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So I got my vehicle, new to me 2004 S55AMG with no knowledge of prior work....did my research here and prioritized my preventative maintenance, while also fixing some issues. Today I replaced the trans mount....i had a bit of a vibration at 70mph, but nothing really noticeable. I did the replacement because it was only $30 and 30mins of time....and because of what everybody said on here. Even though I had "no real issues" take a look at the mount here....I think this will be an every 40K-60K job for me
It’s really weird but now I have another louder vibration….so the techs looked at the flex disc and said it was ok….didnt need to be replaced, but I think I am going to take it back and have them put a new rear flex disc in anyway. Probably good maintenance anyway. I figure ill do the cheaper stuff and gradually work my way up to the engine mounts
I would suggest looking into a set of "Creative Steel" https://creative-steel.com/shop/merc...engine-mounts/ Engine and transmission mounts. That company has spent a lot of time developing, designing and rebuilding engine mounts specifically for our cars, and they are made in the USA. Their "Elemivibe" from what i understand is between a standard engine mount and the Black series engine mount, but the main benefit is that they are rebuildable. They are also designed in a "case" which prevents the mount from being overextended and pulling apart, which in-turn increases the life.
They're obviously more expensive then your standard Mercedes mount however they are roughly the same price as Black Series mounts and they far surpass the benefits of the BS.
To your point, I had a strange vibration at low speeds and ironically enough a new transmission mount sorted that issue. I still need to do engine mounts myself, and while i'm in there I'll replace the trans mount with a creative steel and just have a spare factory Trans mount. I don't know for sure but if i had to guess I would say that your "New" louder vibration is a direct cause of bad engine mounts. Just a hunch
- Joe
Last edited by PHILLYCLSJOE; Feb 8, 2024 at 08:04 AM.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Joe, please keep us up to speed wrt to Creative Steel mounts. I'm very wary of non-MB hardware on these cars, as the sacrifices show up eventually, usually after the company is out of business. But we'll see. Creative Steel has outlasted most. I just consider engine and transmission mounts like ABC fluid on these cars. Cost of the cheap privilege.
maw
EDIT... 75A poly might do the trick here... I know 80A and 90A are used by a lot of aftermarket companies for the E46M cars, with varying degrees of success. NVH tends to be a problem, but we'll see if 70A, 75A or some other poly or rubber is actually "just right".
I was looking into the Creative Steel mounts a couple of months ago. Ended up going OEM for the tranny mount, but I'm still strongly considering them for the engine mounts. Given that I drive the car far more Limo than HiPo, it's a cost / benefit thing for me.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Originally Posted by CICBarkeep
I was looking into the Creative Steel mounts a couple of months ago. Ended up going OEM for the tranny mount, but I'm still strongly considering them for the engine mounts. Given that I drive the car far more Limo than HiPo, it's a cost / benefit thing for me.
No question. Car is a fast limo. Definitely fast, but definitely a limo also. Driving it fast is a "nice to have" but it tires quickly (too big). After that it's like the glock on your waist you never need to use -- comforting but not necessary and usually more trouble than it's worth.
This is why the E46M -- small, quick and tossable.
It's a price difference of about $75.00 each which isn't a lot of money, but all things considered I'll probably stick with OEM and use the $150.00 towards other inevitables.
Off subject, but is the ABC fluid reservoir separate from the power steering fluid reservoir? Based on what I found when changing the filters yesterday you'd think so, but I'm looking for confirmation.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Originally Posted by CICBarkeep
It's a price difference of about $75.00 each which isn't a lot of money, but all things considered I'll probably stick with OEM and use the $150.00 towards other inevitables.
Off subject, but is the ABC fluid reservoir separate from the power steering fluid reservoir? Based on what I found when changing the filters yesterday you'd think so, but I'm looking for confirmation.
I would suggest looking into a set of "Creative Steel" https://creative-steel.com/shop/merc...engine-mounts/ Engine and transmission mounts. That company has spent a lot of time developing, designing and rebuilding engine mounts specifically for our cars, and they are made in the USA. Their "Elemivibe" from what i understand is between a standard engine mount and the Black series engine mount, but the main benefit is that they are rebuildable. They are also designed in a "case" which prevents the mount from being overextended and pulling apart, which in-turn increases the life.
They're obviously more expensive then your standard Mercedes mount however they are roughly the same price as Black Series mounts and they far surpass the benefits of the BS.
To your point, I had a strange vibration at low speeds and ironically enough a new transmission mount sorted that issue. I still need to do engine mounts myself, and while i'm in there I'll replace the trans mount with a creative steel and just have a spare factory Trans mount. I don't know for sure but if i had to guess I would say that your "New" louder vibration is a direct cause of bad engine mounts. Just a hunch
- Joe
Thank you for the mention of our engine and transmission mounts. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out!
No question. Car is a fast limo. Definitely fast, but definitely a limo also. Driving it fast is a "nice to have" but it tires quickly (too big). After that it's like the glock on your waist you never need to use -- comforting but not necessary and usually more trouble than it's worth.
This is why the E46M -- small, quick and tossable.
maw
Good analogy, The Glock 19 on my waist has about 2mm of dust covering the firearm in its entirety and boy does it get old lugging it around. Looking for something smaller/more slim, thinking of going with the 43x. Whats lost in magazine capacity will make up with lower back comfort
Good analogy, The Glock 19 on my waist has about 2mm of dust covering the firearm in its entirety and boy does it get old lugging it around. Looking for something smaller/more slim, thinking of going with the 43x. Whats lost in magazine capacity will make up with lower back comfort
anywho, back to car stuff...
Firearms....my other expensive hobby! As old as it gets carrying sometimes, it's like the old American Express commercial, I don't leave home without it.
So a quick update here....I did both "donuts" forward and aft on the drive shaft - that did a lot with the vibration - but the engine mounts still need to be done before I get that smooth ride. I am going to go OEM....I just cant see how Creative Steel would be better than OEM.
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.
