OIL & AntiFreeze in the 300TE engine!!!!
 

Real bummer:

My pops 93 300TE 4 maic wagon somehow sprung a leak & the oil & antifreeze started mixing together;

It did not overheat & we are not driving it anymore.

My MB indy who looked it over today wants 1,200 to change all the fluids back drain & replace the head gasket. He said another 500 if it needs a new head.

I know I can drain the engine oil & the coolant and replace any soft hoses

But I have never replaced the head gasket before; So any tips or DIY on this project?

Also is there anything else I need to do to make the TE roadworthy again that I haven't mentioned?

Thabks!

AA

IMHO, that's a Really reasonable price.


The 124 service discs cover this rather well and make the job as painless as possible.

Jonathan

W124s are all 12-21 years old.

They all have had or will have head gasket problems.

Cost of doing business.

That's a pretty good price. Mind if I ask who your MB Indy is?

In my opinion, you must factor in your skill level and the risk in time and dollars of screwing it up. This could turn into a big can of worms if you are doing it for the first time.

At that price, I would let the indy do it. Actually, at a higher price I would let him do it. This is particularly true since it's not your car. How is pop going to feel if it is done wrong? The sealing of the front timing cover is tricky. How many special tools will you have to buy for this one time event? There is a pin you have to pull in the front of the engine. Shade tree mechanics, fabricate a tool. Amateurs, like me, would probably have to buy the puller.

You also need to be prepared to replace the belt tensioner and the shock, as the tensioner often will fail as you attempt to tighten it up on re-assembly. Happened twice on my 300E's. Then you have to ask yourself whether it makes sense to go ahead and replace the water pump since you are already in there.

Good luck,

Steve