air cleaner vibration - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JHZR2 · #1 05-01-2004, 11:42 PM

Hi,

I am curious, how much should the air cleaner vibrate?

I took it off to do a valve adjustment today. I put it back on, tightened up the turbo u tube, tigherned down all the little bolts to the air cleaner mounts, and started it up.

Car sounded and ran fine after it nailed or misfired a couple times (It NEVER does this, even in extreme cold, so I assume its due to me turning the engine over so many times during the adjustment). But, the air cleaner was really vibrating; more vibration than I remember it usually having. It shook the turbo u tube and everything.

Teh engine mounts seem to be fine when I yank on them, but in general, I think the engine has a bit more of a shake than it used to. Maybe since this near permanent shake has develloped, the air cleaner has come loose, but Im not sure.

Is it OK to have the air cleaner vibrating pretty fast? The mounts all feel rubbery and soft, they are about 2yrs old.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

JMH

william rogers · #2 05-02-2004, 02:27 AM

SD's are notorius for broken air filter mounts ,when mine broke I welded in extra metal.......

William Rogers......

kmaysob · #3 05-02-2004, 03:01 AM

mine did that too. i found that one of the bolts on the little rubber mounts pulled through the threads. so, i put a nut on it problem solved

R Leo · #4 05-02-2004, 05:22 AM

What ever it takes...weld, bolt, bailing wire, doublebubble. These cars simply DESTROY air cleaner mounts.

A truly STUPID design on an otherwise brilliant piece of engineering.

JHZR2 · #5 05-02-2004, 09:21 AM

hmmm... cant believe that I broke something on it when I put it together. Everything looked fine when I checked it all over, when I took the cleaner off.

I guess Ill have to scout around to see what is actually broken.

What happens if you drive around with the air cleaner vibrating? Do I run the chance of anything else breaking?

Thanks,

JMH

vwbuge · #6 05-02-2004, 10:42 AM

I would get it fixed ASAP. WHen my car had all the CA crap on there it vibrated excessively. Upon further inspection I noticed the rather robust bracket at the bottom of the turbo was cracked. This is the bracket that attaches to the motor mount. I have since remedied the problem. First of all, the CA stuff is ****canned in favor of the federal emissions. I do not run the stock air cleaner. It just seemed silly with that big honking thing on there and that stupid U-tube. WIth my new setup it runs soooo much better and it isn't even loud.

rdetoy · #7 05-02-2004, 05:32 PM

What did you use for an elbow to move the filter off the end of the turbo and out from behind the radiator?

Eric Eliel · #8 05-02-2004, 06:51 PM

to reduce the air cleaner from vibrating (yes a very poor MB design) I "borrowed" a trick from Randy Durrance. He rebuilds old MB distributors (hate to post this without the credit!).

Get an old shock bushing, a 1-1/2" to 2" bolt and some washers and matching nuts. Drill a hold in the air cleaner at about 10:30 to 11am. The idea is that the rubber shock mount presses against the valve cover and reduces the vibration. I haven't broken an air cleaner bracket since. BTW I have heard that the factory ones last longer than the aftermarket ones.

vwbuge · #9 05-02-2004, 09:16 PM

Where the filter lies in that picture is where the stock CA air filter cannister lived. It was a huge thing and the filter cost $35!!! I just used the stock rubber tube and put a piece of PVC reducer to mate it to the opening in the air filter.

kmaysob · #10 05-03-2004, 12:00 AM

mine was so bad that when i stopped at a light or anywhere without shutting the engine off i would put it into nuteral