Just wondering if anybody out there has noticed a significant difference between Mercedes, rubber, valve cover gaskets and their after-market competitors, like Elring and Goetz, that would justify the price difference.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, many of the aftermarket EC versions just don't fit as well & leak way too early.

Bruss & Corteco make most of the OE valve cover gaskets.

M119 engines "need" OE gaskets!

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i've had no problems with either Elring or Goetz, i think most problems occur from improper installation

a tip i learned years ago was after the vc gasket was put on the valve cover is to lay it on a flat surface and see if it wobbles, if it does, it's not on right

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rubber valve cover gaskets work great,as long as the aftermarkets are correctly installed you shouldnt have any issues with leaking,just dont overtighten the valve cover bolts,or you may get a leak.

The valve cover has standoffs or pedestals on the bottom where the bolts come thru. These make contact with the head to allow secure tightening without crushing the gasket. I thought I had always been good at not overtightening the cover bolts, but I discovered the rear pedestals had actually worn down over the years, and normal tightening began to result in crushing and tearing of the gasket.
I surmised that on the 103 engine, the valve cover was actually sliding back and forth on the head a tiny bit during heat/cool cycles, and over 20 years slowly wore the pedestals down. Simliar to the head gasket tearing between the block and head after thousands of heat cycles.
just a theory, but I don't have another explanation. Now I very gently snug the rear bolts, but still get a pretty mashed gasket after awhile.

DG

Interesting observation and theory! Do you happen to know whether the valve covers on the 116 or other engines have these standoffs?

I picked up a $6.81 CRP valve cover gasket for my M103. No leaks. I used some silicone sealant to make sure of it.

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I'm wondering if it would be just as good, if not better, to use one of those blue gasket sealers that were specifically designed to resist heat and oil?

Victor-Reinz seem to be good