Snapped air filter stud
 

Does anyone have any ideas on how to repair/alter stud that nut attaches to on top of air filter for an '85 300D? Mine broke and now I'm only able to hold a/f with four brackets.

Thanks
Charlie

Are you referring to the nut that holds the cover down in the center? Seems that the 4 snaps around that also holds the cover should suffice. If it were that, IMO, I wouldn't worry about it. But I imagine you can weld it together.

If its one of the 3 nuts inside the air filter that holds it to the bracket, those are heat shields and are replaceable.

I hear on the W126, the bracket that supports the air filter and the bolts and heat insulators are prone to breaking. Mine is broken. I ordered a new bracket and insulators from **************.com. You can order from them, the bolts/heat shields in a kit which includes a "sound quieter" - basically a short bit of plyable hose that you drill and screw into the side of your air filter so if engine vibrations make it bang against your engine, this "bumper" will instead absorb the impact, making this quiet and last longer. I got it in the mail last week. Quality looks fine, even better is a decent instruction sheet on how to install, complete with pictures.

I hope this helps! I hope to install mine in about 2 weeks when I have another weekend available to work on it.

Take care,

Robert

It is just a poor design. The 617 shakes so much that it literally cracks the brackets through fatigue. I replaced my first one with a new one. I welded the orginal and keep it for a spare. I just replaced one of the rubber mounts yesterday and the damn thing still vibrates to hell. Once they go I'm going to use a 45 degree piece of 2.5" 303 SS pipe (left over from the exhaust project) and a K/N filter set up. I just need to figure out how I'm going to run the oil separator.

I am tired of the rattling!

this happened to mine
 

same thing happened to mine, the bolt through the center of the air housing sheared off, and I just have my higes holding down the cover. I need to look at my bracket through because I get a lot of noise.

The real solution is to correct whatever is making you engine shake enough to fail the bracket. There is nothing wrong with the design if the engine isn't trying to shake itself apart. Avoid the K&N type hacks.

I believe he's talking about the bolt at the center of the top of the air filter housing cover.

One of my cars had the same thing happen. The metal seems to be pretty weak as if they just threaded a casting - it doesn't seem to be hardened at all.

I haven't done anything on mine and just use the four clips. But it bothers me because I worry that dirty air may be slipping by the rubber gasket on the air filter. No evidence that is happening by looking inside, but if I could fix it somehow I'd be happier.

Ken300D

makes noise
 

I swear mine makes noise (extra rattling) without that wingnut