Intake gasket problem 300 SEL 1988
 

Hi, all

I've noticed what I thought was an oil leak coming from near the rear bottom left corner of the head.
It looked and felt like oil, and had coated a small area of the block below there.

I started looking with a mirror under the intake manifold and injection metering valve(or what ever it's technically called) for the source of the leak.
What I found was actually a blown intake gasket. Part of the gasket was still hanging down from the rest. So I guess what appeared to be oil was the remains of evaporated gas since the time it failed.

I put this gasket (Mercedes gasket) on there about 3 years ago. Both the head and the intake surface were flat with no distortions. Manifold was torqued to spec when installed, but I never went back to re torque because of the bolts being so hard to get to. I didn't coat the gasket with any type of sealer.

So, first of all..
Is there a better gasket available? The Mercedes gasket is a fiber type non metal reinforced material and is relatively thin.

Could I omit the gasket and just use the proper sealer between the two surfaces?

Thanks,
BMJR

Bump..

...

No takers on this one.....

I had ordered a new gasket from Mercedesshop which came in earlier this week.

I pulled the intake today..
I was mistaken about the gasket being only fiber. It has a smooth metal core, just as the new one I bought.
The old one was blown at the front and the back #1 and #6 cyl at the bottom edge of the port area.
The black gasket material separated from the metal core. But it only did on one side, the intake manifold side.
It looks to be burnt slightly and was blown to the outside, not pulled in.

I think I'll just coat this gasket with some "Yamabond" semi hardening sealer and hope for the best.

BMJR