All the main vendors listed the main insulation, but I guess everyone forgets the small thin one, as it didn’t show up on all the usual sites.   Looking up the part number (A107 880 00 97) I was able to order it as a genuine Mercedes-Benz part out of the USA.   For reference, the part number of the main under bonnet insulation is A107 682 03 26.

I’ve now done this job on the 126 saloon and coupe, as well as the 123.   Those cars are quite easy.   The 107 is much more of a pain.   For starters, the bonnet doesn’t open nearly as much, and there is no service position.   The secondary insulation mat is really hard to see what you are doing with the bonnet attached.   It would be a doddle with the bonnet removed.    It is still possible to do with one person.

I used my normal method I’ve outlined a few times now.   First placing an old bedsheet over the engine and scraping off the old 107 under bonnet insulation.    This was quite easy as it had crumbled so much.    I had it off pretty quickly.     I focused on the main insulation mat first.

To glue the pad, I used the same product as previously.   Seallys quick grip vertical gel.   The main 107 under bonnet insulation required one tin.   This is because the 107 bonnet is quite narrow.   I forgot to take photos of this part, but its the same as the other articles linked above.

The only mistake I made here was not cleaning off the bedsheet I was using sufficiently – bits of debris stuck to the bottom of the new mat, and I had to brush them all off.   It only took a few minutes, so it really wasn’t a big deal.

At that point, since I had used a whole can of the Seallys glue, I stopped and waited for the 123 under bonnet insulation to arrive.   I didn’t want to open a whole tin and just use a little for the smaller secondary insulation mat.   About a week or so later, I then moved to the 123 and completed that job, using one and a half tins of the Seally’s product.

To do the secondary mat, I had to try and get the sheet right in behind the rear edge of the bonnet to scrape away the rest of the old mat.   I was mostly doing it my feel and later missed a little when applying the glue.   Before the secondary insulation can be attached, the windscreen washer jets must be disconnected.   The secondary mat has little holes for the connections to go.

The process of applying the glue and pad to this area was the same as the others, just harder because its difficult to see.   I found that once I had it in place, closing the bonnet was the best way of pressing the secondary insulation pad to the bonnet.   The secondary insulation pad is an interesting design as it has a raised section that seems to seal against the top of the firewall.

The new pad looks a lot better than previously.    I’m not sure how essential the secondary one is, but its obviously there for a reason.   In any case, I hope this lasts another 20 years.

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This insulation is quite important.  Not only does it reduce noise, but it does protect the paint.   My old 230E crazing in the paint above the hot engine from driving a few years with no insulation.   The car wasn’t even that old back then.   The paint on this car is nice and original and I don’t want to damage it.

I used the same method I used back 5 years ago on my W126 300SE.   To start with, I used a plastic scraper to remove as much of the old one as I could.

I found for the bigger lumps, it was easier to have the bonnet in the regular position.   Once I got most of it off, I then moved the bonnet into the service position and moved the sheet up.   This is the longest part of the job.  It doesn’t matter if all the old glue doesn’t come off, but its important there are not any loose bits.

Once I had the old one cleaned up, It was time to apply the adhesive.  As with last time, I used Seallys Kwik Grip Vertical Gel.  It has the right temperature rating and is still holding the insulation on my 560SEC and my old 300SE perfectly, five years later.

I find its easiest to apply it with my fingers using 7mm gloves.   The W123 requires a little more than a can and a half.  I took the opportunity to change gloves when I opened the second can.  It seems to eat into the gloves if you don’t.

The Seallys product suggests waiting 20-40 minutes before mating the two surfaces.  I prefer to do it sooner, as it gives me a bit more ability to move things if I don’t get it quite right first go.   For example, in this case, I didn’t have it aligned properly against the leading edge of the bonnet, so I was able to peel it back and re-apply.

I also use gloves to apply the W123 under bonnet insulation.   That way, if I get a bit of glue on my fingers, I change gloves and I don’t spread the glue around.   I think I must have used 5-6 pairs of gloves to get the job done.   When I got a bit of glue on the paint, the can suggested white spirit to remove it.   I didn’t have that, but hand sanitizer worked great.

As with earlier, I find it easier to start with the bonnet in the regular position.  Once the pad is generally in the right place, move to the service position to work on the lower edge.

Once that was done, I lowered it again to tuck in the leading edge.   The whole job takes 1-2 hours depending on how long is needed to remove the old insulation mat.   I find this job pretty easy to do myself, but that maybe because I am tall and can reach most of the bonnet.

Doing the job at the same time as the 450SLC resulted in three cans of the Seallys adhesive across both cars.    While I was there, I also replaced the two clips for the sun visors so they were not flopping around.   They are still available new from Mercedes-Benz.  They are the W126 part number that supports a light in the mirror.   Not as cheap as they used to be, but still available in the colour I needed.

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For the 560SEC, I had a genuine Mercedes part.    The coupe is different to the sedan.   For the 300SE, I have one made by Febi.   Unlike the genuine pad I put on the 560SEC, the Febi pad is smooth.   The fit was very good – it did not need any trimming.

The procedure is the same as before – first step is to scrape off the remains of the old one.    There was a lot more debris on the 300SE.   You could also see where somebody had tried to use some sealant on the edges to try and glue it back up in vain.

As with the 560SEC, I used an old bed sheet (the same one) to catch the debris.   I also used a plastic tool to scrape the old one so as not to gouge hole in the paint.    It is not essential to get every last trace of the old pad off.   if it is not coming off with a plastic scraper, the glue will stick to it just fine.

The bedsheet also makes collecting the debris into a rubbish bin rather easy.   A queen size sheet means the whole engine bay is covered.  Three months later, the 560 pad is still holding well.  Based on that, I used the same Seallys Kwik Grip Vertical Gel.   This product is rated to 130C.   If the temperature near the insulation gets above that, the engine is well and truly cooked and the insulation is the least of my concern.   It spreads on easily with a 7mm nitrite glove and being the gel doesn’t drip down when being applied.

The gel product does look a lot like I have applied butter to a rather large piece of toast.   As with the 560, I used 1.5 800g cans   The leftover half can from May was a little runnier than the new can, so I used it on the pad rather than the bonnet.

While applying the pad, I found it easier to put the bonnet in the normal position.   When fully vertical, I could not reach the top very well.  Once finished, I put the bonnet vertical as I figured it would dry better that way.   I will be using the E350 for the next couple of days to allow it properly dry.    This job should protect the paint and reduce the noise on the 300SE.   As with the 560, I was able to do this on my own with relative ease.

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I own two W126 models with the remnants of their insulation pads.   A few months ago, I purchased W126 bonnet insulation to fit to both of the cars.   It is worth noting here that the coupe insulation pad is different to the sedan.   I also purchased some Selleys Kwik Grip gel to glue the pad to the bonnet.   It apparently works in high heat environments and spreads easily.     I got the 800g tin.   In the end I found I needed 1.5 tins.

The first step is to scrape off the remains of the old W126 bonnet insulation.

I used an old sheet to catch all the ‘crumbs’ and a plastic scraper to get as much off as I could.     Next is to line up the new pad to see how it would fit.  I kept the sheet in case I spilled any glue.

The pad is slightly molded to conform to the underside of the bonnet.   It also tucks in at the bottom, and a little bit at the top and sides.   I applied a liberal amount of the gel to ensure it sticks properly.   The gel came with a spatula and I had a little brush, but I actually found using my hand (with a glove of course) as the easiest way to spread it.

Using my hand allowed me to get into the corners a bit more than with the spatula.   As mentioned above, I found one and a half cans seemed to be enough.    Putting the W126 bonnet insulation on is possible with one person, but would be easier and neater with two.   I didn’t have an assistant and found it was easier to start at the bottom and tuck those sections in before attending to the top.   The picture below is poor quality, but is attempting to show the new pad on the car.    Note there are two little rubber blocks on each side that need to be removed before the pad can be attached.

In addition to the W126 bonnet insulation,  last week I had the flexible drive couplings (flex discs) and the motor/transmission mounts replaced.   I didn’t have the time to do it myself.    The mounts require the engine to be jacked up and are quite fiddly.   All of those things should improve the way the car drives and make it much nicer.   Certainly it runs very smoothly now with the new timing chain and mounts.

If this glue works well, I will use the same method on the 300SE.

Update August 2019:  I was happy with the results from this job that I used the same method on my W126 Sedan.

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I was able to purchase a good used pair of the brackets and have some help to get the bonnet off to install the insulation.   It comes in three pieces so is quite easy to install.   As can be seen in the picture, it does not cover the whole bonnet, as the engine is very far back in the DS.   The un-insulated section is above the spare tyre and radiator chute.

The most common way of attaching the bonnet is to use contact adhesive.   I was advised that sikaflex would more likely hold it in place with all the engine heat.   This isn’t something i’ll ever want to remove either.   With the bonnet off the car, it was very easy to install the insulation.   With the right brackets and screws, the securing plates went on quite easily as well.    I understand why my car was missing them, as they are probably not necessary if the adhesive is good enough.   Nevertheless, I am glad I have purchased them, as I would prefer the car to be correct and as designed.

It was easier to remove the bonnet prop to fit the insulation as it is one bolt.   Not pictured here are the hoses for the windscreen washer.   These hoses push through two holes that need to be made in the insulation.   I was quite impressed with the quality of the Citroen DS under bonnet insulation.   The insulation on my old bonnet was in poor shape and coming apart.   While I was doing this job, the suspension boot on the front passengers side was being replaced.   As a result of this fix, it should stop the LHM puddle under the car each time I drive it.

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