Angry Swiss neighbors, obviously. :)

The Fumoto valve with the 'nipple' works well for this. You can attach a drain hose that runs past the shield, and leave it there.

Removing the shield is not that tough, but does require jacking up the front for decent access to the fasteners. The Fumoto is a great time saver in this regard. Anything to speed up a chore as frequent as oil changes pays big dividends over time.

https://ssl2.adhost.com/fumotovalve/...ics/N-Plug.gif

My '91 300E has a cover which is attached with four screws. I've been removing this thing for 12 years w/o jacking the car up. Before that, I was able to remove the cover on my '84 190D for 17 years w/o jacking the car up.

The 190D required that the front cover be installed because it provided a shield to keep air from tearing off the rear cover. The same thing with my 300E.

The cover protects the oil pan from damage. There has been more than one occasion that the cover has saved me from an expensive and inconvenient accident.

I can't believe anyone would discard these covers because they are too lazy to deal with them. If I can deal with them at my age and size, others shouldn't have an excuse not to:D

Ok, I admit one CAN remove the cover without jacking, but it is not a pleasant activity IMHO...

It isn't pleasant to get under the 300E w/o jacking it up but I'm a glutton for punishment:)

I still plan to make a hinged "trap door" for mine.. Should be fast, and easy... And useful..:D

Bet the quickie lube places always have a pile of them out back. Try getting one there!

jay3000

When you have complete the hinged "trap door" post how you have done it.

I have also thought about creating such a door. One consideration that I have pondered is enough area for the oil to pour out of without contacting the sides of the opening and creating a mess.

What would you use for the hinges and for a latch?

Keep us posted,

Haasman

I'm always amazed with what some people do. That includes taking a Mercedes to a Jiffy Lube :rolleyes:

BTW, the BMW E39 series has a trap door in the engine cover to permit draining oil. I suppose other models have it as well.

It's still in the thinking stages. I will have to REALLY take a look to see if it's practical, but I planned to use a couple of small brass hinges, and a small exterior cabinet latch (not sure how to describe it) that I have laying around from a boat.. You just squeeze the latch, and it opens...At first glance, it looked pretty easy..

LOL, csnow. :)

I too wonder about a cutout, it seems like it'd have to be pretty big, almost to the point of defeating the purpose.

The Fumato valve thing looks interesting, assuming it doesn't fail at an inopportune time. But you'd still have to be able to access the valve, wouldn't that require a hole in the shield as well

I've also thought about a topsider in the past, maybe I'll get one now. Comments on them seem to be split vehemently for and against, which means it's probably fine. :)

required that the front cover be installed because it provided a shield to keep air from tearing off the rear cover

Uh... there's a rear cover??

So I got the shipment from Partshop today, all prepared to revel in new-parts karma...

Note that the rubber boot comes with the shield, so you don't have to buy it separately, like I did. :(

Also note that there are only 4 holes on this cover. Hmm... well, there were two versions for my model year so I wasn't worried (other than buying a couple extra of those really expensive but nice socket head sheet metal screws :)). I bought the part specified for my VIN and Phil at PartsShop verified it.

Alas, when I went to put it on my car it doesn't fit. The rear will fit perfectly, the front will basically fit, but they won't both fit at the same time. The cover seems to be a half-inch or inch too long, in overall length and between the front/rear screw holes. If I were to cram it in there it'd be bowing out dramatically.

Looking on the parts CD some more, I noticed that the cover I received looks suspiciously like the front cover in this drawing... which is for a DIESEL engine. But the part number isn't the same.

Anybody have any ideas?

(I called Phil at parts shop but he's out early at the dentist, grr... he's supposed to be at our beck and call, not have a life! :))

Benzwood

Geesh, nothing more aggrivating than getting the wrong parts!

I looked at the image above, and then on the previous page and I do so that they are not the same. The "diaper" is much more like what is on the bottom of my 91 300E.

Want some good news? When you get the correct panel you will get to use all of those "really expensive but nice socket head sheet metal screws".


Haasman


Look at the diaper .....

Are you talking about your '91 300E? I'd think that should be the same as mine, and the parts CD lists them the same.

Here's the interesting bit from the CD:

Original part:

124 520 88 23 ANTINOISE CAPSULE

Replaced by:

124 520 41 24 ANTINOISE CAPSULE (up to ident #B 747339)
124 524 15 30 PANELLING (from ident #B 747340)

I'm not sure what the difference is, but my chassis # is less than 747339 so I got the first one. I would presume yours would be less than that too being a year earlier.

I got the correct part number shipped too, but it sure doesn't look like the drawing on the CD. Sometimes they don't exactly, but I dunno...

If you're under your car sometime I'd be curious to know the distance between the front and rear (or middle, in your case) screw holes. I don't think my front end is smashed in an inch, but... :)