John M,

I recommend you put a couple of pieces of 2x4 on top of a hydraulic jack and place it under the oil pan, favoring the side you are removing, and jack the engine up. If you only do one side at a time it is easier to get the new mount in and line up the threaded hole in the aluminum strut with the through hole in the mount so you can get the screw back in from below.

When you jack the engine up, remember the suspension will move up as you take the weight off the springs. So, to get an inch or more clearance you need to jack the engine up quite a bit. I did the job last summer and found it was easier if you got the metal shield out of the way so you could get a wrench on the driver's side screws you get at from the top. To get the shield out of the way you need to unscrew the single screw from the bottom and jack up the engine until the aluminum strut to the engine clears the shield enough so you can pull it out.

Edit: There is also a snubber mount at the back of the engine/front of the transmission that has to be removed to allow the engine to move enough. My 240D is a manual transmission and I suspect your car will have the same thing. It is a pretty simple mount, just a couple of large (19 or 17 mm bolts) fasteners. I replaced mine as the rubber in it was mostly the consistency of tar. It was less than $20.

Good luck, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)