Recently put on new resistor ends and plugs on my E320 wagon.

When I put the cover back on, two of the bolts wouldn't tighten. When I dropped these two bolts in the holes, instead of sticking up a 1/4" or so, they rested completely on the bottom of the recess in the cover. Which means that the threaded ends had nothing to catch on. (This is a new car to me, first time to have the cover off, and didn't notice when removing it if the bolts were loose then).

Took the cover off again, looked at everything, looked like all wires and wire holders were placed correctly. Since I also have a 95 E320 sedan, I pulled it up along side, took off it's cover, and compared the two.

Everything was identical.

So, I buttoned everything back up and have been driving the wagon for a couple of days.

But, I'm curious. Has anybody else had the same ecperience?

Is there a fix?

Thanks.

Replace the valve cover or try to heli-coil the old one.
Some clobber hands may have pulled all the threads out.
Are they the correct length and match the other bolts?
Some knuckle heads actualy use a impact gun on these. yikes!
Dr.D

Dr. D,

It's not the valve cover, but the cover on the 104 engine that covers the coils, plugs, plug wires, etc.

The bolts actually drop through the cover, through an unthreaded hole in the coil, to threads under the coil. Purpose being, in a ddition to keeping crud our of plug wells, etc., to hold coils and wires in place.

Will probably be OK as the other bolts did catch, but...?

Coil/plug access panel hex bolts are all the same length on 104s, so the holes in the head are stripped. Each coil has a grounding clip and stud, so the cover is not needed for ground.
Therefore , I would leave well enough alone as long as there are good ones to secure the cover.. and don' t strip them......

Thanks Arthur and Dr. D.

As Dr. D said...somebody just cranked them until they stripped, but there are enough bolts tightened to hold the cover tight enough, sio I'll leave it alone.

Just read Arthur's post again re: grounding clip and stud.

The stud I saw, but saw no grounding clip. There were two posts or studs...one threaded with a screw slot, the other plain.

I just pulled the coils straight up to remove.

??

The clip is in the coil hole
You just don't see it..........it frictions against the stud