Headgasket e320 1995
 

Headgasket/valve job will be perfomed nextweek by an indy. In addition to headgasket/valve, what else should I ask him to examine, fix and or replace in these areas. Thanks in advance for any input.

Have The Shop Inspect the Engine wire harness...They last longer than the 119s but still after years can go.The Connectors snap and are brittle

With the cylinder head removed I Would replace all the rear heater hoses...Its Easier with the head removed

Check the EGR pipe frpm the Exhaust manifold to the Intake
Clean it out and or Update the pipe

A thermostat would be a Good Idea...at this time.

Thanks Mark. What about the timing chain? should I instruct them to replace it also. So far the car is in good running condtion except for the head/valve job due to slight leak.

Water pump and all the related hoses!
 

You are already there!

Don't forget to have new head bolts and washers, front seal, new set of timing chain gear screws, water paump seal. Might be a good time to replace your timing belt too.

All of the above is good advice, but I think Mark is making a great suggestion that is usually overlooked.

Your engine is notorious for building up carbon (from oily pcv vapors) at the end of this "hot inlet pipe" where it enters the intake manifold. Many techs "ream out" this pipe at 60,000 mile intervals to avoid EGR codes when it completely plugs up.

The only long-term fix is to replace the pipe. The pipe was updated so that it is a little longer. Apparently this extra length is needed so that it sticks inside the intake manifold just a little bit more, preventing carbon build-up.

The pipe is about $100 or so, and is well worth the trouble.

Thanks
 

Thank you to all for the valuable input. My GTO is back from head surgery. No leaks for now. The indy gave 1yr/12000 miles warranty (oil leaks in particular). I asked the mech out of curiosity, the chances of leak after 1 yr, his answer was.. based on my experience as an indy/MB dealership mechanic, 30 percent develops oil leak after 1 year for this model. In some cases even less than 1 yr. the dripping start. Thirty percent!!! that means I will be out with another 2K after one year if I am part of 30 percent. I better start praying now.

Re: Thanks
 

Well, for what it's worth, my independent Mercedes mechanic has told me that he has never seen another oil leak when he has replaced it with the new updated headgasket from the dealer. Never.

Do yourself a favor,, and have them inspect or possibly replace the guide rails.... ALSO!!!!!!!! Make sure you have them take the water pump off and inspect it thoroughly... once the head is back on then you have no idea how much of a bicth it is to replace.. You really will benefit from checking the pump.. I replaced my head gasket.. drove it 20 miles then it over heated.. IT was the water pump.. which is expected to go over time.. 3 hours work. when it could have been 40 minutes regularly

Thanks Paul... Actually head job was done previously by the dealer at 90K miles with latest gasket they said. At 137K, same thing was performed by an indy. Hopefully it will last longer this time, as I intend to keep this car till the end, as GTO. I tried to trade it in a few weeks back but the dealer (few of them) would pay only 6K, amazing isn't it, considering that the condition is above average.

price of the job (head gasket)
 

hi
on 1993 e 320 headgasket leak at rear of the engine
i am getting different quotes from repair shops in the area anywhere from $700 to $1600 and that is
without rebuilding the head
can someone tell me what the job should cost and
could i trust my benz to local repair shop or need to look for someone who is mb trained?
thanks

I have a 1993 E320, and had my head gasket replaced along with redoing the head, honing / checking for straightness, and new guides and seals.

I paid $1,400.

Depending on where in the country you live, I suspect an M104 head job would cost from $1,200 at an independent to about $2,000 at a dealer.

Where in the U.S. do you live? Maybe someone can recommend a good shop in your area.

You also didn't mention how many miles are on the engine. If the engine is still young it may not yet need a rebuild, just the gasket changed. But if it does have some appreciable number of miles, then yes, now would be the time to rebuild the head.

e320 head gasket gone
 

the engine has 155k on it
runs fairly smooth
i live in new york suburb LI town of Huntington
have a hard time locating a shop who specialize in benz
would you know of one
thanks for your help
ed
is it important which brand head gasket i purchase?

Re: e320 head gasket gone
 

You must have this work done by an independent shop that specializes in Mercedes Benz vehicles. There are just too many things to know that a general mechanic wouldn't have knowledge of.

I'd try the search function for good shops in New York in the Good Shops section of the forum.

Also, the headgaskets have been updated by the factory many many times over the life of the M104 engine up through 1999. The latest revision has metal inserts which apparently work. Thus, you must use the OEM headgaskets from the dealer.

Heck, it would seem pretty foolish to jeapordize a $1,500 job trying to save money on a $10 gasket.

These are the numbers I recorded when I replaced my head gasket. The new one had the reinforcement in the trouble-prone area.

104 016 28 20 (new replacement)
104 016 25 20 (original)

had work done on e320
 

hi everyone
i value your input greatly
i checked and made sure it was updated gasket
i had it installed and also decided while the head
was removed to get it milled and replace valve guides and seals
that added extra 350 bucks to the total
i also replaced the water pump and belt
the car started right up and i am using it right now
i still notice some oil residue in overflow tank but was told it is almost imposible to get rid of because oil mixed with the coolant where the headgasket went bad
do u know if the head bolts need to be torqued after some time
i felt relief when i got my benz back from the shop
do u use synthetic or regular oil on engine with 160k
thank for your help
cabrioed

I heard there's a solution MB specifies to get rid of oil in the coolant. I urge you to pursue this because I heard the oil can significantly degrade rubber cooling hoses, shortening their life.

Head bolts do not need retorque after service.

Synthetic or regular oil is a personal choice. I use regular.

Otherwise it looks like the repair went well. If you don't mind my asking, how much did it cost without the head rebuild?

thanks for that info
i will call the mb dealer and see if they know of that solution
repair cost without head going to the shop for milling was $1300
i dont think i overpaid but i just hope it will last me some time
tell me what u think?

Sounds about right. Working from memory, I've heard anywhere from $800 to $2000. But I don't know the details or circumstances for each job.

Was this the first time the head was replaced for this car? I'm guessing the new gasket should last longer than the original one.

i just inherited this benz
so far i put in over 2k into it
i like the body style and the interior is in fairly good shape
i hope the head gasket last another 160k
i know i need wiring harnest
do u know where i can find this part cheaper and how much they would charge for labor?
thanks
cabrioed

Go to the top of this page and click on FastLane. You can get the wiring harness there. It costs either $575 or $725 depending on whether yours is an early or later production model. Mine was the more expensive one.

Can you post the Part Number for your engine wiring harness? It's on the label attached to the wiring harness about a foot or two down from the bulkhead disconnect. The bulkhead disconnect is behind the battery. This number will also help Phil, since I had some confusion with him. Having the number beforehand will potentially save the trouble of having to return the part.

Labor costs roughly two to three hours repair time.

hi
mine was manufactured in 11/1992
i just hope it is least expensive one
thanks
i will check the label once i go for lunch break
do u know when connecting euro headlights is there a way of knowing if the hi or low are on by looking at the headlight at night
i hooked it up and i think a did it wrong
where would i find a wiring schematics or color code\
thanks
cabrioed

Head gasket brand and timing chain rails
 

I'm in the process of ordering parts: does anyone know what brand name is on the OEM gasket? Apparently the Elring gasket has the new metal inserts on the front corners.

Also, is it possible to replace the timing chain rails without removing the lower timing cover? As I recall, Brotherton's great gasket article doesn't specifically recommend replacing either the rails or chain tensioner ass'y--how likely will they both last another 140k miles?