Andy_

Hi all,

I've owned an ML63(W166) for a while now and thought i'd share how i replaced the factory fabric intake pipes with new black silicone hoses on the M157 engine,This should suit all platforms with these pipes. This forum and it's members have been really helpful & informative to me so hopefully this may help someone. Basically i removed the fabric pipe and reused the factory plastic couplings that join the airbox & front air dam. Then removed the outer plastic 'shroud' so that pipe clamps can be used to tighten the new silicone hose down to the plastic underneath. I trimmed the outer shroud back with a hacksaw blade and a large hose clamp can be tightened over the coupling to give a straight edge to scribe/cut. Once removed, there is some hard glue/resin that can be scraped off with a blade, I used a wood chisel for this(bit fiddly) The Silicone i used is from Aerflow and has a 23 degree bend(see pics) First i put the airbox side coupler on and then the front air dam. It takes a bit of adjusting to get the angle of the silicone right but once it's lined up you can mark the edges and then transfer to a workbench to cut it with a straight edge and knife The hose clamps used are 73-90mm and the whole cost was probably around $90(AUD) as i got the hose on sale. There are a few benefits to doing this as 1.The Silicone is heat/water/oil proof so will look good for years and won't fall apart. 2. The cost is minimal as you only need 4 x clamps and the 2 hoses. 3. Due to the flexibility of the silicone, it all comes off as one piece for servicing as per factory. I will probably neaten the joins up where the silicone meets the coupling with some black automotive grade sealant to finish the job.