Cylinder Head Service?
 

After pulling the head on my M104 engine, and during the "first blush" inspection, it seems there's either a crack or a steam trace on cylinder #6 shown here.

http://files.me.com/benzman35/afas9x

(More pictures in this open thread here) http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=263982)

Does anyone know about Bill's Cylinder Head Service in Phoenix? It doesn't look like he has any web negatives that I can find. Though I can send the head to Metric Motors in L.A.(suggested by 73Elsinore), I would prefer to drive it to a local machine shop in Phoenix, that is if I can feel confident about it.

Thanks!

Michael B.

why do you think there is a crack ? the coolant leak is due to the poor design of the head-gasket which is well documented.

in any case, take the head to a shop to be checked. the shop SHOULD have experience with m104 heads. I was told be a mercedes repair shop in town (when i was doing mine) that a lot of machine shops go overboard while straightening the head (shaving too much off). This is not recommended for these heads, so make sure the machine shop people know what they are doing...

If i were you, i would call a reputable mercedes repair shop and ask them where they send their heads for machining. that is what i did,,,,

good luck!

Umm, well, in the picture I posted, you can see there is either what I would call a steam erosion trace or a crack just north of the valve between the water jacket and the combustion area. Several old salts here at work have looked at the gasket and cannot see that there was a problem.

I can say that the head bolts didn't seem equally tight. So, that may have been the start of it all.

I'm sure it's been asked before, so I'll search the threads for a reputable Indy in Phoenix.

Thanks!
Michael B.