stripped allen bolt....
 

My w124 E320 got blown head gasket and i'm trying to do it myself.
I removed most of them but just stripped the 8mm allen bolt that holds fan... and I'm hoping if someone has good tip to remove that bolt without removing all ac condenser and aux fans....

You can try and cut a slot into the head with a Dremel and then using a flat head bit with socket and long attachment. Try and heat the bolt with propane torch and let cool a bit before you try and break it loose.

That bolt is very tight on all of the ones I've taken apart ( like 5 or 6 by now ) . I've had to use an impact wrench.

You might be better off taking the fan blade off the clutch ( 3 bolts ). You might have enough clearance to unbolt the fan mount at that point.

I'm not sure if there's enough clearance on that screw head, but the Irwin extractors work well. https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-BOLT-GRIP-Extractor-Expansion-394002/dp/B000QW6K8I

taeandji, I agree ... simply remove the 3 allen head bolts that secure the fan to the viscous clutch.

with aux fans and ac condenser, it is hard to see the bolt itself.... so I'm not sure if I can grind it with dremel...

it seems like there is no clearance for that bolt.... but if i can remove those 3 bolts that holds fan clutch from the fan... it may give me some clearance so i can use this tool.

thanks

good idea... i will try to remove those 3 bolts from the fan and see if it will give some clearance. thanks

Thanks, i will try doing that.

I'd try and knock the socket in there with a hammer or you can always buy 8.5mm allen keys offline.. it's crucial to hold the head of the ratchet when removing allen bolts to maintain it straight

as others recommended, i was able to remove those 3 allen bolts holding fan clutch and got the fan out, leaving fan clutch attached to engine still though.

attached is a pic i took for stripped bolt. as you can see, there is no clearance to use other tool to remove it and i'm kinda scared to use the dremel tool as well... also i removed the radiator so i have some more clearance but can't use a hammer as it damages the ac condenser....

should i try the 8.5mm allen key? or should i leave it the way it is?

forgot to attach the pic.

I can think of filing down an 8.5mm hex bit and hammering it in there. Then use a ratchet wrench with a hex bit adaptor.


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taeandji, what does removing the viscous fan clutch have to do with cylinder head removal? Are you pulling the engine/transmission to work on the engine? Most shops/techs pull the cylinder head with the engine in the car.

I know i can leave the viscous fan clutch as attached now to pull the head from the engine but it bothers me knowing that the bolt is stripped.... :)

Get an 8.5mm in there and get it out, cause the clutch will need to be replaced eventually.

right angle pneumatic drill.....should have enough room w/ the rad out of the way. might need a specialty bit (shorter) but once you drill off the head (pita) the clutch will come off. then you can get something on the shank of the bolt to extract the rest.

Clock wise or anti clock wise ,thats the question ...

The bolt gets removed counter clockwise, clock wise to tighten, in the tool picture someone posted the neiko tool bits usually get that bolt out even if its stripped, after you get the tool locked into place i use two long wrenched to keep bit parallel to bolt and keep applying pressure until it comes loose, or at worst you just drill off the head but of course the area has to be clear ie removed condenser

Can i use tap wrench to drill the hole and use one of thouse retractor bit from hanson or neiko?

If so, what size of drill bit do i need to use for that m10 bolt?

use a right angle drill and you don't have to remove the condenser. drill off the head like i suggested in my previous post (which apparently went un-read)......if you don't have air use one of these>>
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Milwaukee-3-8-Close-Quarter-Angle-Drill-0370-20-New/112388383348?_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226&_trkparms=aid%3D555014%26algo%3DPL.DEFAULT%26ao%3D1%26as c%3D41376%26meid%3Dd682b24936164d9685a419333f849783%26pid%3D100505%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26


i also have a brand new viscous clutch (and a used one or six) if you happen to wreck the old one in the process

i will give it a try!
BTW, if i don't remove the viscous clutch, can i still turn the motor to TDC?

unrelated. you turn the motor via the crankshaft bolt. you should have a better view of the index mark with it out of the way but it doesn't have to come off

ok but i'm having difficulties with turning the motor to TDC... it stock at 0200 mark and won't turn.... any ideas? gear is in N position.

Leave the fan clutch issue alone, deal with it when the clutch or fan mount bearing needs changed.

If you have the head off, the timing chain is probably wrapped around / jammed on the crank sprocket causing a bind.

i think he's taken the radiator out. since it's stripped he might should do it now that he has more room.
i also assumed the head was still on but if not, you're probably spot on

still head is on and trying to turn the motor at TDC (I'm not doing anything to the strippted bolt yet) before I remove the chain tensioner and the head. I'm manually turning the motor with 20-inch 1/2" ratchet and 27mm socket but for some reason i can't turn more... it got stuck at 0200 mark.

correct, i removed the radiator for additional clearance as I was going to work on removing the stripped bolt but i'm gonna have to remove the head first so i can send it to machine shop and will work on the stripped bolt.

i would be using a longer breaker bar.

The motor should easily turn with that length bar so something else is binding. If coolant is entering a cylinder from a failed head gasket, you have hydrolock. Pull the spark plugs to vent fluid.

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

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. :D

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.

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?

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

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?