When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Camshaft/lifter failure on my CLK63 black series/M156
Hi guys, bad day for me, I noticed on Sunday that after coming home from the mall a very bad lifter noise, so started reading the forums again about the well documented camshaft and lifter problems on the AMG M156 motor, I knew this was my noise so today I pulled the valve cover and this is what I found, I haven't pulled the cams yet but it's pretty easy to see, I'm absolutely pissed, keep in mind it's only got 26k on the odometer,
I had the same thing happen to my c63 09 model. Speak to your dealer, my local dealer fixed it all under warranty even though I had no warranty and the car is modified.
How long ago did you have the problem and how long did it take for Benz to comit to fixing the problem
My motor had done 95000kms, it was with Merc for 3 weeks. They had to send the cams to Melbourne to get repaired. It took them a couple of days to approve the repairs.
I will post pics of mine for reference. I also service my c every 5000kms which inc new oil and filter. It's a common issue like the head bolts, mb will repair. From memory mb paid for all parts and half labor.
No headbolt issues ..
I'll replace the camshafts and lifters .
Other parts of the engine are ok.
Hi! I hope you could solve the problem. I have one question ... did you fix the camshatf or did you replace it ? Do you still have the car? Problem solved, any noise? Thanks
Its funny and sad, I guess Mercedes is still living in the old days when good EP additives were allowed in the lube oil, I keep hearing how great these engines from Merc are from folks on these forums. I don't think these cam and lifter problems exist on say a GM LS engine. Merc really needs to go back to the drawing board on their power plants, so many things need improving. Sorry, I've just seen too many stories of problems with the engine designs from Merc and how they try to back out of warranty support.
Its funny and sad, I guess Mercedes is still living in the old days when good EP additives were allowed in the lube oil, I keep hearing how great these engines from Merc are from folks on these forums. I don't think these cam and lifter problems exist on say a GM LS engine. Merc really needs to go back to the drawing board on their power plants, so many things need improving. Sorry, I've just seen too many stories of problems with the engine designs from Merc and how they try to back out of warranty support.
Nah, GM LS7 motors just drop valves. Totally better
Nah, GM LS7 motors just drop valves. Totally better
If so its from the same cause of the problems all the new engines from various other manufactures have, unlike the old days where things like that were very rare. Too much outsourcing to countries that offer cheap labor, thus we get cheaply made parts that we still pay though the nose for. Cheap manufactured name brand auto parts only save $ for the manufacture, not the consumer. Any valve dropping from breaking parts is from either or both, manufacture faults, improper materials. Its like if you make chocolate cakes and they are the best, then you farm them out for someone else to make and they use rotten eggs. So if mercedes is set on using the good old flat tappet tech, and want it to last for awhile, then they will need to use all the nice banned EP lube of the old days as well as some decent viscosity oil.
Last edited by exhaustgases; 08-19-2018 at 10:42 PM.
my car is c63 2009 with 190k km
..im loosing coolant every 3 to 4 months around 1 L and i never changed the head bolts so I guess its a head bolt issue... first question how many bolts i need? 10 or 20? second if ibewnt to change them someone adviced me to change head gasket when changing head bolts ...anything else better ro change?
my car is c63 2009 with 190k km
..im loosing coolant every 3 to 4 months around 1 L and i never changed the head bolts so I guess its a head bolt issue... first question how many bolts i need? 10 or 20? second if ibewnt to change them someone adviced me to change head gasket when changing head bolts ...anything else better ro change?
I would start by looking for coolant leaks outside the engine before digging in the engine. There are several places outside the engine it could leak.
If it is a head bolt failure you will need to take the heads off and replace the head gasket. You need 10 bolts each side and 20 in total for both heads.
Im replacing mine preventively as we speak. I chose to remove both heads.
I would start by looking for coolant leaks outside the engine before digging in the engine. There are several places outside the engine it could leak.
If it is a head bolt failure you will need to take the heads off and replace the head gasket. You need 10 bolts each side and 20 in total for both heads.
Im replacing mine preventively as we speak. I chose to remove both heads.
oww okay and head gasket i need also 2? and is there anything else to change since we're digging in the engine?
12 C63BS Magno Alanite Grey, 22 X3M Brooklyn Grey, 08 BMW E93, 22 Ducati Desert Sled, John Deere 3R
Originally Posted by mhammadkassem
oww okay and head gasket i need also 2? and is there anything else to change since we're digging in the engine?
Certainly look at your cams for wear and replace if worn and I would do the lifters with the updated M159 part numbers, they don't bleed down like the old ones and are coated to help with cam wear and are reasonably cheap - about 18 bucks each (but there are a lot of them). Cams have to come out to do the headbolts so lifters take about 10 more minutes to do while it is apart.
You would need 2 head gaskets, all new cam cover gaskets and new cam adjuster cover gaskets, you need new bolts and diamond washers for the cam adjusters as they are single use and spark plugs are easy while you are at if you have never done those. And you have to pull the intake to remove the heads, so new intake manifold gaskets and when the intake is off, it is prime time to do the PCV as it is on the back and near impossible unless the intake is off and it is prone to failure with age.
Certainly look at your cams for wear and replace if worn and I would do the lifters with the updated M159 part numbers, they don't bleed down like the old ones and are coated to help with cam wear and are reasonably cheap - about 18 bucks each (but there are a lot of them). Cams have to come out to do the headbolts so lifters take about 10 more minutes to do while it is apart.
You would need 2 head gaskets, all new cam cover gaskets and new cam adjuster cover gaskets, you need new bolts and diamond washers for the cam adjusters as they are single use and spark plugs are easy while you are at if you have never done those. And you have to pull the intake to remove the heads, so new intake manifold gaskets and when the intake is off, it is prime time to do the PCV as it is on the back and near impossible unless the intake is off and it is prone to failure with age.
can u please give me the part numbers of the parts u mentioned? cz actually I'm not expert in my engine so some parts u mentioned i dont know them ... and what's the difference between cam adjusters and the lifters?
12 C63BS Magno Alanite Grey, 22 X3M Brooklyn Grey, 08 BMW E93, 22 Ducati Desert Sled, John Deere 3R
Originally Posted by mhammadkassem
can u please give me the part numbers of the parts u mentioned? cz actually I'm not expert in my engine so some parts u mentioned i dont know them ... and what's the difference between cam adjusters and the lifters?
Use the search button, I have a thread with all the parts in it and there are a few other threads like AMG3.2's headbolt adventure that are full of part numbers and pictures. Cam adjuster is the gear on the camshaft that also can set the variable timing and ultimately is driven from the cam chain. The lifters/buckets are the things that sit on top of the valves and the cam shaft lobes press down to open the valves.
2012 C63 with P30, LSD, and EES Supercharger, 1959 Plymouth with Viper V10 and Tremec 6sp
Originally Posted by BLKROKT
The questions you’re asking mean that you shouldn’t even think about doing this yourself. Take it to someone who knows what they’re doing.
That is absolutely correct, You will end up bring a box of parts and a partially disassembled car to a repair shop and that is harder for the mechanic and more costly for you than taking it for repair in one piece. This is not like an old straight 6 pushrod engine, it is a complicated repair and a project for a skilled, experienced mechanic.
Mine blew at 96,000 mi for what it’s worth. I realized it’s not mileage based.
What tends to cause them to fail is when you maintain very high revs (above 4000 consistently, and you get on/off throttle a lot above 5k (like in manual mode). The cam adjusters and cams really do not like that. Mine blew exactly when I was doing that.
‘Best way to avoid failure ironcilaly enough is commit to redline in every gear when WOT, do NOT let off above 5k before hitting redline. If you have to manually shift up a gear before getting off WOT doso but KEEP YOUR FOOT IN IT. That should help avoid the variable cam adjusters getting yanked in opposite directions very rapidly (which is what wears out the adjusters and causes them to fail (I speak form experience
06-08-2015, 06:59 PM
