Why clean before reassembly?
 

Working on my 83 300CD.
Just did the valve adjustment, and timing chain stretch measurement (2.5 degrees:) ) last night. The valve cover was messy and I was tired but I reached deeper and started cleaning all that black crap off inside & out. It was on the third rinse/wipe that I realised what I was seeing. Some PO had smeared black silicone seal along the edges of the tin oil deflector (if that is what it is)inside the valve cover. It had started to peel off:eek: .
Years ago a buddy assembled his oil pump on his just rebuilt Harley engine with this stuff. It went about 20 or 30 miles before the silicone pealed off inside the pump plugged up oil galleries and destroyed his new engine:eek:
So a lot of work rubbing with a cloth and picking stringy blobs with a haemostat, and clean now, I'll put it back together this aft.
Clean is good! If you clean everything before during and after, you always know more than you would otherwise. Keeping the old Harleys tuned, clean and shiny is when we used to learn about loose bolts, spokes, iffy wiring, etc etc. I think that's why Clean Machines run better:)
Alberta Luthier

I believe I would drop the oil pan to have a look. You may not see anything, and this still won't be any assurance that none remains, but if you did find pieces of silicone at least it would no longer be in circulation.

like taking a shower and then putting dirty cloths back on...

'I would drop the oil pan'
 

Thanx SD-B, That's a good idea. I had been planning this with it's second oil change since I got it, but maybe I will do it sooner rather than later.
Also gives me an excuse to get that gasket replaced and oil tight.
I suppose there is not much chance that shreds of silicone will settle out though:rolleyes:
Alberta Luthier

I'm sure the filter will get most of it. Better safe than sorry though

filter picking up silicone scraps
 

Thanx for your input CC.

I hope so. With that Harley my friend had, the silicone jammed up the oil pump, which then sheared a small woodruff key and stopped:eek: . Harleys are a 'dry sump' so when you lose the oilpump, the crank (and everything else) runs dry very very soon.:eek: Gives me the willies just thinking about it!
I'll bet the turbo bearings on an MB wouldn't like shreds of silicone, but at least it is soft crap rather than hard crap, like metal chips etc..
Alberta Luthier

Plus, it's easier to spot something wrong. And you know your car's parts, memorized in your head how they look, feel, maybe even smell like. If you take it to a new mechanic, you know if the part was replaced and if the area was cleaned (because it will be clean). If it's dirty, you know the mechanic doesn't care about the car.

i would worry about it blocking the intake screen before it has a chance to get to the filter.

tom w