201 clunk, differential bushings? Picture
 

The '87 190E 2.3 clunks at the rear when shifted into gear. Are there differential bushings that can be replaced? Anyone have a photo or PDF from the repair CD they can post or send me?

Thank you in advance,

Haasman

bump- anybody?

The 190 has front and rear mounting isolators for the rear subframe. Are those what you're looking for?

I beleive so.

When I put into gear from neutral, there is a pronounced clunk from the rear. I am suspecting the differential mounts.

Haasman

I expect that the 201 is like the 124 in this regard. I just got through putting the diff mounts in about a week ago. You will need the correct tool to remove and install. You also need to put them back in the same position so that all the joints will be properly aligned.

If you can get your hands on the tool, it's not too tough of a job.

Good luck,

Thanks Larry-

Couple of questions-

-Do I have to drop the rear suspension?
-Do the bushings need to be pressed out ...
- ...or can I use the infamous combination of washers and bolts?

Haasman

IMO the most likely suspect is the driveshaft front flex coupling. If you get the car in the air you should be able to get under there with a flashlight and check it for cracks. With the transmission in park twist the driveshaft back and forth and you should be able to see any cracks in the rubber.

This part is the same or of common design architecture on the 201 and 124 models and they are usually shot by 50-60K miles. It acts as a torsional damper, but is not very durable. When it cracks the drivetrain feels like a rubber band and the excess torsional play causes clunking sounds because the damping function is lost. I discovered mine was cracked when I did the 60K mile service. Since I had a service coupon from the dealer for an hour's free labor, I had them do the swap, so my only cost was the part.

When I got the car back I inspected their work and found that they did not index the front and rear driveshaft sections properly, so I took it back and had them fix it. Upon reinspection, they got it right.

Duke

Yes it could be the flex disk, but the diff mounts are common to fail because many people (been there done that) do not know that the diff is rubber mounted so they pick the rear of the car up by the diff, ruining the mounts.

I have never replaced a flex disk anywhere near as soon as 60K miles. I suppose if you really drive hard, it might last no longer than that.

Diagnose before you replace anything. If you were to put the back wheels on ramps and then lightly raise the diff with a floor jack, you will easily see whether the diff mounts are bad or not. To check the flex disk, simply grab the driveshaft near the disk and shake. It should be tight. Don't forget to do this at both ends of the shaft.

Replacing the diff mounts takes much more than bolts and washers. There is a special puller that is used. My brother in law made one that worked great, but he can make anything on his lathes or mill. If you don't have a lathe, you can buy a puller from Performance Products for $110. I think they also rent them.

Good luck,

I experience the same clunking sounds from the passenger rear of my 1987 300e. For a novice DIYer like myself, with no jack or sophisticated tools, it sounds like a dealer/repair shop job. Any idea what parts & labor should run? BYW, I understand that for cars over 10 years old the MB dealers give a 10% labor discount. Is this true?

Richard if it is the passenger side only, the problem is probably not the diff mounts OR the flex disk. You need someone to raise the car and apply the "Four P's," Push, Pull, Pry and Prod, to find the problem. You can't specify or price the solution until you know for sure what parts need attention or replacement.

Good luck,

For various reasons unrelated to the clunk, I replaced the entire suspension, driveshaft, & differential in my '87 300D. As far as I remember, it still clunks when I shift into gear. It just got out of the body shop from a run in with a deer last month and I'm going to replace the engine and trans (head issues). Maybe the tranny is causing the clunk.

To this day I lift the rear of the car with the dif, slip jack stands underneath the jack points, and lower the car. Sure the diff mounts stretch doing that. But from what I'm seen they are a lot more likely to rot from time rather than jacking up the rear of the car under the diff.

I've found it easy to put a 12 mm hex driver in one of the diff bolts and torque on the bolt. If the entire diff clunks around and/or the mounts look shot, they should be replaced. The tool is a must unless you are real handy with a torch ;)

If there's only a clunk from one side or another then sumpin is prolly loose. When I bought my car the PO installed new bilstein comforts and the bottom nut on the passenger shock came loose leaving it to clunk around in the control arm. Other possibilities are badly worn suspension links.