190e 2.6 cam cover - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

cheeseraid · #1 07-04-2009, 03:32 PM

Anybody have a good tip on sealing the top cam cover on a m103? The plate that attaches to the head, behind the distributor. I have tried black grey rtv, Indian head, red gasket maker from gm, no seal at all, and I even tried making gaskets. I think I tried a few more things but that's all I can remember right now. Still it always leaks. The red gasket maker has worked the best so far, but it's starting to leak again. I have to pull it off every month. It's leaking in the corners, where the bottom seal comes to the ends. Never on the sides, except with no sealent (my local indie told me to try that, what a failure lol). What do you guys use on it? I have had this freakin problem ever since I replaced the head gasket. It was never touched before that (mine had 87,000 when I changed the head gasket).

ps2cho · #2 07-04-2009, 05:25 PM

Are you sure you have the correct torque settings?

cheeseraid · #3 07-04-2009, 05:46 PM

yep i follow the specs in the cd i have on this car. Actually i go over slightly, 16 pounds. I thought the cover was warped before, I took it to a machine shop to have it checked. It was only .03 of a mm off in the top right hand corner (looking straight at the motor). I'm puzzled and tired of re sealing it.

ps2cho · #4 07-05-2009, 12:08 AM

edit: oh sorry front timing cover.

Make sure everything is very clean. When I did it on my wagon during my rebuild, I only used it on the very corners where the gasket meets the head, nowhere else. I believe I used this one.

dennish · #5 07-05-2009, 10:10 AM

I think you're talking about the upper timing cover. There is a bottom seal that commonly leaks. Check out the excellent DYI article in "Articles" on above tool bar..to DYI article. I just did mine and changed the cam seal at the same time

cheeseraid · #6 07-05-2009, 01:45 PM

I have tried permatex and others. It's completely clean ever time. I'm like a expert at getting that thing off by now lol. Seriously I can pull it off in 10 minutes flat lol. I have replaced that bottom seal 2 times. Once when I re did the head and second one was 2 months ago. Idk what to do. I think the head gasket is made wrong. If you put that seal in there, at the edge at the head you can take a pick and go right through there. I can't remeber how it originaly looked but the head gasket was right or so I think when I pulled it. My local indie says its right but idk. To me it looks like that's why you would need a sealent in the corners. Well tommorow Im going to try again, wish me luck lol.

cheeseraid · #7 07-05-2009, 02:28 PM

The head?

cheeseraid · #8 07-05-2009, 02:54 PM

No im talking about the front timing cover, not the valve cover. I have read the article on here about sealing it, tried that about 6 months ago. Epic failure. Tried all kinds of sealents, nothing works. I'm starting to wonder if the head isn't torqued right. I know I'm sealing it right, but If it's slightly off it will leak. I wish they engineered a adjustment in the cover. If mine was less than 1 mm father down, I bet it wouldn't leak again. Second reason I think it's the head bolts not torqued right (they were when I did the head, reinz bolts were used so idk about there quality), It started doing this after I put a new head gasket on. Troubleshooting is a battle of remembering back. I was going to do this tommorow but I can't find my 1/2 inch drive torque wrech to check the head bolts.