Assembly help - Fuel distributor to throttle body - 560 SEL
 

I am finishing of the plenum seal job on my 1989 560SEL. I have fitted a new rubber air scoop ("mixture housing") below the fuel distributor.

The problem is when I try to mount the fuel distributor assembly on to the intake manifold the housing scoop will not fully slide over the throttle assembly. There does not appear to be any room for a hose hook.

Has anyone else run across this problem, and if yes, how did you work around it?

Thanks for any pointers...

happened to me almost every time.

The way I deal with it now is:

1. put silicone grease on the boot and the tb

2. remove the round plate from the arm that pushes the fuel distributor

3. with the plate removed you can easily push the boot from the inside over the tb with everything in place

4. put the plate back on

note: that works well on a M103 but on a M117 (your engine) the boot is longer and even with the plate removed this might not work for you

and its important to get the boot to seal tightly against the tb otherwise the car won't run

will try your approach!
 

Thank you for your helpful suggestion!

h:

Consider first fitting the boot to the throttle body (TB); remove the clamps from the boot, do a bit of stretching of the boot, immersing it in hot water to soften it, and in general working the rubber to restore some pliability. Once the boot has been made somewhat workable, you may find that installing the boot to the TB first, and then plugging the air guide into the boot is the better sequence.

This is a new boot. The strap has been relaxed as much as I can. The throttle/Intake assembly are already installed. I am not going to pull the entire manifold assembly apart again. If I could find a junked throttle body that might work, but junk parts are getting harder and harder to come by.

I like the idea of approaching this from the top: Remove the air flow plate, and then try to slip this thing over from the inside...

h:
This was not in any way a suggestion that the manifold & TB be removed.
The boot must eventually go over both the TB and the neck of the air guide.
The suggestion is: after some softening of the boot, that you put the boot down over the TB first, and then plug the neck of the air guide into the open upper end of the boot.

Another idea is to put your fuel distributor into the freezer to cool it down and then try to fit it. Small clearances make a world of a difference.

Too tight, not too loose...
 

It is already too tight. I need to relax the scoop, not tighten it.

I really like the idea of going in through the top. I think I know have a way to tackle the problem.