cek

I waited to post this until I had gotten my car back from the dealer and was fairly confident that all had been rectified. After a few hundred miles of hard driving I think I'm ok now...

I'll kick off what I expect to be an epic mbworld C63 thread with this shocking picture. What you see here is the left cylinder head of my M156. The green stuff is coolant that has seeped through the WALL OF THE HEAD.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6798922064/
Coolant leaks due to porosity of aluminum heads is not unheard of. From my (limited) research I have not found any instances of it happening on AMG cars and the tech at the dealer said he'd never seen it before either.

As you know aluminum heads are forged, and forging results in material that is porous to a degree. During manufacturing, flaws in the forging process can cause extreme porosity. For this reasons heads are pressure tested before installation. In some cases (mine, apparently) the heat cycling of use can cause heads that are on the margin to 'open up'.

After cleaning you can see the two pin-holes in this picture (pretty much dead center):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945551881/
This head has been replaced and the bad one has been sent back to AMG in Germany for investigation. I doubt I'll ever hear any results, but boy, would I love to.

But wait. There's more.

This seepage was only visible to the tech because the engine had been removed from the car, enabling him to see it. Why did my M156 need to be removed from my 2010 C63 with 15,000 miles on it you ask?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6837880326/
Stay tuned and I'll tell you...

Even Money

Damn. You've had some bad luck.

cek

The funny thing is I still think this is the best car I've ever owned (besides my '88 911, of course).

Merc63

Engine was hydrolocked due to faulty head bolts???

Why the suspense, how am I supposed to sleep tonight now!!!

Personally, Id be more worried why the engine was pulled then those little holes leaking a tiny amount of coolant.

cek

I thought I was too tired to post the rest of the story tonight, but have changed my mind...

No, the engine did not hydrolock.

The engine had to be pulled because the seam between the bottom plate and the case was leaking oil and the only way to fix was to pull the engine out.

The head bolts on my serial # range have a service bulletin. Mine hadn't actually failed, but there's a new design and it was determined that they should be replaced given the engine was going to be out of the car.

Some more engine ****:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945550731/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799421536/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799406206/
Old head bolts vs. new:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799436626/
To bed. More soon.

Merc63

I am worried about these head bolts. Ive done some reading and other guys have had problems with the head bolts snapping off, which caused coolant to enter engine the cylinder, then game over.

Obviously if they have new head bolts out and service bulletin about it, there is a problem.

I've ask my tech to check for this SB and he couldn't find anything (In Canada). He said the USA has a separate system.

Guy with the silver dragon C63 had his head bolts changed out at Weistec as he was concerned about it as well.

Ill be calling the dealer and see what they are going to do about this as I am almost out of warranty and it will be just my luck that one of these ****** will snap off 2 weeks after my warranty is up.

jacob502

I need to ask you.

did you buy this car new or used?

have you ported your heads before?

crazy1eye

lol, just had my 2010 C63 P31(APX) with 23630km's(14769miles) towed to the dealer yesterday. Started it up & pulled out from the parking lot at work & chuga chuga, CEL, white smoke coming from left exhaust, called MB roadside asst., my first guess is left bank head gasket but will see...

Thanks for sharing

I'll update on my situation when I know more

black-clk500

Wow, wonder if there's any correlation with P31 cars only?
I sure hope not--sounds like 15k miles is the tipping point, good thing I only have 5k on mine. Now I really can't drive the damn thing

Sorry CEK, this would freak me the **** out. Nice pics of the engine out of the car, BTW.
I hope it's all fixed, but man I would be so freaked out and would be contemplating trading mine in if this happened. I don't even like when the tech change my oil!

c32AMG-DTM

cek, when you kept saying "forged" - I believe you meant "cast" when describing the aluminum manufacturing process used.

Also, curious, but in the one pic - why do the "A's" line up properly, but the "B's" do not?

cek

New. See my thread in my signature.

No I never ported my heads.

cek

I doubt it.

I'm freaked. I'll likely sell.

cek

You may be right.

No idea. Likely just the way he drew with the paint pen. I do know he required a special tool to keep the valve timing gears aligned when he pulled them off. He had to order 2 more from Germany because the engine requires 4 and he only had 2.

cek

More M156 ****. I'm told that this all looks normal.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799409178/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945520873/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945521807/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945522469/

cek

And more...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945523687/
This is the bottom plate:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799415412/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799415874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799416568/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799417940/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945529009/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945529821/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799422104/

dubaudi

I am shocked the MB allows a dealership technician to essentially rebuild an AMG motor.

Most other high line brands would replace with a crate engine before they allow a dealer tech to rebuild. I would have thought for SURE that AMG wouldn't allow one of their hand-built engines to be opened.

cek

yet more ****:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945533491/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799424738/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799429848/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945541627/

cek

I sorta assumed the same thing. I asked and they said they tear them down themselves regularly.

I was expecting the engine to explode the first time I went WOT after picking it up :-)

cek

The pen is pointing to where the oil leak was between the case an the bottom plate. You are looking at the bottom of the case here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799430374/

cek

Piston ****:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945542197/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799431990/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799432554/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6799433078/

cek

Last of the ****:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945549417/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945550193/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945550731/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckindel/6945551215/

dubaudi

If I knew a dealer technician rebuilt my engine, I'd put the car up for sale immediately once it was done.

No offense to any technicians, but rebuilding an engine is such a meticulous craft...not just anyone who's been to technical school can do it. There are SOOO many things that can go wrong!

Merc63

Can you please ask for an exact date a service bulletin number for the new head bolts. Or any other info related to finding it. Ie, is it for the ml63, e63 etc?

Thank you and great pics! So was it your oil pan that was leaking??

cek

It might be on the paperwork. I'll check.

Fromt he techs notes:
"Oil is coming from threaded socket(s) for bedding-plate, at LF corner of block. ...More obviously from the bedding-plate mating to the block."

Vash

Regarding MB service techs, I thought that there was an AMG certification on top of their MB certs. ? Without it, they aren't supposed to touch an AMG (only certain dealers can service).

Don't blame you for wanting to sell. I like to believe my cars are prestine, untouched, and flawless (I always buy a brand new car with only a few delivery miles). Knowledge of an internal flaw would totally turn me off.

(crossing my fingers that my build goes well)