126 valve job estimate

My mechanic informed me recently that my excessive oli consumption(about 4 quarts of 20w50 in the summer)is due to a valve problem.Here is the estimate he gave me:2 rebuilt heads $275 - $495 each
2 valve grind kits $152 each
2 gallon prestone $24
oil change and filter $45
1 guide timing chain $79
1 " " " $19
1 " " " $7.50
1 " " " $5
Labour 20 hr $900
The total with tax is aprox $1593 canadian + cylinder heads
Is this a reasonable estimate or should I look elsewhere?
Thanks for any responses in advance,Chunky

With all this in Loonies, I guess the whole bill would be around $1000 US, so it doesn't sound too bad.

Have you done the t-chain on your W126 recently? I'm surmising that your car is a V-8 like mine, since you talk about 2 rebuilt heads on your car and W126's never had a V-6.

If you don't know when the t-chain was last done on your car, seriously consider having it done. My dad and I found this out the hard way....read "Bad news...please advise".

-Sam

[engatwork]

Prestone??????????????????????

Thanks for you responses.Bribenz asked why the two quotes for the heads;There are not two quotes.My mechanic will have to get the heads rebuilt by someone else at a cost of $275 canadian to $495 canadian.I really have no idea what he means by grind kits so it bothers me when you mention the fact that this is not needed if he rebuilds the heads;and by the way my problem is definately beyond a valve seal job according to my mechanic;something about way too much movement when he took the covers off.He charges me $45 hr canadian for his work which seems quite good to me.Is twenty hours of labour for this kind of job the norm?
Chunky

[WRM]

the book calls for 22 hrs. why don't you reseal the intake manifold at the same time. where is the chain tensioner, upper cam gears & headgaskets. get everything on an estimate sheet.

[Morocco]

I just had this job done on my 420SEL....it cost a little more because the timing chain broke and 4 exhaust valves were bent and had to be replaced. But aside from that, you're doing the same thing.

You should replace all of the plastic timing guide rails, the chain tensioner, and chain of course. Machine shop work on resurfacing the two heads came to $500. I spent another $50 on the advice of the machine shop to have the cams polished. Have the shop look at the rocker arms. Mine were worn and needed replacing. Valve guides might need to be replaced also. You'll need valve seals and oiler kits for the cam. All in all, I spent about $3k in labor and another $800 in parts for the job. Well worth it.

Originally Posted by Morocco

I just had this job done on my 420SEL....it cost a little more because the timing chain broke and 4 exhaust valves were bent and had to be replaced. But aside from that, you're doing the same thing.

You should replace all of the plastic timing guide rails, the chain tensioner, and chain of course. Machine shop work on resurfacing the two heads came to $500. I spent another $50 on the advice of the machine shop to have the cams polished. Have the shop look at the rocker arms. Mine were worn and needed replacing. Valve guides might need to be replaced also. You'll need valve seals and oiler kits for the cam. All in all, I spent about $3k in labor and another $800 in parts for the job. Well worth it.

I'm ready to put my 380se back together. would some who has done this work please review the following for correct sequence, accuracy, and omissions?

Crank at TDC which means #1 piston at top of crank throw with harmonic balancer mark at zero.

Heads placed without cam towers, cams placed with washer marks and tower marks aligned.

Heads bolted (proper sequence and torque)

Chain placed on left head's cam pully then chain placed on right head with both chain ends on intake side of right head's cam pully.

install tensioner guide then crimp chain. (i don't have a master link crimper, can this be done withouta crimper?

Install tensioner after pumping it up with oil

Adjust lifters or what ever they are called. How are these things adjusted?

put the rest of the junk back on the engine.

By the way, to save from guessing the whereabouts of this other stuff I bought another car with a 380 engine which will help me locate put things back in order.

Thank you all for your consideration,

Dan

[lesrrt]

Hi Dan.
The new chain should be straight forward as the masterlink goes; I don't think you have to crimp anything? When I installed my recon. heads, I left the cam sprokets off and fed the chain through the hole. Used a bungee cord on both sides so the chain would not fall through the assembled front engine cover. That way, you wont have to turn the engine and wrap the chain. Assuming you got the tools to torque the heads properly and you followed the intsructions the rest of assem. should be ok. I never adj my valves because prior to diassem., the engine was quiet. However, mercedesosurce.com has this procedure in a handy book and easy to follow direcs. Basically, the thrust pieces are the hockey pucks that give the valve train its geometry located on top the spring under the rocker arm. les

[Mike Murrell]

Maybe the Prestone is the long-life, low silicate formula?
I'm not sure where that product sits on the MB approved list.

Engatwork has a point.

Someone who services MBs for a living should be using the MB product or the Valvoline/Zerex counterpart that gets touted so much.

My 2 cents.

[nglitz]

A "valve grind kit" is a set of gaskets typically used when a head is removed to regrind the valves. It's needed on this kind of job.

Sometimes excess oil consumption can be caused by just the valve stem seals wearing out. This is a much simpler job, as the heads do not need to be removed. Unless, the piston is at BDC instead of TDC and you drop a valve into the cylinder. OOps!! (Voice of experience)

[Cigar Havana]

Chunky, I think that is a great price for a valve job. As someone else suggested, get him to replace the intake manifold O-rings and the vacuum lines, rubber connectors, and throttle switch at the same time. Those vacuum lines get brittle with time, and the rubber cracks.

Let me know who supplies rebuilt heads for C$295. On those rebuilt heads, be sure you ask, are all of the valve stem seals brand new mercedes brand? and also do you get the new HLCs with the head? I recommend that the valve turners should also be brand new. New HLCs cost about US$20 each, which comes to US$160 per head, you need 16 in total. So new HLCs will cost about C$220 per head. Just understand what you are getting and what you are not getting. Also, do you get to keep your old heads? Also, make sure he only uses Mercedes gaskets!

I was quoted C$1,300 - C$1,400 for a pair of rebuilt heads, with no new HLCs, but machined at a Mercedes machine shop. Chemical pressure washed heads, to clean out all of those tiny oil passages. These are Toronto prices. Total cost quoted to me was C$3,300 to C$4,000, which included all of those rubber parts, lines, replaced.