I'm finally getting around to replacing the cylinder head on my 77 240D. I'm to the point where I'm reinstalling the head and have some questions.

The cylinder head bolts on the engine were the old six point hex, and they came in four different sizes. I want to replace the old 6 point with the new 12 point which come in three sizes. This I can work with.

I read the MB Engine Service Manual and it says not to use the 12 point bolts in heads that originally had the 6 point. Why???

There are four washers for the 18 bolts. Wich bolts should the washers go on?

And finally some sites list 14 bolts in total for the cylinder head and the sponsor of this forum lists 24. What gives? As I can see it there are sets of four shorter, eight medium, and six longer bolts.

Would like to do this job once and do it right, thank you, rant off.

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1977 240D
1981 300SD

Update - you can't use the new head bolts in place of the old. The head just won't seal completely. In a week or so the 240D will be joining the 300SD, exploded trans.., at Green Valley wreckers.

On the bright side garage space is freed up and I'd like to get my ideal MB diesel a 123 300D turbo sometime next spring.

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1977 240D
1981 300SD

If you contact your local MB dealership they are likely to come up with a solution for you. If I remember correctly the length of the newer head bolts are longer than the originals and so they make you buy a washer to fit under them.

I'm quite sure you don't have to scrap your engine because of the bolts

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I can't see scrapping an otherwise good car over this .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

This doing more initially than needed. If there is a problem after it is back together and running. It may be harder to determine what is causing the problem.


Because of my limited skills I try to do things one at a time. It just reduces the probabilities if a problem surfaces along the way.

You might find the original bolts are re-usable. They're not stretch bolts so you I bet you could, as even stretch bolts can be re-used (despite what many here will say, the FSM has the re-use criteria).

Although it sounds like you just wanted an excuse to get rid of the otherwise ok car?

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1978 300D, 373,000km 617.912, 711.113 5 speed, 7.5mm superpump, HX30W turbo...many, many years in the making....
1977 280> 300D - 500,000km+ (to be sold...)
1984 240TD>300TD 121,000 miles, *gone*
1977 250 parts car
1988 Toyota Corona 2.0D *gone*
1975 FJ45>HJ45
1981 200>240D (to be sold...)
1999 Hyundai Lantra 1.6 *gone*
1980s Lansing Bagnall FOER 5.2 Forklift (the Mk2 engine hoist)
2001 Holden Rodeo 4JB1T 2WD

Those bolts are reusable. The laternecked stretch bolts are different. They must be measured to see how much stretch is left. If they are thick enough you can re-use, if not you must buy the pretty expensive new bolts. I probably have a set of the old bolts around here if you need any in particular.

Yeah, you can't get them at Ace hardware.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.