Did a valve adjustment on my w123 300d today. The adjust itself went great.

Worst scenario for me, frustration-wise, is when doing any job is when some incidental part of the process turns into a huge issue. This is what happened when I tried to install the new VC gasket (Victor Rheims brand) and put the valve cover back into place. Right off the bat the gasket didn't want to stay stuck to the cover. Even when upside down it wasn't a nice fit. Things got ugly when I turned it over to reinstall.

I have never had to do anything special to a vc gasket to make it stay in place on the valve cover. Weeeellllll this thing didn't want to sit at all.

Over and over and over when I would just about get the valve cover reseated back on, the gasket would pop off somewhere or other and in some spots it's hard to work your fingers in there to fix that, without pulling the cover right off again and restarting the procedure.

Finally after at least six tries I got it... so I thought. However, once I torqued it down, it started leaking oil pretty decent from number five injector area (which was the biggest problem spot for it staying put).

Is there some secret to keeping the valve cover gasket in place? I have never had to worry about it before and I have done this procedure on several different OM616 and OM617.

Thanks

__________________


Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Put a little oil on it before you seat it on the cover...

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

I use the same Victor Reinz Gasket. But, I have never tried to install them Dry; not even once.
I get Silicon Sealant from the local 99 cent Store and I degrease the Valve cover edges (an oily edge could be one of the reasons the Gasket would not stay) with Brake Cleaner.

I put a bead of Silicon Sealant on the inside Bottom of the channel on the Gasket. I Install the Gasket on the Valve cover. So far the Silicon has been goopy enough that Gasket Stays on.
With the Valve cover upside down I put a light coat of Silicon Sealant on the sealing edge of the Gasket.

I wipe the liquid Oil off of the sealing area on the Cylinder Head. You do not want it dry or your Valve Cover will be glued to the Cylinder head.
In install the Valve cover but only snug down the Nuts.
I wait about 2 hours for the Silicon to cure before I tighten down the Nuts.

Letting the Silicon cure allows any Silicon that gets squished out to say attached. If I just installed the Valve Cover and started the Engine there is enough Oil being thrown around that it could was away any uncured Silicon Sealant that might have squished out.

I know others insist that Mercedes are so precision that there is no need for Sealants or Adhesives; but, I like to do the job only one time with no leaks.

I also have noticed there is a lot of apprehension concerning the use of Silicon Sealant. It does need to be used with care in places where you don't want to block off passages and used conservatively so it does not squish out too much.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Throw it in boiling water for a minute or two to get it hot soft and flexible, quickly place in in place on the valvecover and then sit the valve cover with the warm softened gasket in place on a flat surface until it cools to ambient temp. That will sort of thermoset the plastic into the correct position and sort of stress relieve it because it might have been resisting going into the proper shape after sitting in its packaging since being manufactured.

I have even gone as far as putting a very light smear of form-a-gasket or any thin rubber adhesive on cover. Then put the gasket on and set it on a nice flat surface (my table saw) and push down evenly to seat gasket. Then use torque wrench when installing because gasket mustn't be over torqued.

I had similar problems first time I did a valve adjustment on the 300D

__________________
Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5