After realizing that my good old trusty 300E has been buring oil lately, and being very sluggish, I took it in to my tech to have it serviced. The head problem these cars a known for rested in the back of my mind but I never really paid any attention to having a head job done. Well finally its gotten to a point where the head must be rebuilt. I want to know if possibly I can get the necessary parts from partsshop, and give them to my tech to do. ( I am aware that machine work will be needed)

I was hoping that maybe some of my fellow Mercedes Brethen could help me out in maybe tuning my head a little "above average" I don't know waht would be needed to increase power, however If I'm going to blow 1,000 plus, I might as well go a litle extra to have some performance aprts installed. what could be done. Benzmac and others, please adivse. Ohh and don't hesitate to be creative.

Also what kind of power could I expect to gain if the head is polished and ported.?

[Edited by CaptAlex300e on 05-18-2001 at 03:05 PM]

__________________
"Damn the torpedos, four bells full speed ahead"
-Admiral Farragut




-1987 300E Smoke Silver
-1997 S320 Black on Black
-Soon To be E55 AMG
-27 foot Grady White Offshore Sportfish.

a place that can do what is called a "slurry hone" on the ports I would take a look at it. It is like polishing the intake and exhaust ports. Makes them nice and smooth which helps in breathing. I have only seen it talked about on Horsepower TV (I think it is called "slurry hone") and have never seen a shop in the Macon, Ga area that can do it. I would assume that people that build racing engines would know where you could get it done. With the head apart would be the time to do it.
Jim
'85 300D
'95 E320
'98 CRV

Ouch alex,

Looks like both of us have had some bad luck with our cars this week.

Mine needing a tranny rebuild, and yours needing the head rebuilt.

Alon

__________________
'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

Gentleman, I too am joining the ranks of head work. My 260E with 290,000 is going to need it sometime soon, and would also like to do some creative horsepower work while it's apart.

Please, someone with experience give us some pointers!

__________________
Brian W.

01 S55 AMG Silver
01 CLK55 AMG Silver

Hey my 300E's clock stopped at 101,586 about 4 years ago. From then on my 300E has made more miles than it has since. In recent years my 300E became the "runner". With over 200,000 trusty miles, hey I don't mind spending another 1,300 for a head rebuild....that is if it lasts another 10 years. Also while at it, I might get it tweaked a little. Perhapes If I have it taken off, and shipped to Alabama, maybe Benzmac could do the head for me.

__________________
"Damn the torpedos, four bells full speed ahead"
-Admiral Farragut




-1987 300E Smoke Silver
-1997 S320 Black on Black
-Soon To be E55 AMG
-27 foot Grady White Offshore Sportfish.

but where ever he is I am sure he would be more than happy to do it. Capt - I would look for a shop where they build dragster engines (or any race car engine for that matter) to do the head work. These folks can make the porting in cylinder heads look smooth as glass.
Jim

Small world, I need a head job on the 92 300D 2.5, around $2000.00 for dealer to do it.

Ashman, where are you having your tranny done? I had mine done at the dealer, they did a pretty good job, it ran about $4000.00. The price difference was small but the 2 year/24,000 warranty helped convinced me to let the dealer do it.

I'm having my tranny done at my independant, who used to eb the manager of the beverly hills mercedes dealer for 10 years. He left to start his own shop.

His prices are very good, and he will warrant his work the same as the dealer for me since I have known him for 15 years.

My tranny will cost me $1400 to be rebuilt. the dealer wants over $3000.

As far as warranties are concerned, I have no clue, but I know that my mechanic will treat me right, and if it goes out after a short time, he'll make up for it by repairing it or replacing it again for no charge usually.

He is located in Tarzana, CA, near the 101 freeway, on reseda. He is just south of the freeway on reseda, and is called Mr. MB Motors.

He knows mercedes inside and out, its all he works on, and his customers follow him to his new locations all the time.

His shop is very clean compared to most other shops, and he always shows you the replaced parts from your car. He also always charges decent prices on everything. His savings become my savings.

The key thing that I like about him is that he does excellent work, and has never done any work on any mercedes my family has owned that was bad. His work has always been impeccable.

He redid the complete roller rocker assembly on my brothers 85 SL, for less than $500. He also had to pull the gas tank and repair a broken hose which he did for a good price as well.

Alon

__________________
'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

$1400.00 for a tranny is a steal. The aftermarket stores in St. Louis wanted around $3500.00 to do the tranny for my car. I agreed to pay an extra $500.00 to the dealer for the warranty, etc.

If I ever move to cali I guess I will know who to go to.

Well my mechanic is very good to me, My father got the guy his citizenship to this country, so he really gives us a good deal.

But he gives everyone a good deal, because he knows the costs of owning a car, and he is all about the customer.

Alon

__________________
'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

Brother of The Benz, Alex.
Sorry to hear of the faital misshap in your family, the loss of the head member.
Alex, if you haven't already committed the head to rest and resurrection, I might suggest an alternative.
Adsit Company, Inc. @ 1-800-521-7656 offers rebuilt cylinder heads for your 300E for $895.00 exchange. There is a $500.00 core charge pending the return and rebuildable condition of your old head.
This is a far cry less than any prices I've read in this forum.
If you can DIY or get Fellow Benz owners to help you, the savings would be humungus.
As to "Porting and Porting", you don't relieve a overhead valve engine, the performance improvement without a cam change may be so small that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Many engines with super smooth port runners are intentionally stippled to better mix the fuel air mixture.
If the ports matching to the manifolds are off in size, this would be an area of improvement to consider. The gaskets are the templates to use. If you opt for a rebuilt head the valves would not have to be removed to do this.
If it were me I would go for the rebuilt cylinderhead and port matching.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

What is stippled Donald?

If I am not mistaken - the port matching is some of what is called "blueprinting" isn't it. I never realized that the key is to use the gasket.

Jim
'85 300D
'95 E320
'97 CRV

Brother of Then Benz, Jim.
Stippling on any surface is the impressions made by a pointed tool; similar to what a center punch would make.
This roughened surface creates turbulance in the air runners causing better atomization of the fuel/air mixture.
Blueprinting an engine is entirely different. It is the matching of the combustion chamber volume.
The volume of the piston at top dead center is built into the engine and can't be changed; whereas the volume of the combustion chamber in the cylinder head is varied between cylinders.
This volume is measured using a fixture sealed and clamped against the cylinderhead. A liquid, usually mineral spirits, is accurately measured to fill the combustion chamber cavity. This is done for all cylinders. The largest chamber is the master and material is removed from the remaining cylinders cavity to equal the master.
With all combustion chamber cavities equal, you have blue printed the engine.
I hope this helps you understand the difference between the two processes.
Possibly some other member may add to our discussion.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

$1400-$3500 for a rebuild tranny??? That is about the Dutch guilder price!!! 1250-2000 Dutch guilder for a completely rebuild tranny...

It is sad to hear that all these mercedesses are in desperate need of a head-job. I have just taken off the head of my 300SL-24 to get a new gasket (I had 3,5 liter of motoroil in my coolant!), new lifters and valve guidances + seals (24!), new timing chain, new spark plugs, new oil filter, transmission filter, new motoroil, transmission oil, differential oil...and model 97 bumpers, Xenon head lights and so on.

greetingz,

__________________
1990 300SL-24
1993 C250D with a minor 600+k kilometer
www.MBenzNL.com(the Netherlands)