Hi Guys

I'm looking for advice on a new cylinder head. I have been trying to fix mine for a while since the head gasket is leaking oil, and once I take the head off I want to take care of everything else in there as well.

A few options resulted:
1. take the current head off, get it rebuilt, put it back on
2. Get a used head, rebuild it, swap heads
3. Get an already rebuilt head, swap with old one.

Now, the first option is actually the least likely one I will go with since I have not been able to find a machine shop that I would trust in my city, or rather metropolitan area, second, rebuilt cost will double if not triple the cost of an already rebuilt head. For some reason, in Ontario, people are terrified of Mercedes vehicles and won't touch them at all.

With option 2, the difficulty is obtainning a used head. Closest place that has it is willing to give it up for $600 cdn, add rebuilt cost and it's still not worth it.

So I arrived at option 3. Get an already rebuilt head, and swap the two. Performance prodcuts offers rebuilt heads starting from $740 us, but I was not able to find the one for my car on their webpage.

I know a lot you have been through this process and I would greatly appreciate any help, advice and things I should watch out for.

Thanking you in advance

xp

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1985 190E 2.3L - a constant project.

www.adsitco.com has rebuilt heads for ~$100 less.

Have you asked where independent MB shops have cylinder heads done? Have you checked with Audi, BMW and Porsche enthusiasts? I higher end shop recommended for other German marques should be able to do a basic rebuild of an M102 head.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Also check out Metric Motors:

www.mercedesengines.net

They supply reconditioned cylinder heads with new valves, guides, seals, and springs. They list your engine, too.

It appears they will also rebuild your head.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Hey sixto did you miss a 0 on that price or am I reading the webpage incorrectly?

But it looks like this is my front runner. Once I get the budget worked out I'll be ordering the cylinder head. At the same time I'll get a new timing chain and manufacture my own press to close the link.

I hope the engine will be good as new.

xp

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1985 190E 2.3L - a constant project.

OK I'll bite just what is wrong with the head on that "1985 190E with the smoothest idle you have ever seen."

One amazing concept to me to decribe a car that way and then want to through away the busines half of it.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

It's not a head for ~$100, it's a head for ~$100 less than Peroformance Products' price.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Any metropolitan area the size of Toronto should have shops with experience rebuilding Mercedes heads. They aren't fundamentally different than any other aluminum head that have been common on engines for over 20 years.

You could start by asking dealer service departments where they sublet their head rebuilds.

Most dealers (and independents) just R&I the head and send it out to a machine shop for guides, valve seating, surfacing, etc.

Duke

True repair shops do their own valve work. We only send out for milling if needed. Of course I come from a different era where all manner of things got fixed, alternators, pS pumps,gears, diffs, trans, AC compressors, all were repaired 20 years ago.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

The idle is smooth, the engine has over 150Km on it, and there is a huge oil leak by the firewall, and no it is not the valve cover seal, that was replaced.

This is why I'm looking for a new cylinder head. The leak is slow, but it has high volume so that all my steering components are getting soaked in oil. My guess this is due to warpage. and it's time for a valve job anyway.

I will contact my local MB dealer today to find out who and for how much does cylinder head work for them.

I found one more place that normally does work on domestic cars, and one more shop I have to pay a visit to next saturday, I'll check their prices too.

As always, option with the best price wins.

xp

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1985 190E 2.3L - a constant project.

I bet you will be really pleased you saved $xx when the quality of the work turns out to be a crock of *****.

I would go for - reputation (real customer recommends) and warranty - As to price well of course we all have a budget, but price is not a de-facto determinant of quality.

Best of luck!

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NormanB
230 TE (W124) 1989 with 153,000 miles on the clock - hoping for at least another 100K

I stopped by the dealer a few days ago and asked about cylinder head repairs. friendly representative told me that Mercedes has their own facility to perform these repairs and they would take the cylinder head, diagnose it and charge depending on what needs to be done. Standard rebuild is about $2300 cdn. I was also told that I can bring in the cylinder head on it's own, this might save money on having to pull it off, but I'm not sure if that would affect the warranty.

$2300 is quite a bit, but as long as the work is guaranteed it might be very well worth it.

xp

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1985 190E 2.3L - a constant project.