mbenzman intake questions
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,083
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From: PNW
2001 E430
mbenzman intake questions
I have followed your Chrome dome project and the other similar theads you wrote. I'm getting ready to start my own version of your project. Just a couple of quick questions.
Over on Benzworld you wrote.....
The pieces inside are glued and bolted together and will have to reglued. I had to heat the intake up to seperate the parts. I haven't found a replacement seal between the top and bottom halves. This may be an issue.
I was just wondering how you went about heating it up. Did you just use a torch on a low setting or did you throw it in an oven. If you used an oven what temp did you use? Mine seems to be bonded pretty tight.
What glue did you use to reassemble the parts after you were finished?
Last but not least did you ever find a replacement for the long O-ring type seal that runs around the whole manifold to seal the two halves together?
My intake looks nowhere near as dirty as yours did. It looks almost brand new. I will post some pics for you in a while. Have you looked inside other manis? Are they usually as dirty as yours was?
Thank you!
Over on Benzworld you wrote.....
The pieces inside are glued and bolted together and will have to reglued. I had to heat the intake up to seperate the parts. I haven't found a replacement seal between the top and bottom halves. This may be an issue.
I was just wondering how you went about heating it up. Did you just use a torch on a low setting or did you throw it in an oven. If you used an oven what temp did you use? Mine seems to be bonded pretty tight.
What glue did you use to reassemble the parts after you were finished?
Last but not least did you ever find a replacement for the long O-ring type seal that runs around the whole manifold to seal the two halves together?
My intake looks nowhere near as dirty as yours did. It looks almost brand new. I will post some pics for you in a while. Have you looked inside other manis? Are they usually as dirty as yours was?
Thank you!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Portsmouth, NH
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See, because I was greedy and outbid you for the last intake, the one I recieved was as dirty as mbenzman's or maybe worse. It took me a full day to clean it. Karma. You were patient and you recieved a cheaper cleaner one.
Mine was in pieces in less than 30min. Didn't have to heat anything. Bolts came out with ease also. I used a long screwdriver wrapped in a rag and carefully pried from within each runner and the interior sections poped opened pretty easy. Hell, I pulled harder removing my door panels the other day. As far as the sealant goes...I've started wondering the same. I was going to see if the dealer had a factory sealant but I'll wait to see what the man says.
One thing I'm looking into additionally was to possibly smooth out and flatten the throttle plate shafts and maybe find some super low profile screws to replace the current ones. According to some flow experts the protruding half round shafts and screws create turbulence when the air moves over the throttle plates like a little jump or speed bump I guess. Did that even make sense?? Maybe I need a pic for this idea......
Mine was in pieces in less than 30min. Didn't have to heat anything. Bolts came out with ease also. I used a long screwdriver wrapped in a rag and carefully pried from within each runner and the interior sections poped opened pretty easy. Hell, I pulled harder removing my door panels the other day. As far as the sealant goes...I've started wondering the same. I was going to see if the dealer had a factory sealant but I'll wait to see what the man says.
One thing I'm looking into additionally was to possibly smooth out and flatten the throttle plate shafts and maybe find some super low profile screws to replace the current ones. According to some flow experts the protruding half round shafts and screws create turbulence when the air moves over the throttle plates like a little jump or speed bump I guess. Did that even make sense?? Maybe I need a pic for this idea......
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Joined: May 2003
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From: Ga.
All of them!
I have followed your Chrome dome project and the other similar theads you wrote. I'm getting ready to start my own version of your project. Just a couple of quick questions.
Over on Benzworld you wrote.....
The pieces inside are glued and bolted together and will have to reglued. I had to heat the intake up to seperate the parts. I haven't found a replacement seal between the top and bottom halves. This may be an issue.
I was just wondering how you went about heating it up. Did you just use a torch on a low setting or did you throw it in an oven. If you used an oven what temp did you use? Mine seems to be bonded pretty tight.
What glue did you use to reassemble the parts after you were finished?
Last but not least did you ever find a replacement for the long O-ring type seal that runs around the whole manifold to seal the two halves together?
My intake looks nowhere near as dirty as yours did. It looks almost brand new. I will post some pics for you in a while. Have you looked inside other manis? Are they usually as dirty as yours was?
Thank you!
Over on Benzworld you wrote.....
The pieces inside are glued and bolted together and will have to reglued. I had to heat the intake up to seperate the parts. I haven't found a replacement seal between the top and bottom halves. This may be an issue.
I was just wondering how you went about heating it up. Did you just use a torch on a low setting or did you throw it in an oven. If you used an oven what temp did you use? Mine seems to be bonded pretty tight.
What glue did you use to reassemble the parts after you were finished?
Last but not least did you ever find a replacement for the long O-ring type seal that runs around the whole manifold to seal the two halves together?
My intake looks nowhere near as dirty as yours did. It looks almost brand new. I will post some pics for you in a while. Have you looked inside other manis? Are they usually as dirty as yours was?
Thank you!
The intake came apart using a heat gun, Avoid using a flame on this as magnesium can burn!! I'd hate to see someone learn the hard way.
I wouldn't pry them apart as mine were very both hard to remove and I would be concerned with damage from the force it seemed it would require.
The seal between the upper and lower halves is not available and I damaged the first one I did. I used Form-a-Gasket and the old piece and let it cure well.
As far as other manifolds and their conditions go, the one pictured is from my ML55. It is now on my CLK55. It had 100K miles and had been driven very hard in a very heavy vehicle, including pulling trailers and big loads (seven people w. 3rd row seats, luggage and a full sized spare mounted outside on rear at 90 mph going up mountains w A/C etc.). I wasn't surprised at the buildup in the manifold at all. It also turns more rpm due to the 3.46 gears.
Wes, your manifold was from another ML, a 430 you said. Maybe that explains it for you. The ML's definitely have to work harder, so I expect more crap in them. The clk's was still dirty, though not as bad.
BTW, the ML55 now has a K&N air filter, it was paper before, so no chance of that having contributed to the mess.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Portsmouth, NH
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I feel dumb now but the intake pieces really didn't need much force at all. If I had stepped on the outer case I could have pulled the insides apart with my hands if I got my fingers under it. Maybe the sealant on mine was going?? I've broken many things in the past so I try to calm down and be careful with MB parts.
The intake I got was from an ML430 I was told yet it bares all the AMG stickers and #'s??? Either way, I'm curious what my C43 intake will look like when removed??
P.S. thanks for the motoX videos, I'm to broke and nervous to take my car on an autoX track. I'll stick to straight line for now....
The intake I got was from an ML430 I was told yet it bares all the AMG stickers and #'s??? Either way, I'm curious what my C43 intake will look like when removed??
P.S. thanks for the motoX videos, I'm to broke and nervous to take my car on an autoX track. I'll stick to straight line for now....
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,083
Likes: 11
From: PNW
2001 E430
I feel dumb now but the intake pieces really didn't need much force at all. If I had stepped on the outer case I could have pulled the insides apart with my hands if I got my fingers under it. Maybe the sealant on mine was going?? I've broken many things in the past so I try to calm down and be careful with MB parts.
Anyway the two smaller "horn" or opening parts on the top half of the intake popped right off when I first started taking the intake apart but the big upper and lower inserts will not budge. I tapped on the outside of the intake with the wood handle of a hammer and you can hear the difference in where the glue is working and where it is non existent or worn out. I will have to concentrate on those areas with the heat. Also as was pointed out Magnesium is flammable. When I was in the boy scouts I had a magnesium block for starting fires and we sure had tons of fun playing with it. That is why I asked for advice.
