Maybe I'm a little picky, but........
 

I finally found time to put the head back on my 82 300SD. When I ordered the head set, I sort of figured that the V/C gasket wouldn't be in it. BUT I could not believe the timing chain tensioner gasket and thermostat housing gasket are not included in the kit. Are the manufacturers getting this stingy with parts or are we expecting too much?:eek:
Just had to get this off of my chest, let you know how it runs when the rest of my parts come in.
Jeff

It's often cheaper and easier to order all the gaskets you need separately. Don't ask me why!

Peter

It's been awhile since I've done it, but...as I remember if you buy a "valve grinding" gasket set, you get all the gaskets found on the engine of choice. My $0.02

In a head set I would expect every gasket from the head gasket and up. That's what I've always gotten when I've bought them for other makes. The sets I bought were never OEM though, usually Felpro. Maybe M-B OEM is different. I wouldn't have expected the tensioner gasket though.

While the tensioner is on the block it is required to remove to take the head off so I would expect that as well as the thermostat gasket. I'm a little impatient, I tend to buy all of the $1 gaskets, seals, nuts, lights, et cetera and keep them on the shelf rather than having to wait a week for stuff to come in. I'd rather have two of everything than not enough of one. What is really sad is I stock more W123 parts than my dealership does.

I've never pulled the head on a 300 diesel motor so I wouldn't have thought you'd need to remove the tensioner. I guess in your case I would have expected every gasket necessary for the job in a head set. IMO, no, you're not being too picky.
I've never done anything more mechanically involved on my 300D than pull the valve cover and adjust the valves but then I 've only owned my car for 9 months.

Actually the tensioner is mounted to the head, just in front of the exhaust manifold. I also would have thought that any gasket above the block would have been included in the head set. Guess that's what I get for thinking, need to leave that up to the engineers that build these things.:eek:
Always said that if a mechanic was to design a vehicle, it would be the ugliest thing to hit the road, but you could work on it.:p

Perhaps you're right, I remember it is in front of the manifold, but I thought it was a little bit lower as well. Regardless the piece needs to be removed to pull the head so it should have been included. Did you happen to ask the place you ordred the parts through about this? I wonder if it was their mistake, just seems odd.

At first I thought that the pieces were just missing. Looked at the pic of a head set on Fastlane, includes head gasket,manifold gasket,turbo oil inlet gasket,thermostat o-ring and assorted aluminum washers. No V/C gasket, no tensioner gasket, no thermostat housing gasket, and no valve seals.:confused: