When sitting here contemplating how a novice will experience this job it is really hard to get a true feel. I've probably been involved with 300 plus valve jobs/chain failures on 116/117 engines. I can imagine a flat rate tech with an impact and a bunch of technique sliding a head out without removing an intake. Gonna reuse the gaskets of course, bound to seal, ain't my car.....

Slam that b*tch.

Maybe the fact I have never paid flat rate is the reason that in over 300 of these jobs I never considered leaving the intake on and neither did MB as that is why a each head set comes with a full set of intake gaskets. it is also probably why the flat rate gives 17 hours for one head and 25 for two. I don't suppose any tech sliding heads ever gave back the part of flat rate designed to pay for removing and restoring the intake systems.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician