I need to remove the entire air cleaner housing on my '88 745. Unfortunately its not bolted in, rather its mounted on these pointy rubber mounts (called buffers on the parts diagram) 2 on the side and 2 the bottom. I've tried without success to squeeze these things (to reduce the diameter) and slip the brackets off but to no avail. I might try some oil to make the rubber slippery then it may work. Any other ideas?
Thanks!

The rubber buffers actually fit into holes in the body, each about an inch in diameter. Over time, the rubber hardens and loses flexibility. An easy fix is to spray with silicone, let it absorb, then pinch the rubber cone where they enter the body panel. That will allow you to maneuver the cone out, past the molded lip, one at a time. Don't try to pull off the air housing: I seem to recall the tips are fairly tightly inserted into smaller holes in the housing itself.
If you lose air housing spring clips due to breaking plastic, see the FAQ for a solution using new clips riveted into the housing body.