If unable to procure the special Mercedes tool, does anyone know of a safe suitable alternative way to remove and replace the valve seals on a 300E?

I had marginal success with the generic valve spring tool that hooks the lower coils and pulls them up against the retainer. Maybe the right variety of this tool will do the job. Seems like I could have modified the one I have to fit better in the confines.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL
83 300SD ... $950, see cars forum
91 300SE ... sold

Thanks. I will check with the auto shops and see if they have one that hooks on the lower portion of the spring ...enough to compress the spring and allow for the removal of the clips. The tool I have access to, only works if the head is removed. If you think of anything else, please let me know. I urgently need to retest emissions. The car runs great but failed the first test due to excess hydrocarbons so I am trying to eliminate the oil contamination on the plugs and try again.
Thanks again.

How's your oil consumption? I'd just as soon suspect a lazy oxygen sensor of causing excessive HCs as worn valve seals.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL
83 300SD ... $950, see cars forum
91 300SE ... sold

I did mine about 3 months ago I bought a spring compressor from northern auto on line for about $30 it worked, a little bit of a pain in the lower back, it took about 4 hours to do but made a big difference in oil consumption, mines a 86 121000 miles

I am using about 1 quart every 450 to 500 miles. I might also be losing some to leakage but it is the oil contamination on the plugs that finally convinced me that I needed to replace the seals. Mine is a 1989 300E with 110K but is suffering from about a year of running on Penzoil 10-30. I am back to Quaker 20-50 and it seems that I now have a smaller drip pattern on the driveway. I replaced the O2 sensor about a year ago and I did the O2 sensor test which showed a 520Ma reading so I figured I would do the stem seals first and hope for the best. Since I need to pass the emissions test immediately, I am willing to try a few things prior to buying a new CAT. Incidentally, my HC was 1.20GPM (.80 standard). Is there anything you guys can tell me to help me pass this test?

With oil consumption in that range your cat is probably about dead. I wouldn't go into the test right away. Take it on a sustained speed drive a a few hundred miles with something like BG's 44K in the tank. It is designed to reduce carbon and may help get some off of the cat structure.

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Rupert

The other thing you could try are one of these "high Mileage oils"

Yes, only a temporary solution, but I have had fairly good luck. The premise being that there are conditions in the oil that swell the seals. Does this repair what's broken? No. Does it often reduce temporarily oil consumption? Yes. I have use Valvoline MaxLife with good results.

In my experience, if the cat isn't too saturated and with your low miles, you might be able to clean it out. Fresh plugs, the snake oil and an extended run to get it very hot, might solve the situation short-term.

Haasman

__________________
'03 E320 Wagon-Sold
'95 E320 Wagon-Went to Ex
'93 190E 2.6-Wrecked
'91 300E-Went to Ex
'65 911 Coupe (#302580)

Steve & Haas,

Thanks for these pointers. Let's make sure I really understand you correctly.
FIRST- I should NOT replace the seals just yet. ( I was about to remove the valve cover but first checked for replies to this post)
SECOND - Drain the oil, add Valvoline Max Life, install new plugs, put BG's 44K in the gas tank and drive (hard) few hundred miles miles or so.
THIRD- Go do the test on Monday.

I will wait for advise, before I loosen any screws, but please answer these for me. Where do I find BG's 44K. and can I keep the oil filter that I installed at last oil change (700 miles ago).

Rupert

My response was a cheap last ditch effort. Honestly, I couldn't know how your engine will respond to the oil. Am I retreating from what I posted? No.

Sooner or later, you are going to at least have to do your valve stem seals.

My suggestion was a cheap long shot. Adding the high-mileage oil to our 300e did reduce oil consumption..... but it is not fouling plugs.

This is what I see: If you have the time window, give it a try. If time is critical and you simply can't wait and have to solve it ASAP .... pull the valve cover and go for the seals.

Hopefully this will help clarify ....

Haasman

__________________
'03 E320 Wagon-Sold
'95 E320 Wagon-Went to Ex
'93 190E 2.6-Wrecked
'91 300E-Went to Ex
'65 911 Coupe (#302580)

I tried max life, first oil change it doubled the milage on a quart to about 900 miles second oil change it went right back down and I have used nothing but val. just like my dad, every 2500 miles. so I did the seals now up to about 1200-1300 miles