mgw_300e

I'm still researching whether or not to fix my headgasket or just sell the car.
I still have a few questions:

1. What has everyone paid for this repair?

2. What extra work was suggested to be done at the same time?

3. Which of those extra repairs should REALLY be done?

A local mechanic is researching this for me, but he says it will probably be in the neighborhood of $3000 - $3500. I will be calling some Mercedes shops today to compare and I am of course shopping for a 400E, but I want to know all of my options before I do something one way or another.

Also - if any of you guys from the Houston area know a good shop, let me know. Between the Hondas and VWs Iv'e owned, I haven't taken a car to a shop in 6 years.

BenzBro

That price sounds ABOUT right if you get the shop to do it. However, if you do yourself you will save a good $1000. I did mine last summer with my bro, i'll figure out how much everything cost and where i got the parts. I'll post this within the next day.

n8nod9it

How long did it take you? How difficult was it? I always wondered how intensive it would be to DIY a head gasket.

Bigpete123

$3,000-3,500 for the head gasket job ONLY? That seems very high to me. I paid $4k, but I had a valve job, rear main seal, coolant flush, 02 sensor, timing chain guide rails, coil pack, and belt tensioner replaced all at the same time... IF you only have the gasket replaced and the head machined, I would expect something closer to $1,500 - $2,000. Especially in Texas!

BenzBro

He has a point. I forgot to factor out the extra's i did with mine....but they should be done or at least checked while ur at it ne way (Rail guides, chain, chain tensioner, spark plugs, belt, exhaust/intake gaskets, hoses, filters). I would still expect it to be around $2,000 though. Labor would be around $1,000 on its own.

Bigpete123

BenzBro- I love your CE. What part of WA are you in?

Sorry!

lkchris

You're going to pay no matter what.

Selling price will be discounted by cost of repair required. Perhaps if you sell it to a mechanic you can "get it wholesale."

RBYCC

Just had my 1988 300CE done, M103 engine for $1968.00
Work done at a Mercedes dealer with a $95.00/hour labor rate.
Included head gasket, timing chain cover gaskets, new thermostat and flush and fill cooling system.
M104 should be about the same.

BenzBro

Well i'm back with a cost estimate and what not.

For head gasket, spark plugs, guide rails, distributor cap, exhaust manifold gasket, belt tensioner bolt, new hoses all ran me about $300 from a Caliber Motors in Oakland California. Quite the deal eh? Add on oil and coolant and maybe a few other misc items such as form a gasket and you get a rough estimate of $450. I didn't list a timing chain, so that may also need to be added. Now that sounds too good to be true doesn't it? If you do it yourself then you are in for some good bonding time with your w124. If you don't have that kind of time, then you will be looking at another $1000 just for labor. I had access to a knowledgeable brother who has done a lot of engine work before, and also the instructions from the w124 CD service manual (a must have). I ended up having to do this whole process twice, due to a mess up the first time.

Words of advice are...1) Keep everything organized and bolts in labeled bags. 2) Your workspace must be spacious, clean and organized. Having plenty of light, space, warmth, and a clean work environment makes it much easier and less stressful.3) Double check all bolts to be sure they are tightened correctly 4) Patience!

Having done this head gasket 2 times now, i could probably do it in 15hrs if i have everything i need and no big problems arise. May seem like a long time, but TIME FLYS once your under the hood. For a first timer, i'd give yourself a good week with 4 hrs a day or so. Take the time to do it right!

When it was all said and done, i took it into the shop to get it tuned up and make sure everything was runnin good.


SUMMARY:
Option 1) Do it your self- $800 plus 28hrs of your time under hood.
Option 2) Take it in- $2,100 and a few days without your car.

I apologize that i don't have more of a precise estimate of prices and time. Hope that helps though.

BenzBro

oh and bigpete, im in Bellingham....but am going to school at Oregon State Universtiy.

Kestas

I did mine 4 years ago and I remember it cost me less than $150 in parts. The engine had only 60K so head reconditioning wasn't needed. The head bolts were all within spec and were reused. Since it's my summer car, I had all winter to work on it.

Things I did "while you're there":

- Clean out the egr tube that runs behind the engine.
- New upper timing cover gasket.
- I made new exhaust gaskets out of copper.

shdoug

I recently inquired about a new head gasket on my '95 E320. The local mechanic (2 man shop, not a dealer, but comes highly recommended) told me $1200. It has 156,000 miles with no signs of problems. It runs like a scared rabbit! I'm not sure what the symptoms are or if mine was ever replaced. Does yours run OK but just leak oil, or is it blowing compression into the cooling system? Also, the mechanic acted as though he had not done this job before or heard of it being an issue, but on this forum it sounds like all these cars have this problem sooner or later. The mechanic services MB almost exclusively and said it could be a maintenance issue that only occurs on some vehicles where the oil and coolant was not changed frequently enough.

Kestas

It sounds like you've done your research on this problem. From my reading on these forums, it seems that the head gasket problem on the M104 engines is because of a thin separation between the oil passage and the outside of the engine, and between the cooling passage at the rear of the engine. This separation is gasketed with a thin amount of gasket, which (I believe) sees the worst of the thermal cycling during service. Thermal cycling is most pronounced at the ends of the long engine, which has a cast iron block and aluminum head. The two metals have a difference in thermal expansion, with aluminum having 2.2 times the thermal expansion coeffficient of cast iron. This problem is magnified by the fact that aluminum heats up faster than cast iron.

The usual symptom of a blown head gasket for this engine is reportedly oil leakage to the outside of the engine at the rear passenger-side of the engine. Many have also reported leakage of oil into the coolant.

The replacement gasket appears to be new and improved with reinforcement around these passages.

I don't see how oil maintenance neglect can precipitate this problem. But cooling system neglect - allowing the engine to overheat - can certainly exacerbate this problem.

jlostlen

My car has water in the oil, creating a milk choclate colored oil...this is a head gasket right?
It seems alot of people have experienced The opposite, oil in the water.

Kestas

I don't know what else it could be, unless you drive short trips and never burn the condensation off in the crankcase. To verify the problem you may want to change the oil out and see if the problem reappears.

starcar

Did mine 6 months ago, $1550 at the independent mercedes shop in Seattle!

ZorroAMG

$2500 including valve guides at the dealer in Calgary....I know the tech personally.

Canadian dollars.

FabW208

Im planning to do it on mine. What shop in Seattle would that be??? Anyone in particular I should speak to?