plugs are already out.....i read that in one of the threads on this job.....OP:
see what i mean?

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James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

I went to one of local indy MB shops this afternoon with a box of donuts and some ice coffees and talked to mechanics about what i'm trying to do with mine and problem i'm having with... they recommended to proceed with removing the head for now and worry about timing later as they suspected something wasn't right as I explained that i couldn't rotate the engine manually.

They were very helpful and lend me a head guide pin removal tool for free and gave me procedures for removing the head and even printed a copy of manual with torque specs for each bolt.

I just removed the head and i noticed that several valves from either cylinder #2&3 or #4&5 were sticking out of...

I'm going to take the head to machine shop for inspection.

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I see the head being reconditioned and not resolving the engine turning issue. You must find out why the engine won't turn first.

What is this cars history and what lead you to decide the head gasket was bad and needed to come off?

There will always be some valves open at some point.

Got a call from the machine shop about the head and they said it would be better to find another head as it may have potential problems in a few months or leak again... what do you guys think? should go with rebuilt head?

does anyone know if there is a thicker gasket for M104 engine as BMW does?

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This can easily be welded up and head resurfaced if you can't find a better head.

Regardless, you _REALLY NEED_ to see why then engine won't turn. Was it running before you took the head off?

I just got a quote for $550 for aluminum welding from another machine shop as the current machine shop can't do welding... the mechanic who lend me the tool has another m104 head and he is trying to see what needs to be done with it so he can either sell it or give it to me...

Btw, is $550 reasonable for welding?

yes, vehicle was running fine but had severe oil leak from front where the U seal was and i found the U seal got cracked and bulging out at each corner and also leak from the back of the engine... and last week engine got overheated a bit.

Not a good price when you can get a used head for $200 (plus shipping)
Cylinder Head for M104 3.2L engine Mercedes Benz W124 E320 | eBay

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Given good used heads are sub $ 550, I'd go for a good used one. If that eroded area in the pic is the only one, $ 550 is a lot unless it is for a full recondition.

$550 included a complete valve job and reconditioning of the head and came with 1 year warranty so i guess it is not bad deal.

just picked up the head and trying to installing everything back together and got some questions.

1. head gasket kit I've got is from MB dealer, A104 010 37 20 and realized that exhaust gaskets are different than what I removed as it were all individual gasket and now it came with 2 gaskets and a group of 3 holes... and they are identical but first gasket near cylinder #1 only had one hole on top side but new ones had 3 holes....

2. can someone tell me what these washers and rubber gaskets are for in the pic attached?

3. I remember the chain was somewhat tight when I was removing the exhaust cam sprocket before but now it seems a bit short or too tight so I can't put the sprocket onto the cam.... is there any trick to it?

Thanks

Did you compress the timing tensioner?

And, did you figure out why then engine would not turn?