Consider yourself LUCKY. The single overhead cam 103 engine is, in my opinion, a better engine than the 104.

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Jim

check with the haynes UK publishing company on the internet. I bought the book and it made here to SC in about a week and was 40 dollars. also, there is a write up at www.continentalimports.com

Rob


actually the write up is for the M104

hello,

I know this is old post. But I was hoping if anyone could email me the information as well. I just took the car into a shop and was told the bad new that my head gasket needs replacing. Any information would be great. I have a M103. thank you.

scrap@creativecardstudio.com

George

You might try the following site:

http://skinnerbox.steaky.org/Service/Library.html

It's my understanding the guy who set this up intended for this to serve as a user-friendly index to the not-so-user-friendly MB CD-Rom.

In many cases the actual doc for a specfic task is available at this site.

For example, the MB task number for a 124 model cyl. head removal is 01-4150. That doc is at the site above, BUT there are many other tasks involved and you may or may not find them all there.

Good luck.

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'91 300-SEL

Can a set be emailed to my email? rhutt7@hotmail.com. Thank You!
I'm also looking for what to look out for; do you have to un hook the fuel injection on the head and the electrical harnesses;
we have 1990 300e 103 motor.
Thanks!

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[FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium]79 240D 243 k O'L LIGHTING[/FONTtakes a lickin keeps on ticken]

I can't help commenting. I worked on cars in my teens , when I was broke.
My friend and I rebuilt a couple of engines. These were simple engines like 56 ford 6 cylinder, Chev V8 265. Now we come to the M103 and the question of risk versus reward. It isn't as simple as it once was.

You need some fairly good mechanical skills and the right tools. You need some special tools which are going to cost some bucks and likely never be used again. You need some skill in sealing the front timing cover.

The risk is that you really screw it up. It's an expensive engine, with expensive components. Fail to do it exactly right and you may have yourself a broken camshaft, not cheap.

I have an M103 that has 231K miles on it. It has a very minute head gasket leak. My local indy has quoted me something like $1200 to R&R the head and have a valve job done. I will also buy new injectors, lifters, and valve springs which will be extra. Now this guy is very experienced and charges a relatively low per hour rate.

I would think long and hard before I dove into this project.

Just my thought about this particular project.

Steve

I just did the head, I bought a good used one and rebuilt it(mine needed guides real bad) it is a long job but nothing a good DIY guy can't do, anyhow I just finished putting my old head back toghether and am going to sell it, I have seen prices from $800 to $1400, I will sell it for $600 Email me
rksilvers@hotmail.com

To all you guys out there doing head work: Since you have to really Bust your a$$ to get them out in the first place, you should get them over to a A1 class automotive machine shop, have em glass peened, boiled, and all valve quides, valves, springs, keepers, and stem seals and NEW HEAD BOLTS CHANGED. If they magna flux there, have them check for combustion dome cracks. If you have cracks in the domes, you'll need a different head to RB. Your original head bolts are already stretched, and are no longer able to maintain retorquing specs. The shop must also provide the 3 angle valve grind in conjuction with the new valves, as per original OEM spec, with accompaning hand lapping and leak down testing. Its also certain that the flat mated surface of your original head is going to be somewhat warped, thats guarenteed. So a final flycut of hopefully a few thousands will insure the heads flatness. Grease the NEW head bolts with Bostick anti-seize, and do the old 3 step torque-down and recommended sequence tightening procedure. If you do it this way, re-torquing isnt necessary. A new cam chain wouldnt be a bad idea at this time, you could probably fish it through and use a stakeable master link to connect the new chain up again. Under no circumstances allow the machine shop to supply their own guides, as OEM guides are a very special alloy probably (nickel-silicon). Even though you might spend much more for the new valves and OEM guides, ITS WORTH IT, as its better to have a new valve than one that goes south due to micro fissures, and eats up a piston and cylinder. Buy all the parts ON line if you want to save the bucks, and only OEM. (www.*************** is the least expensive so far) If you have a few bucks more left after all this, do all the rubber parts that are around the intake manifold including the 2 big idle solenoid bypass hoses. This information comes from 30 years of RB'ing my own and friends, cars and bikes, and its a crying shame that if you skimp just a few bucks on any item just mentioned to do this kind of work, quess what? That heads coming off again, from something you missed.....
Dont forget a OEM MB head gasket, Ive seen some after market ones out there, FERGETABOUTIT........
PS: Its critical you dont over flex all your original wiring harnesses to sneak that head out, the wiring insulation is most probably very brittle by now, and you will only create total havoc, if you arent careful. By cracking insulation here and there, you will be creating shorts to all your sensors and modules. Take a deep breath and good luck.....
Dave R.

also becareful I bought the new hoses to the idle valve and they both failed splitting where you put them on the fittings one right away one on the back from first long trip, doesn't idle well

my email is rhutt7@hotmail.com

Thank You!

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[FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium]79 240D 243 k O'L LIGHTING[/FONTtakes a lickin keeps on ticken]

There are some very interesting things being said since this thread was resurrected.

R&R of the cylinder head on the 103 might look intimidating, but it actually is as simple to do, although much more time consuming, as a 56 Ford 223 IF you are aware of a few basic things. For a good DIYer with a good set of Metric tools it is totally achievable. I can't remember any special tools necessary for this job.

Another comment was that the head bolts can not be reused. This is not true. They must be MEASURED for length, if they are not over length they can be used with no fear. If the engine has not been apart before the bolts will almost CERTAINLY not be over length. Even if it's been apart once before they will probably be okay. This is not a Chevy.

There is a decision to make when you approach this job. You can leave the intake system in the car or take it out attached to the head. On the 104 engine it is easier to leave it attached to the head and remove it on the bench. On the 103, however, it is easier and safer IMHO to leave it in the car. There are a few intake to head bolts that you will have to access from underneath with a long extension but they are no problem. By leaving the intake in the car, you are not disconnecting all the electrical and vacuum connectors that are now brittle from 15 or 20 years of age.

A few things that you must be aware of to keep from causing trouble. They will be in order of reassembly:

Follow the torquing instructions carefully and get ready for a workout. You will think that you are going to break the headbolts in half. Torque to spec in sequence THEN either mark all bolts for position or be VERY careful to cover them all in turn when angle torquing. If you don't mark them, don't allow ANY interruptions while you are going through the angle torquing sequence as you may lose your place. You don't want to accidentally put an extra 1/4 turn on any of the bolts. When you start the angle torque sequence don't stop unless the shop bursts into flames or you have to go save someones life. Don't answer the phone, get called away to dinner or ANYTHING.

When putting all the cam bearing journals and rocker arm assemblies in place DON'T tighten one end all the way down and then move to the next. Lay everything in place and get all the bolts STARTED. THEN go back and tighten a little at a time all the way across and then a little at a time all the way across again until they are all down and torqued. If you don't follow this advice you can easily strip threads and even break the camshaft.

BEFORE putting the timing chain back in place, REMOVE and disassemble the tensioner. There is a toothed plunger that must be pushed through and restarted so that when the oil pressure comes up it will be ratcheted into position. Failure to do this will, at best, make the timing chain VERY difficult to install and at worst, break something.

Don't get the bright idea to put the exhaust manifolds back on with bolts. Steel bolts in an aluminum head will cause some REAL problems later on. Just fight with the manifolds and get them back over the studs. With an extra long extension it is really easy to get the exhaust pipe flange bolts loose to make it easier to wrestle the exhaust manifolds off and back on.

I don't remember any other warnings. Everything else is reasonably straight forward.

Now, if you are timid or impatient then round up $1,200 to $1,800 and find a good shop to do the job. If you are a determined DIYer with a little wrenching experience, go for it.

My $0.02,

Thank you mike y for sending the the remove the head cd info.

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[FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium]79 240D 243 k O'L LIGHTING[/FONTtakes a lickin keeps on ticken]

after just doing my 103 everything larry said is true, he also should have mentioned the chain guide pin, it has to be removed or you will break the guide, I made my own little slide hammer to pull, after that it wasn't bad, and I have done lots of different cars, trucks and boats, when going thru the job its always better to ask here before you break something

Sorry I didn't mention the guide pins, but to me they seem fundamental because most all MB engines have them.

You can get them out using a small screw or bolt that will thread into them. Put the screw through a washer and then through a nut that has an ID larger than the pin. Thread it in and it will usually pull the pin enough to pull it out.

Many years ago I paid really big bucks, $50 I think, for a pin puller set. It is a really nice, well made tool and has saved lots of messing around with those pins over the years.

Good luck,

Hi, can somebody plz email me the document @ ejazahmed537@gmail.com
Thanks.