Engine Rebuild

[twinockchef]

What is the process for rebuilding my 130.980 engine? I want to completely disassemble the engine. Are there areas on the engine that I should avoid? I would like to get the engine as close to factory new as possible.
I want to have all of the gaskets and seals before the rebuild. Which ones will I need? My service manual is not very clear on this. Any advise is appreciated.

[wbain5280]

I'm rebuilding my M180 6 cyl from my 220S.

220S M180 Engine Work

Your injection pump will need to be checked out as well.

The 280SL uses the same engine.

http://www.sl113.org/forums/default.asp

engine and drivetrain:

http://www.sl113.org/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=16

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by twinockchef

What is the process for rebuilding my 130.980 engine? I want to completely disassemble the engine. Are there areas on the engine that I should avoid? I would like to get the engine as close to factory new as possible.
I want to have all of the gaskets and seals before the rebuild. Which ones will I need? My service manual is not very clear on this. Any advise is appreciated.

Britton,

This question is disturbing on several levels.

A Mercedes engine is not a good engine to practice your first rebuild. Your question suggests this assumption.

First, why do you think it needs a rebuild?

Second, do you have any idea what the total parts and machining costs will be?

Third, do you have the MB engine manual? This book will walk you through the steps and you can identify what parts are required.

To answer your question in a broad sense, you need a complete gasket set, including front and rear main seals. This takes care of the "soft" parts.

To make your engine like new, you'll need new crank and rod bearings. You'll need to know if they are std or undersized. You'll want to replace your oil pump, camshaft chain and oil pump chain drives. Might as well through in new guides as well, and new sprockets. You'll need piston rings, or possibly pistons and rings. Price a set of pistons, they are not cheap. Might as well throw in a new camshaft as well.

You'll need to have the head machined, and if it's been done before or overheated, you may be down to min thickness, which will get expensive quickly. Up to 12 valves may require replacing, along will the seals and guides. If your cam is damaged, the rockers will need to be replaced as well.

Of course a water pump and new belt driven items should be installed to make it like new as well.

The injection pump should be sent out for rebuild, and new injectors (balanced) installed.

I'm only lightly touching the subject, many other things enter into the rebuild.

Look at Metric motors, they sell rebuild long blocks, and probably for less than you would end up paying. http://www.mercedesengines.net/

Often, a tired M130 can be brought back with a head refurbishment, perform a leak down test to see if your valves or rings are bad.

Jim

[cth350]

And then there's the 200$ motor from pick and pull. You can go through a dozen of them before paying the cost of having the block milled. -CTH

[twinockchef]

I have the manual and I do not care about the cost. I have been quoted between $2500 to $4000 to rebuild and Mercedes Engines wants $6200 for a rebuild!!! I believe that I can do it for less. If I have the right information, tools, and mind set I do not see a problem with this job. I plan to drive this car for another twenty years.
The engine runs very well, except for a rough running when cold (in the morning) and the extreme amount of oil usage. It uses one quart for about every one hundred fifty miles.
The first thing I will do is take her in for a compression test. This should confirm what I already know.
*A valve job, which may require the valves to be refinished (I will have a machine shop do this).
*The piston rings are the other thing that should be addressed. If I am lucking, the cylinder walls will be in good shape, and I will only need to replace the rings.
The manual covers the different steps in the rebuild and what to look for in each component that may or may not need to be replaced but it does not list which parts should always be replaced. I have been looking at the parts pictures to see which parts are gaskets and seal so that I can order them.
This is the primary reason for this post.

[Q45Denver]

Have you tried replacing the valve stem seals? Fairly easy and usually the problem.

[cth350]

Definitely enjoy the car. Keepers are always worth an extra hug. Though just because you're going to keep it doesn't mean you need to just throw money at it.

It's not an SL or SE/C that is rare enough to stay original. Any 6 cylinder motor will do.

Lining up a good shop that has done mercedes vintage work is essential. You want somebody that knows the specifics of that motor better than you do. When in doubt, ask the mercedes dealerships who they use for machine work.

Take the head, intact to machinist. Let him tear down the valves & springs and let you know what needs to be replaced. If the head needs to be milled on both sides, get another head.

While the head is being evaluated, do the same with the block. If you know your way around a lower end and can handle plasti-gauge, by all means strip down the block yourself.

It really is nothing more than "take it all apart. Replace the worn stuff and put it back together with new gaskets". Be sure the distributor gets rebuilt and replace the timing chain and sprockets while you've got it all apart.

Do not, repeat not bore the block unless you have the replacement pistons in hand. A good benz machinist will insist on that.

-CTH

[Robert Squires]

* twinockchef, take Jimfreeh's advice. Buy a long block from Metrics. You'll be time and money ahead, not to mention the quality of the rebuild.
* If, on the other hand, you really want to learn something about every step of an overhaul, spend some time reading. You've probably got a school in your area for diesel and gas mechanics. Find out what textbook they're using to teach engines and pick up that book. Your public library will have a good selection of books, some may even use the Mercedes engine as an example. You're not going to pick up enough bits and pieces here and there to form a systematic view. I know it's probably an image buster but good mechanics read a lot.
* Keep in mind too that an engine overhaul takes logistic support that isn't needed to just change a set of plugs. You may have considered the extra tools, like a set of micrometers, torque wrenches, or a ring compressor, to name a few. What about space? Space for tear down. Space for clean up. Clean space for assembly. An engine, even with an organized approach, takes a bay all by itself.