Lino:

Over 50% of US internet users have dialup with no other viable option. I'm not about to spend the $75 a month (or more) it would take to get cable, plus the internet service for home use, and DSL isn't available here. Hopefully, it will NEVER be available here, one suburb next door is WAY too many.

I know you're excited about the stuff you are doing with the car, but I'd greatly appreciate it if you would only post pics of things you cannot describe in words -- it takes MUCH too long to download pics of bottles of antifreeze.

Your grouchy old compatriot (who remembers when you had to give the operater your phone number when making a long distance call).

Peter

Sorry gentlemen. I thought it would be nice to add color and details to the posts. I have been using high speed for so many years and so the last thing that crosses my mind is waiting for a webpage to load. I had no idea that in the US there are still people using dial-up. The last 4 computers that I have owned didn't even have modems. Someone mentioned this to me before and it totally slipped my mind. I'll be more considerate in future posts.

Paul,
You're right. I still have dial up. The rough definition of economics is; the allocation of finite resources to satisfy infinate wants, needs, and desires. Dial up works fine for what I use the computer for. I prefer to spend discrecionary income on programing for my 36" Sony flat screen and Bose surround sound system.

Peter,
When I was a kid, our phone # was 5029W. We had a 3 party line we shared with 5029R and 5029J. If you picked up the phone and heard someone talking, you had to hang up and keep checking until they were through. When the line was clear, uou waited for the operator to say" number please". This was not in a rural area. This was in the San Francisco Bay Area. Life was simpler then. If you weren't home to answer the phone, it didn't get answered. Now you are connected any where in the world. You could answer the phone then, because there were no tele marketers, but if you answered the door, you had to deal with the Fuller Brush man. :D


Peter

Lino:

Lots of places in the US are petty far apart and thinly populated, unlike Canada, where people tend to be clusted pretty close together (I lived in Sault Ste. Marie, out in the "great white north" for three years). Here in the states quite a bit of the popluation lives either in urban sprawl or in completely rural settings, where it may be a mile or more to the next house and 15-20 miles from anthing approaching a town. No DSL, cable is expensive, and satelite worse.

Thanks for your consideration!

Peter

Although I understand and acknowledge the concerns and restrictions of those using dial-up, as a new owner of an M103, I found the pictures and instructions very interesting and informative. I think pictures should be posted – perhaps with a “56k” warning.


There’s a standard wheelbase 126 attached to the engine, BTW…
:)

Posting thumbnails is perfect -- you can see what's there and only have to download it if you want to, saves me mucho time.

Peter

JDC,

I don't think a 56k warning would be a good idea for those seeking help, because many wouldn't go th the thread. People like PSFRED with a lot of knowledge about these cars would not respond, and with 30 years experience as a factory trained MB mechanic, I would hope my input would be worth something. As to the value of the pictures, I would have no problem waiting for a down load of a few pics that would help to solve the problem, but I fail to see how pictures of new valve seals add anything. I had no problem with the pics of the sealant, because we were all trying to determine what was what.

Peter

Lino

Great great great job.

That one is a very critical leaking zone.

Thanks for the pictures, they have a good teaching spirit.
We all should take that approach to picture these kind of work.

I also found the pictures very informative but they do make for a lot of scrolling. Perhaps thumbnails are the way to go.

I think linos photo contributions (perhaps multiple pictures of valve seals aside) add a lot to the forum for those of us who might want to try jobs that are unfamiliar and just a little scary.

P.S. With his track record of late we may end up with a complete 124 rebuild that exceeds the CD in quality.

Using a photo editting program can help reduce file size; if the pictures are more than 100 dpi at a reasonable screen size, then there are perhaps too large. Also, saving them in 256 bit color @ 100 dpi (gif?) format helps reduce file size.

in photoshop, the parameters are found under image-image size, bit format under image-mode-indexed color (ie., 256 color)

I think linos photo contributions (perhaps multiple pictures of valve seals aside) add a lot to the forum for those of us who might want to try jobs that are unfamiliar and just a little scary.


Yeah. Looking at pictures of valve seals is like watching paint dry.

I've been dreading this job on my 300SE but it looks really simple, thanks to the pics sent over the high speed lines at work and home. I understand about dialup which I had until a couple of years ago.

BTW, a PO used blue sealant on my engine and it's leaking. I'll have to get the black stuff.

OK, I got all the stuff on Friday morning over at MB Alexandria Va. There was a Maybach in the showroom so I had to check it out. Funny, the hood ornament looks like my Kitchen Aid Mixer paddle. Well, be that as it may, I commenced to take everything apart. The distributor rotor drive whatever it's called was a tad stubborn but some PBlaster and a little nudging and it came out. I took the cover off and there was all sorts of blue sealant all over the U-gasket and in the channel. I spent a good half hour cleaning all that crud out. It's now ready to go.

The cam seal was tough to remove and getting the cam cover off was a PITA.

I was reading this thread because while working on the transmission on my 91 300E, I noticed there is a lot of oil seeping from the top timing/cam cover. I lose about a quart every 3,000 miles, and I'm 99% sure this is where it's leaking (I don't burn any, and plugs are perfect). I bought the cam seal, liquid MBZ sealant, and lip seal from the dealer yesterday. Before I tackle the job, I have a few questions:

1) What are the torque specs for the bolts on a) the front cover; and b) the valve cover?

2) Do I put sealant on the rubber lip seal as well, or do I just install it dry?

3) Am I correct in understanding that to do this job I need only remove the distributor/rotor assembly and valve cover gasket?

4) How long do I need to let the liquid sealant cure before driving? Is overnight in 40 degree weather sufficient?

5) I saw very tiny traces of green antifreeze on the front of the engine, in the form of 2 or 3 mini droplets collecting at low points on the a/c compressor bracket and on the underside of the oil pan. I'm suspecting that if the leak can't be traced (I've already looked) I may soon be doing the water pump. If I do the water pump will I have to do this front upper timing cover again? If so, please let me know - I don't want to pay for parts twice and would rather do the water pump now if that'll save a step later.

Any help would be greatly appreciated - I hope to do the job tomorrow evening, and drive the car to work Monday morning. By the way, for those of you who have been following and heping with my transmission issue - it's fixed! I will type a detailed update at some point later - boy does my body ache!

Don't do this job if you don't have Loctite 5900 for your sealant, this is the ONLY substance recommended for this job by MB. Curing overnight should be sufficient.

The only place the lip seal needs to be sealed with the Loctite is back in the rear corners, you just put a small dab in the back of the groove, then drop in the lip seal. The main place the Loctite is required is where the front cover meets the cylinder head, put a thin film on the cover, then install it, but you should have the special tool that installs into the hole in the front of the camshaft to allow proper fitting of the radial seal over the cam.

In general, you are correct, you need to remove the valve cover, and the distributor cap and rotor and rotor bracket, you also need to remove the coolant pipe that runs in front of the front cover (replace gray o-ring on that pipe, and of course the engine fan. Often times the rotor bracket will stick in the cam, post again if you have trouble removing it. Be sure to note there is a bolt that holds that bracket in place.

Torque the front cover to 20nm, the valve cover I usually use 10nm (officially I believe it's 8nm) but do retorque these several times in a row, about 3 times to make sure they are all uniform tightness.

Gilly