck!