OM603 Valve Seals - Mercedes vs. Aftermarket

[Jeremy5848]

I've been doing some research on OM603 valve seals in preparation for replacing the seals in my '87 300D Turbo (W124, OM603). There are considerable differences between Mercedes-branded seals and aftermarket seals and I don't just mean the price. [FastLane has the Mercedes-style seals for $24, AllPartsExpress has the aftermarket seals for $16, and the Mercedes dealer price is about $70.]

Mercedes-branded seals, shown in the first two pictures, carry a tiny Mercedes star and various numbers, the letters "GER" ("Made in Germany?") and "GOE" (the manufacturer?).

The aftermarket seals, shown in the third and fourth pictures, carry the Elring brand but no Mercedes logo. The exhaust seal is very similar to the Mercedes version but there's a real difference between the Mercedes and aftermarket intake seals. The aftermarket seal is shaped differently, doesn't have a metal shell, and has a larger outside diameter.

The two brands of intake seals are shown together in the fifth picture. One of them has to be the wrong size. Either the brown one won't fit or the red one will rattle around. It will be interesting to compare them to what comes out of the 603 head.

Jeremy