I just want the car smogged!

"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
11/09/2016 at 20:42 • Filed to: None

Sir, your engine is not connected to your car .

This from a 1991 W126 420SEL. I have never in 20 years in the shop seen mounts this bad, ignored for this long. The engine was a good 2" out of place. It broke the exhaust mount bracket that’s cast into the back of the transmission, hit the fan on the shroud, torqued the exhaust hard enough to loosen the right exhaust manifold, damaged the shift linkage, bound the throttle, and broke the bracket for the engine damper. Not to mention that the idle was stuck at 1500, so it banged hard into gear, jumping the engine. Unreal. Got the mounts and idle fixed, now we can talk about smog.

DISCUSSION (22)

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 20:47

Holy wow, that’s awful looking!

RallyWrench > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
11/09/2016 at 20:52

It was awful feeling, too! Worst I’ve ever seen, by far.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 21:04

Arguably the engine is still connected to the car if it’s driving it. I once took my Jeep into a shop because I couldn’t figure out what a banging noise was, and it was having trouble driving... One motor mount was hosed, the other was failing, and all but one of the bellhousing bolts were either missing or sheared. Things it never occurred to me to look at.

Phatboyphil > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 21:07

Annnnd this is why I dont wanna be a professional mechanic. I’ll just deal with my own shit :)

HammerheadFistpunch > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 21:28

Delicious engine melts

RallyWrench > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
11/09/2016 at 21:43

You’d have to make one hell of an argument, a torque converter and rubber driveshaft disc do not a connection make in my book. Man, I’ll bet that Jeep was spooky, I know this Benz was.

RallyWrench > Phatboyphil
11/09/2016 at 21:45

I often wish all I had to do was deal with my own shit.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 21:47

Engine mounts are one of those things that can bring good ROI in smoothness after the fact. Often not too difficult to change. Gotta stick with OEM, though.

RallyWrench > HammerheadFistpunch
11/09/2016 at 21:48

Heavens, they’re tasty.

RallyWrench > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
11/09/2016 at 21:50

Absolutely. This car was obviously a night and day difference. Normally they’re not too hard on these, but as badly as the engine was displaced and with the damage that did, it was harder than it should have been.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 22:00

...and expeditious!

EL_ULY > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 22:06

I have seen something similar (also Mercedes) but only once. Holy hot damn that is scary

RallyWrench > EL_ULY
11/09/2016 at 22:41

Yeah. And it took some serious doing to get him to understand, hence the post title. He got all flustered, said “I just want the car smogged!!” loud enough for everyone in the shop to hear as I’m trying to explain how bad this is. Now it’s a shop joke. Once he understood that I’m just looking out for him and telling it like it is, he’s become much better to talk to, we’re sorting it out, and he’s happy with the car.

EL_ULY > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 22:59

“those customers” usually don’t 180° into understandable chaps usually. We have one lady we quote. Her line is, “BUT WHAT IS THAT!” in an English accent. All just trying to explain to her have a/c schrader valves were

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > RallyWrench
11/09/2016 at 23:24

The fact it drove at all? Spooky for sure.

RallyWrench > EL_ULY
11/09/2016 at 23:52

Hahaha I get that!

Jonee > RallyWrench
11/10/2016 at 00:42

Jesus, I can’t imagine what that car felt like to drive. Like being dragged across the ground on a shovel.

pip bip - choose Corrour > RallyWrench
11/10/2016 at 05:07

engine mounts are overrated. 8)

CaptDale - is secretly British > RallyWrench
11/10/2016 at 14:46

Omg! How could you not notice that?!

RallyWrench > CaptDale - is secretly British
11/10/2016 at 15:34

Dunno. Sometimes when things fail incrementally people don’t notice, because they’re gradually acclimated to a noise or feeling, it’s not a sudden failure. Some people are better about this than others though, this is straight up willful ignorance.

CaptDale - is secretly British > RallyWrench
11/10/2016 at 16:22

I just feel like, that should have gone very noticed.

RallyWrench > CaptDale - is secretly British
11/10/2016 at 16:32

You’re not wrong.