W108 280 SE 2.8 Head Casting # Year and interchange

[aluminum]

Trying to Identify a 280 SE ( 2.8 ) Cylinder head

For 3 things Casting Number 130 016 32 01

(1) Cylinder Head (Year's of cars that had this head? )

(2) Mercedes Model SE and SL What Year and what Model < Had this head ? >

(3) Interchange : So Ok I have a 130 016 32 01 casting # Head and would like to know what Other casting # heads will interchange ?
with this head with different Casting numbers?
< and exactly what are those different casting Numbers >

Why ? do I ask > I think this head may be no good so want to know exactly what "OTHER " Casting # Heads will fit on and work Properly , In other Words a interchange list

*************************************************
Other Info :



Mercedes has a Lot of different Cylinder Heads used on the 2.8

280 SE 6 Cylinder Motors and hoping to find and learn about this and get the correct Info for Other heads that fit and work properly

My understating that may be completely wrong is that the 280 SE
2.8 ( 6 Cylinder ) had a early Type Head and block ! and a Late type Head and Block < I also heard some say their may be 2 different late type heads ?? all of this is very confusing > In general I think that they had overheating and head cracking issues as the reason for all this changes trying to overcome such Issues >

Perhaps their is an interchange list of exactly what interchange will work and work good as well .

This head I removed from a 1972 Mercedes Car but have no idea if its the correct head for that Year Car and that Motor or not ?
The Motor # is 130 980-12-07120 > I have no idea if for sure that is a 1972 Motor or not ? I also don't know if the Head on the motor is a 1972 Head or not ? Casting Number 130 016 32 01 ?

My guess is that no one Has this information but perhaps I will be surprised I hope LOL


Someone must have all this Info ? I know the SL and SE Heads can be be exchanged and that the SL Cams are a Hotter cam but the real question is exactly what year and what head can you interchange yes ?

[cth350]

buried in my garage is a listing of casting. I would be hard pressed to find it any time soon.

But my recollection is that the 280SE/A stamp makes it the later M130E motor (2nd head gasket, not the first one).

The gasket choice is critical obvious, but so is the compression rating. I couldn't make it out in your first picture. There should be a little "e" and a number, like 8, 8.5 or 9.

-CTH

[cth350]

Also, one of these two links may be helpful...
https: // www.benzworld.org /threads /m130-engine-head-replacement.1828921/
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Engine/CylinderHead

You can take information from JA17, aka Joe Alexander in that thread to be correct.
Will Samples is usually spot on as well.
-CTH

[aluminum]

Originally Posted by cth350

buried in my garage is a listing of casting. I would be hard pressed to find it any time soon.

But my recollection is that the 280SE/A stamp makes it the later M130E motor (2nd head gasket, not the first one).

The gasket choice is critical obvious, but so is the compression rating. I couldn't make it out in your first picture. There should be a little "e" and a number, like 8, 8.5 or 9.

-CTH

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Thanks CTH

I have found after looking as several 280 ( 2.8 ) heads that some have compression listed ( above the Casting # )and some DO NOT have it listed.
( When compression is listed it often starts with a backwards # 3 then a space then perhaps 9.5 ( late type ) or 8.0 or 8.5 Early

Some Heads just just have the casting # then after a space the 280 SE/A
no compression listed at all

I also discovered the head I am working on is I think the very last type head they made Mercedes # 130 016 5620 Head gasket NLA

and that head gasket after market is Elring # 831221 and I bought the last 2 of them at Amazon of all places now > but searching online one can most likely still find one if lucky but no one I think is making them still.

Not confirmed : Is that I believe their are in fact 3 types of 280 SE (2.8) Heads 1 Early Type and 2 late types / Early and Late not interchangeable !

Get This ! Early and Late Type 280 ( 2.8 )" Motor Blocks "are different this I confirmed as I have both a 70 and a 72 and in fact can clearly see the differences < Large water Ports about 10 or 12 on the Pass side of the block and 6 or so on the early type pass side > This indicates overheating Issues that are most likely prevalent with the Aluminum Heads .
( and of course different Head gaskets for these Motors )


Those 280 2.8 Heads are known for cracking / warping / & galvanic corrosion.
When resurfacing them the ends of the head may end up with Less CC's
in the chamber requiring the need to CC the entire head if you want it right


Also BTW the SL Heads do Interchange with the SE Motors just make sure you get the correct head ( Early or Late ) for whatever Motor block you have LOL < Also the SL Camshafts have more duration & interchange >


All of this to me indicates the end of the 280 2.8 Motor series and also makes it more of a 125K to 150K Motor then a Hi Miles typical MB Motor


I am trying to save My Head is at a super Great Machine Shop SF Bay area

and the guy hates his"fantastic reviews" all 5 star He Has great labor Prices. He is simply swamped with work > Seems its more of a Hobby Shop that went Viral like on a hot Tik Tok Video > Going to start with a pressure test and try to save my head.

He has requested no reviews no recommendations please finally a shop that does not want work !!! only open Tuesday to Friday My Cuppa Tee


All this seems to fit with this Rust Free 70 SE Body I lucked out on somehow we shall see how it all ends humm

[Frank Reiner]

Originally Posted by aluminum

Those 280 2.8 Heads are known for cracking / warping / & galvanic corrosion.
When resurfacing them, the ends of the head may end up with less CC's
in the chamber requiring the need to CC the entire head if you want it right.

A couple of indiscriminate, and wholly unsolicited words seem in order here.
If one is considering resurfacing an M180-130 head due to apparent warping, please consider that not only is the bottom (chamber side) of the head "warped", but so is the top (camshaft side). If, by machining of the bottom side, that surface is made flat, the top side will still be "warped" and the camshaft stands will be out of alignment.

Because the cylinder block is so much stiffer than the head, when an apparently "warped" head is bolted to the block again it will return to a flat, un-warped condition.

If the gasket surface of the head is suspected of not being able to seal effectively against the head gasket, give serious consideration to the use of non-metallic fillers, e.g.,
J-B Weld and similar. The heat resistance of epoxy resins intended for the purpose is really excellent (600F. +). The surface continuity can be restored by careful, local, block sanding.

[cth350]

There is a lot written up in the threads around here about shimming the cam shaft pedestals and then then changing around the thrust disks under the rockers to get the valve clearance in spec. They are worth finding and reading if your machinist isn't doing that for you.

One odd footnote is that the '68 280se has a different pedestal / rocker / cam geometry from the later ones. It works out to a 1mm difference in those pad heights. Not that Aluminum seems to have that particular combination of parts, but it can happen.

The machinist that did all my motors for the 1st 10 years or so of my benz life was a similar old duffer. Pops Velsior was the right guy at the right time when I was a kid and kept finding cars only needed a little engine work to get them back on the road.

-CTH

[aluminum]

Thanks All for the Insightful Comments they are useful :
Thinking of how such a Head can and well become Flattened or Evan perhaps warped once Bolted down the the Iron Block is indeed "insightful" bringing ongoing thoughts.
Checking the Block as well as all the head surfaces is a must do: YES I was aware that in fact a somewhat Warped Head can become Flat once Bolted Down > I think off the top of my head the Head bolts set at about 65 LBS but I have been setting them at 75 LBS for some years now on 250 / 280 6 cylinder motors but however not convinced that's a worthwhile & Plausible endeavor . Reasoning comes from seeing a lot of Bad 6 Cylinder Heads / Warped /Cracked / Galvanic Issues , blown Gaskets mostly water leaks .
The 280 Blocks also have Issues and that's why the different Head gaskets for the Different Blocks " 2.8 Blocks are not all the same " Late 280 Blocks have more Water ports on the Pass side I expect related to aforementioned issues and over heating of the Head :
I find that to check the head (1) Block side and (2) Top ( Cam ) side is a before and after is a
must do when installing > To Wit: just because everything looks good before you install it
does not mean its Ok after you have installed it. So after installing see if the Can still slides easy Via 1 finger back and forth after installing.
I install them with all rockers Off and out of the way if the Cam has Issues sliding and you straight edged the block first then your down to the Cam tower Shims, Shimming.
I have not had problems that way but expect some do.
Note : I always Pay attention to the head bolt torque when removing a Head > when the center H. Bolts are Loose you can just about bet on having gasket and or Head issues.
Also if you come across Heads that have Galvanic Pockets under the Valves that would require Tig Welding do yourself a favor and try to find another head along with a before and after Pressure test