Here are my tips for a leak-free 617 engine. Some may take issue with my methodology, but this is what I do:

Piston Rings:

Total Seal Gapless Rings - No Substitutes, Ever. They will modify your new OEM rings to gapless at their Arizona facility. I use a gapless second ring only in the 617 engines.

Rear Main Seal:

Genuine Mercedes-Benz, period. Roll into place with a wooden dowel. Leave about 5/16" sticking up in the cap and cut the seal flush in the block. Use The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV on the back of the seal and on the ends.

Oil Pan To Block:

Loctite 574 Flange Sealant - Nothing Else - Also Available from Wurth

Sump To Oil Pan:

MBZ OEM gasket with The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket. Tighten as tight as you can with a NUTDRIVER by hand.

Front Crank Seal:

Genuine Mercedes-Benz Only - Coat OD of seal with Purple Permatex High-Tack Sealant

Oil Filter Housing:

Genuine Mercedes-Benz Gasket with light coat of The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket.

Cam Cover Gasket:

Genuine MBZ Only with light coat of The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket.

Intake Gasket:

Genuine MBZ Only with light coat of The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket.

NOTE: These will 'bleed' oil if not sealed when the turbo pressurizes the blow-by mist.

Valve Stem Seals:

Genuine MBZ Only - DO NOT mix up Intake & Exhaust Seals!!!

Chain Tensioner:

Genuine MBZ Gasket Only - Light coat of The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket.

Turbo Compressor Housing to Inlet:

Light coat of The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket.

Turbo Inlet to Intake Manifold O-Rings:

Genuine MBZ Only - Light coat of The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket.

NOTE: These will 'bleed' oil if not sealed when the turbo pressurizes the blow-by mist.

Turbo Drain Tube:

Genuine MBZ Only - Light coat of The Right Stuff or Ultra Black RTV. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket.

Fuel Filter Retaining Bolt:

New Aluminum Washer Coated with Thin Film of Loctite 574 Flange Sealant - Nothing Else. The amount of sealant is correct when you cannot see it squeeze out past the gasket.

Head Bolts:

New MBZ Only - Coat Threads and Washers with Wurth CU-1100 Copper Hi-Temp Lubricant Paste - Torque to specification

Things to Avoid:

Any gasket or part with a 'No name' package.

Hope this helps...Robert

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Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

CU-1100 now replaced by CU-800

https://shoponline.wurthusa.com/wurthusa/servlet/CyberVendor/category/G7911765/catalog/group.jsp/

Wurth Flange Sealant Orange:

Automotive Chemicals | Adhesives & Bonding

Loctite 574 Flange Sealant - Same as Wurth Orange Above:

Loctite 574, 510, 548, 515, 518 Gasketing

Hope this helps....

__________________
Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

Nice to read about someone who makes reasonable use of Sealants.

Many Forum Members believe Their Mercedes are so precision that no sealants are needed.

Some Members have a particular fear of using RTV Silicon Sealant.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Precision is the key. I have built them without sealants and had to correct leaks. When I started building them this way, leaks were not a problem.

Silicon RTV, as with any other sealant, should be used with care. Never, ever should sealant protrude from a gasket union into any oil or water passage, or be seen hanging out like hair from installed parts.

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Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

It's not a fear of using RTV, it's simply incorrect for a lot of the examples given.

I don't think using RTV is incorrect for the uses given in this thread (well maybe on the Rear Main Seal is pushing it a little) if it does no harm and it works.

There is certainly things that I don't want to use RTV on that other people use it on.

One of the issues with RTV is that if you don't let it cure first Oil or Coolant flow can move particles of it.

One place I worked the banned the use RTV of it after someone applied it an plugged up and Oil Passage resulting in a damaged Engine.
No matter what is used someone has to be actually "thinking" about what they are doing.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Exactly....

The RTV film on the back of the rope seal stops the characteristic 'bleed' or 'weep' that you get up from behind and over the rope seal.

I experimented a lot to come up with a technique that worked...

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Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

Also, put some sealer on the chain rail pins.

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76 240 D. Bought in 1998 for $25.
85 300D. Got it for free with a bad engine. ( Sold )
60 Unimog 404. What was left of it, was given to me. Now powerd by 617A.
88 560 SEL. Bought without engine and trans. Now powerd by 617A.
67 250 SE. Cuope. For resto or sale.
64 220SE. For resto.

Good point.

I use 574 Flange Sealant on the heads of the pins and BE CERTAIN to clean all the old sealant out of the seats before driving the pins home...

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Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

It have my own cork roll to make gaskets,is it better or worse?

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

Some gaskets are of a special material that is resistant to compressive forces. Cork will quite often split if tightened up. I would recommend factory gaskets in all cases...

__________________
Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

When you say intake gasket, did you mean the intake/exhaust gasket?

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'85 300D Cal 280,000 miles
'14 GLK 350 60000 miles

Yes,

Coat the sealing ring around each intake port....

__________________
Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

FWIW, my neighbor is a team leader at the local Mercedes dealer (Penske Mercedes), and he tells me the new engines are using sealer instead of gaskets to prevent leaks.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Yes, but the surfaces are specially machined for this purpose...

__________________
Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership