1995 E320 oil leak on manifold stinks - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

sasjzl · #1 09-03-2010, 09:21 PM

Hi again all,

I love my 1995 E320 Wagon but this very small oil seep/leak is killing me. My indy told me that it was a classic problem for my year. To the best of my knowledge there is oil leaking from the rear of the valve cover. My indy, who knows his Mercs, says its the half moon gasket things that it is leaking from. I just got a complete valve cover gasket kit about 2 months ago hoping it would solve this problem. It did not. So I put a bead of black sealant on both half moon things and reassembled. Just went out for a test drive and the problem is still there. The way I know it is there is this oil burning smell that enters through the vents. I looked in the engine compartment tonight and you can see a very faint wafting of oil burning smoke coming up from what appears to be the connector between the manifold and the exhaust pipe. You can see a shiny oil surface at that connector. What I cannot see though is where the heck the oil is coming from. No dripping. Once the engine cools down I am going to stick my fingers in that really tight space between the back of the engine and the firewall. I will probably feel oil below the gasket and half moons. I don't know what I can do beyond what I have done in getting a new gasket set and a new set of the rubber washers for the valve cover bolts. All the bolts tightened up.

Any one out there have suggestions for my next attempt at fixing this. It really bums me out because I love the car but the smell of the burnt oil really takes away from the driving experience. Wherever the leak is it is very small because I do not see a noticeable drop in the oil level. If it is dropping it is dropping very slowly. I would be willing to attempt a diversion technique so that the oil would not end up on the damn manifold but of course I would rather get the leak sealed up. Also, I have done the head gasket replacement thing not too long ago. That was a real oil leak and it was taken care of.

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

Christine in FL · #2 09-03-2010, 11:03 PM

I know you don't want to hear this, but there is always possibility that the head gasket is leaking again. My '96 has gone through two head gaskets so far in it's life and it just turned over 100,000 miles. However, those leaks are mainly isolated to the front end of the engine.

Ferdman · #3 09-04-2010, 05:02 AM

Jim, the valve cover gasket should be installed dry. No need for any sealant.

Recommend cleaning off the rear of the engine with brake cleaner when the engine is cold. Then start the engine and using an inspection mirror and a flashlight determine the source of the oil leak. Typically the half-moon section of the valve cover gasket gets misaligned and doesn't seal properly. If you remove the valve cover be sure that the gasket area on the valve cover and head are perfectly clean ... no sealant, crud, etc. Then reinstall dry.

What brand valve cover gasket did you buy? It's possible that certain aftermarket gaskets don't seal as effectively as a genuine OEM gasket.

sasjzl · #4 09-04-2010, 11:30 AM

I bought the valve cover gasket kit from ********** as in the link below. "OES" is the brand.

https://www.**********.com/search/product.aspx?sid=yps1hy55z3q3idv5sxhlyl55&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195578@E320%20&year=1995&cid=20@Engine%20Parts,%20Seals%20%26%20Gaskets&gid=5500@Valve%20Cover%20Gasket%20Set

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee
1995 E320 Wagon

david s poole · #5 09-05-2010, 04:32 PM

there is no room at the back of engine so i suggest you conscript a small pair of hands to help,but the usual problem is the half moon doesn't sit properly either in the head or the valve cover.this has to be done by feel and i usually shut eyes and be sure of how it feels on valve cover off the engine and then attempt to fit it.i know it's hard but only way to ensure no oil leaks.