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Just had my 2nd nipple failure, by resting my hand on the pipe. This was also how the 1st one failed on me some 10 years ago.
Cracked nipple
New replacement (2013) nipple
Old (cracked) nipple and new (2013) nipple
The pipe seems to fail on the half that sticks out of the large cooling hose. Guessing the heat from the exhaust manifold is simply too much. The damaged part was a very light brown (almost like cedar wood) and crumbled like powder.
As others have mentioned, it is worth keeping a spare nipple on the car. I was back on the road in 10 minutes.
Looks like the dealer SKU is unchanged as of 2023. Guess this one will cook in another 10 years or so.
Last edited by slammer111; Jun 27, 2023 at 02:35 PM.
I broke mine in a similar way soon after buying the car early last year. I now have a couple of spare nipples ready to go...
I have also installed a large steel heat shield that covers most of the exhaust manifold area, hopefully helping to keep temps a bit cooler in that area, and preventing too much heat stress on those components.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
