Just wondering whats involved in welding a hairline crack in a cylinder? Do they have to pull the engine out to do it?

Is there any drawbacks in the long run?

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1997 Silver AMG C36
OEM Advantegarde Grille
OEM Clear Corners
W210 Blinking mirrors
Eibach/Bilstein Combo
Zender Rear Lip Spoiler

Rocky;
It would be unwise to weld the block,If I read right you have a C36, the correct way to repair would be to bore out the block and install a sleeve. This would be a permanent repair and as good as the original.
MF

I spoke to another mechanic, a shop I use to do some monkeying in when I was younger. He basically told me to get a new block and that welding the crack would be usless.

Sleeving a block would be a no no unless you do all 6 cylinders. The heat expansion of the sleeve and the block is different so he said it was a bad idea.

Not sure what to do.

__________________
1997 Silver AMG C36
OEM Advantegarde Grille
OEM Clear Corners
W210 Blinking mirrors
Eibach/Bilstein Combo
Zender Rear Lip Spoiler

Woah..I called the dealership back just to doublecheck.

The hairline crack isn't on the block but it is on the cylinder head

I take it that's good news?

__________________
1997 Silver AMG C36
OEM Advantegarde Grille
OEM Clear Corners
W210 Blinking mirrors
Eibach/Bilstein Combo
Zender Rear Lip Spoiler

Unless the crack goes thru a valve seat , a good welding/ machine
shop should be able to weld the head & pressure test for leaks. I'm sure that a new head is at least $4000. WA 104-016-02-01 is the part number. I don't have price list for that head.

__________________
MERCEDES Benz Master Guild Technician (6 TIMES)
ASE Master Technician
Mercedes Benz Star Technician (2 times)
44 years foreign automotive repair
27 Years M.B. Shop foreman (dealer)
MB technical information Specialist (15 years)
190E 2.3 16V ITS SCCA race car (sold)
1986 190E 2.3 16V 2.5 (sold)
Retired Moderator

Depending on the location of the crack, you might be able to stitch the head. I don't know if this technique is used in the States but is well known in the UK.

Don't know where or how big your crack is but just a trivia point. VW diesels actually have a crack spec. in there manual.
I rebuilt a VW with a crack and it never had a problem. I guess cracked heads were common.

__________________
Ricali

03 C240 4matic wagon
95 300E 234,000
7 prior 240;s 5 still going
81 300sd gone
65 230sl gone
49 Studebaker Champion
90BMW convert.167,000
60 Dodge D-100

Rocky,

Just curious, how did you get the cracked head? Is there a lesson that others can take away to avoid similar problems?

Did it overheat?

Thanks!

__________________
D.H.

04 ML500
02 E430

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

No idea how I got a cracked head.

Went to PetSmart. Jump in my car, cranked it and it made a funnie idle and the check engine light ws on. Car drives fine.

Couple hours later after i get home i decide to go out to get something to eat. Jump in my car and it won't turn over when I tried to start it. Then it turns and it spits out white smoke from the exhuats. Took it into the dealer immediatly after that.

No idea how that happened. I have regular radiator flushes, oil changes and everything. That has has NEVER overheated. I'm just not sure what caused the problem.

One problem that did occur that I can closely relate to the cracked head is that the mechanics at MB did not tighten the sparkplugs too well last time they changed it and cause some "knocking sounds" I tightened it and about 2 weeks after i get a cracked head. Any relationship? Also have 1 Bad exhaust valve on the 6th cyclinder where the plug was loose.

__________________
1997 Silver AMG C36
OEM Advantegarde Grille
OEM Clear Corners
W210 Blinking mirrors
Eibach/Bilstein Combo
Zender Rear Lip Spoiler