1) Where did you buy the tubes and how much were they? Oh and how many of them are there? - Get them from fastlane - I think they're $13 each. Perhaps a Mercedes Club membership could get you a discount. i got them from the dealer with the club discount for around $11. You'll need 16.

2) If you happen to remember, how many rubber breather tubes are there in total (both small and wide gauge) and where did you get those? There are 3 wide gauge rubber hoses, with 2 plastic connectors. I believe there are 3 or 4 narrow-gauge pieces, with 2 or 3 standard connectors and one special connector that lets a vacuum tube run off it. The dealer or Phil can pull up the part sheet and make sure that you get all the correct parts.

3) did you get new gaskets for the valve covers as well? Yes. I always replace gaskets after they've been removed.

4) It sounds like you're a handy guy, how long did it take you to complete the job? Including the 2+ hours we spent working to get a single bolt loose, about 8 hours. BUT - we were working with 2 cars. Expect to spend around 4-5 hours unless you're real familiar with the engine.

5) Do you know what the torque number is for the valve cover bolts? I believe that it's 9 newton Meters. You'll also need to torque the camshaft fittings (which you remove to access the oiler tubes) to the same torque, I believe. Consult the repair CD for exact measures.

6) Now I havent seen what the oiler tubes look like, but how exactly do you change one out? just grab it with needle-nose pliers and pull? You'll remove the camshaft bearing holders, with 4 allen bolts each, to access each "bank" of tubes. There are 5 "banks" - 3 in the middle have 2 tubes each, and on the end there are 2 banks that hold 1 tube each. Once you have the holders removed, just pull the tubes straight out. Easy.

This repair isn't cheap, oiler tubes should run around $200, plus rubber tubes (maybe $80) and valve cover gaskets (around $40-80). make sure to change the spark plugs while you're in there, takes about 5 minutes extra. it's worth the cost for the piece of mind.

OH - and I forgot - replace the timing chain guide while you're in there. These are plastic, 2-piece guides that wrap around the top of the chain. Cheap parts (I think $10 each), one set for each side). BE CAREFUL when you remove the old parts, as they WILL come apart. Stuff a bunch of plastic wrap underneath the part when you remove it to catch the little plastic piece s that will snap off. Replacement is easy - just bolt the main part onto the engine, and snap the 2nd part into place around the chain.