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During a session of trying to trace a vibration, I came across this rather unusual design of the centre exhaust hanger on the SL55.
Normally exhaust hangers are rubber to isolate the vibrations of the exhaust from the chassis - but this one is metal coupling vibrations back to the chassis !
Originally I thought it was a way of earthing the exhaust, but I don't believe this is the case.
Unless anyone know any different, is there another reason for this design ?
The Sl500 has a rubber hanger at this point.
Having seen a few aftermarket exhaust they do away with this mount. Are they maybe missing a trick for even more exhaust feedback ?
The metal mesh serves as a damper of sorts, it's probably too hot to use rubber in that location. I've seen similar on other cars.
Thats interesting to know, which other cars have this ?
It could well be a heat issue as you say , but as mentioned the SL500 use a rubber hanger in this position ( although the exhaust is a different shape with space for it ) and the sheer pressure this arrangement applies to the exhaust is the thing that surprises me.
While I wont try to unravel the curios exhaust mounting feature shown above, I will add some info about what I did on my own 2003 SL55.
Not sure why, but (unlike most other models) the SL55 had no exhaust supports at the transmission., so when I added Kleeman mid-length headers, I decided to add the normal supports that are attached at the transmission mount..
I used the bracket-arms and rubber isolation pieces from an E55 (had to customize the bracket arms), cut the weldments off of a R170 exhaust I had laying around (should be able to steal them from any model OR make from scratch), and then I cut reliefs in the rear engine/transmission under-cover (and RTV'd in a piece of alum to re-enforce the cut/compromised cover).
NOT suggesting this is something that should be installed, (Mercedes thought NOT apparently), but something I thought to add.
below are a few pics
the first shows the bracket-arms (that have both been cut in half and bolted in-place to the trans and exhaust pipe by) ready to be tack'd and then welded back together
the next shows the modified/re-enforced under-cover, the modified bracket-arms and the rest of the pieces
and a couple pics of it all installed
Cheers,
Chris
Last edited by latemodel21; 10-13-2020 at 12:32 PM.
10-03-2020, 08:48 AM
