This was extremely informative. Thanks for posting this....

@MBCAPeachTube

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Gary, this is great. I am going to use this video as a reference point

Came across this video by pure chance and wanted to say thank you for an excellent clear presentation. I have just taken the plunge (as of Jan 2022) to purchase a Dec 1994 W463 G320 Wagon. It also has this M104 engine and your video has provided me confidence to do the head gasket when it will be needed. And, whilst I love the car I am very disappointed about the lack of technical information there is available. I am desperate to get hold of a copy of the Technical & Repair manual (preferably in English) to be able to undertake the basic servicing and repairs. I have joined forums but so far no one has been able to help. I really appreciate the link that you someone in your group provided for your model, and some of which I can use. However there are many differences and I need the specific Technical document. I would really appreciate it if anyone in your community could help me out. I'll keep watching your videos with great interest. Regards, CHL.

@isbmuth5170

8 күн бұрын

@coolhandluke7760 Recently came up to my hands the workshop manuals ASRA/WIS for all the models since the 60’s If you need some info, docs, tools needed, images, even the estimated time of the operations, let me know, Im glad to share it

@isbmuth5170

8 күн бұрын

Btw my m104 2.8 also had a head gasket, timing chain tensor and valve cover gasket replace and runs well at 358k km

Hi, My 1990 300Sl has ben leaking (weeping) oil from the rear of the head for 10 years now. Its a seasonal vehicle for me in PA and every year I clean the rear of the engine and front of the trans where it drips then blow it off with compressed air. It last a few weeks (3 or 4) depending on usage before I have to do it again. Regrettably with 80000 miles on the car I think this year I'm going to sell it. If I could find someone local to fix it for say 2500 dollars I guess I would fix it. Trouble is no one here will do it. After seeing this I will not be tackling this job and I have been a DIY er for a long time but at 59 years old my back would suffer too much from this job. Thanks a lot for posting this.

@garyedwards6398

2 жыл бұрын

John, I'm sorry to hear that but I would think you'd be able to find a Mercedes specialist in your area willing to tackle the job. It's really not that bad for a DIYer; you do certainly need to use an engine lift to pickup and reset the head due to the weight though. I used large pillows on the fenders and front crossmember so I could lean on them while doing the work and it wasn't too bad on my back (I'm 65 years old by the way). Gary

Absolutely useful information, i have exactly the same problem on mine, I'm about to change the Head gasket unfortunately.

@MBCAPeachTube

3 жыл бұрын

Best of luck with the change. Hope the video comes in handy.

Thanks for the video and timestamps

@MBCAPeachTube

2 жыл бұрын

You are welcome. It takes a little longer to post, but it's always worth it.

+1 .. Herr Gary Edwards & Frau Edwards, .. Many thanks! .. Danke Schoen! .. Our from neu '94 C124 family handed down 3.2 M104 Coupe (USA) thanks you all. .. The H.G. let loose @ 100K miles. .. Our two sons and I will tackle the H.G. replacement procedure; just as I did with my Dad and his '65 red Sunbeam Alpine 4cyl. (I was 14.) .. Think "Critical Path" with a little help from our friends @ MBCA. .. Cheers, M/S Vail, Colorado

@garyedwards2831

10 ай бұрын

Sounds like a great father / son bonding experience. 94 C124 should be almost the same as the car in the video (I have two of them as well, one has had head gasket replaced, the other has not). Just take your time and do exactly as the procedure says. I recall that I had a hard time getting the head lined up properly; the intake and exhaust manifolds get in the way of seeing the alignment. I think I finally used a flashlight looking down the bolt holes with a head bolt to help. Good luck and have fun!

Very interesting! Thank you!

Wow...this is one of a kind explanation! It has been hugely helpful!!! One question, if we reuse the MB stock hg, isn't it going to fail again? Is this also applied for the m104 of the C36 engine?

@garyedwards2831

3 жыл бұрын

I understand that the stock head gasket has been updated many times and it's the one you should use when you do this repair; I would expect that the new one's life would be longer than the original one. I don't have any experience with the C36 engine, but I would expect the issues would be similar since I'm pretty sure the block is the same casting so the oil passages would be in the same place.

I have a w202 c280 2.8 M104. I have the oil leak in the front right corner of the head, or left side if looking from the front (exhaust side) Do you think I need to change the head gasket? Or do you think it may be that timing cover seal?

Very informative, thanks for posting! What would be a good source for the necessary shop manuals?

@MBCAPeachTube

3 жыл бұрын

If you are a member of MBCA, you can contact National Technical Chairman George Murphy and he will help you get the shop manuals you need. There is also a W124 manual available on line at: freescruz.com/.priv/W124/Main.html . CDs of the workshop manual are usually available on ebay, though these are a little challenging to use.

could you list the different type sealers and anything else I would need to changeout the head gasket? thank you

@garyedwards6398

19 күн бұрын

I am sorry but I don’t have access to my garage or files right now. The sealant for the rear corner of the timing cover is critical, but I can’t just run downstairs and grab it, I think it was a Locktite part but I think it had a BMW part number. Did I leave that out of the video? Get a head gasket set, but ensure you have a an original Mercedes head gasket. I think I bought a head gasket set but then also bought a separate Mercedes head gasket, in fact when I do these jobs I usually buy two, just in case. The three bolts that hold the timing gear on the front of the exhaust cam are supposed to be one time use too. I bought a complete set of head bolts, but you can reuse the originals if they have not stretched beyond a limit that you will find in the workshop manual. I could have reused mine but I put in new ones since I had them. You’ll want seals for the exhaust manifolds to the down pipes (if things go well you can leave the exhaust manifolds on the heads, I was unable to do that however). Make sure your head gasket set includes the timing cover seals, and make sure they don’t roll when you install them. Make sure you have the cam cover gasket too. I also bought the two large diameter rubber pieces that attach the upper and lower intake manifolds, and it’s useful to have some vacuum line because you’ll almost certainly find one that’s brittle and will break. A tool set to remove the water pump pulley is very helpful. You’ll need coolant and distilled water. It’s a good time to replace the serpentine belt since you’ll have it off and they’re pretty cheap. Plastic razor blades are useful for cleaning the head, and I also bought a precision straight edge so I could check for warp age. Went through a lot of paper towels too and a some masking tape as well, plus ziplock bags…..! It would also be good to procure the small bolts and nuts used to remove the parts that secure the timing chain guides (I talk about that in the video) and of course the timing chain upper guides. I had to stop several times when I was doing the job to order more parts. Good luck!

Gary, thanks for the discussion and video. I'm currently disassembling an M104 to rebuild. I'm just at the point of removing the head, it's unbolted and already moving free from the block with the exception of still being caught at the front by the chain rail (opposite of the tensioner rail). Does the chain rail pivot pin com free from the head?

@garyedwards6398

3 жыл бұрын

The chain rail pivot pin goes through the front upper timing cover and then into the chain rail - you pull it out from the front of the timing cover. You need to remove the timing cover anyway to pull the head - I assume you’ve done that? You pull the pivot pin with that home made tool I show in there, a little 10.9 strength bolt and nut assembly with some washers to pull it out.

@richiepadgett8946

Жыл бұрын

With the risk of sounding crazy...I sealed off the chain area and cut the pin between the guide and head with a Sawzall blade on a jig saw.Then used a dowel punch to push the pin through the guide. The pressure on an aluminum guide using the Cal Van extractor was uneven I guess. I then drilled and tapped the leftover dowel pin a day extracted it from the head while on the bench. Whatever works!

Wow did you take off the intake manifold bolts?

@garyedwards2831

Жыл бұрын

No, never removed the intake manifold from the cylinder head. Just removed the upper intake manifold from the lower manifold.

Hi I have a m104 c36 and I’m getting oil in my coolant - what were your symptoms

@garyedwards2831

5 ай бұрын

First I had an oil leak at the right rear of the head, which was putting some oil on the exhaust and causing some smoke. That wasn't bad enough to make me want change the head gasket, but then I got a pretty bad coolant leak from just forward of the oil leak. I did a coolant pressure test to find the leak and it was immediately apparent (a big leak). I never had any oil in the coolant, however the C36 is a little different beast. The rear coolant passage and oil supply passage in the head are adjacent to each other, and since the oil pressure is generally higher than the coolant pressure when the engine is running, a head leak there would cause your symptoms, even without external leakage.

@davidcroker5660

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for taking the time to reply - that is very helpful - I was hoping it would be the oil cooler but I’m thinking it’s the head gasket .

@garyedwards2831

5 ай бұрын

@@davidcroker5660If the car has an oil cooler, then a leak there would certainly do this and it's probably easier to fix than the head gasket. I'm just not familiar with the C36 variant of the engine.

When you refilled the coolant, how long did you idle it with the cap open to wait for the gasket to swell? Like what's the procedure

@garyedwards6398

3 жыл бұрын

The workshop manual just says “The cylinder head gasket is not watertight until the engine has reached operating temperature, in other words, until a swelling operation has taken place. For this reason, the cooling system must not be pressure tested until after the engine has reached operating temperature”. I filled it normally and warmed it with the cap on. I refrained from doing a coolant pressure test, which I would normally have done before starting the engine.

Hi everyone, I have just purchased a R129 Sl280 97 with the m104 engine. I was told there was a slight oil leak before buying, however after owning the car for a week the oil is dripping on my driveway!! Left overnight about 3cm diameter in leak on the floor. Is oil dripping on the floor major concern? I was told by the owner that if there is no overheating on the car then it should be fine. There is no signs of overheating, however the thermostat somehow reads just above 60degree which is a tad low. Should i fix the headgasket now, or is oil dripping on the floor a major red flag? Please any advice would be great guys!

@garyedwards6398

3 жыл бұрын

I recommend that you first determine the source of the oil leak. With the engine cold, run your hand down the right rear of the bottom of the head and behind the head (below the joint with the block). If this area is wet, clean it off, drive the car (let it cool) then see if it comes back in that area. Look carefully to ensure it's not the cam cover leaking, since that repair is very straightforward. Right rear low below the head is head gasket. Right rear high above the head gasket is probably cam cover. Right front at the level of the head gasket is typically from the front timing cover; not as easy as the cam cover but much easier than the head gasket. If it's the head gasket and no coolant is leaking, you can defer repair until the oil usage becomes excessive. Your coolant temperature sounds low, it will normally sit with the needle somewhere on the 80, but at really cold ambient temperatures I've seen them lower than normal. At anything above about 60 degrees F, you should see a normal coolant temperature with the needle on the 80.

@As_129sl

3 жыл бұрын

@@garyedwards6398 Thank you very much for the speedy reply. I will keep you updated on my headgasket journey

@As_129sl

3 жыл бұрын

​@@garyedwards6398 So update on my oil leak. Took it to my local Mercedes specialist and the following was replaced and fixed: 1. Oil filter gaskets and seals 2. Oil cooler gaskets and seals 3. Front upper timing chest cover 4. Rocker cover gaskets and seals 5. Also on the receipt a Aux Drive Belt was fitted, not entirely sure what that is. All in cost me £700 and finally no oil is leaking/dripping on my driveway! Still surprised, when i purchased the car i was told the headgasket is leaking slightly and would need to be fixed at some point. That would of set me back £1500. Sometimes the problem isn't worse than you initially think. Thanks for all your help and advice sir, Now i'll be on the hunt for a panoramic roof or Monoblocks, which is better? ;)

@garyedwards6398

3 жыл бұрын

@@As_129sl I am glad it was less severe than you were fearing. As far as mono-blocks versus panoramic roof, I guess it just depends on your individual likes and dislikes. I have monoblock ones and monoblock twos, but I only have them on sport version cars where they are correct for the car. My preference on the non-sport cars is the 8 hole stock wheels as on the car pictured in the video. Pano roof is great and I wish I had one, but quite expensive. All roofs will fit on all years of cars but the side window seals are different on the cars that have the window drop feature, so be aware of that.

@19jacobob93

2 жыл бұрын

I picked up a 1993 S320 last year with an oil leak at around 160k on the original head gasket, and 16 months later and it hasn't gotten any worse. I switched from 10W30 to 15w50 (I live in a subtropical climate) and keep it at 6.5-7L instead of 7.5L. I only have to top it up once every couple of months even with doing mostly highway miles. I did a few mods to keep the operating temperature slightly lower - W123 300D thermostat - 1kohm resistor on the fan thermostat - to prevent the engine getting TOO hot in traffic with the air con going.