Hi, I recently purchased a CLK63, 83k miles, 1 owner car with a full MBSH however it had been unregistered and in the dealer network for 6 years (500miles in that time) and hasn't had much in the way of age related maintenance since.

I have already fixed a few things in the car, such as the washer pump, replaced the HK amp, relaced sticky trim pieces, fixed the vacuum pump etc. and will move on to mechanically and aesthetically improve the car without spending silly money to concours condition.

On the mechanical side, there is some tappet noise from right bank of the engine, but other than that, the engine feels great. Engine mounts, transmission and diff mounts are shot, I suspect dampers are shot, some bushes in the front suspension are cracking and things like rear brake discs are corroded, broken rear spring etc.

So far, no big deals.

However, I took it in for a check and there us an oil leak on the upper sump, crank case carrier which the mechanic said is an engine out job. He has quoted to take the heads off, replaced tappets and head bolts at the same time, I think injectors and ignition coils would be sensible as well as all fluids, brake, hydraulic, engine, transmission and diff.

The cost is quite significant and I do wonder if it is sensible to do so much preventative maintenance (headbolts, injectors, coils, manifold gasket etc) and whether fixing the leak rather than managing it is actually the best way to go. They all leak from this location as the factory RTV deteriorates, its just a question of how much.

Clearly, I need to replace the mounts, and suspension parts, and it would be silly not to do all the fluids, a could remove the rocker covers to check for lobe/tappet wear, confirm whether headbolt work has been done etc and manage the leak, I have never seen oil on the ground and it has been a couple of months in my ownership.

Down the line, if I love the car and want to keep it long term, we could remove the engine and do a partial rebuild I guess...

Just vacillating at the moment with decisions to spend a small fortune and questioning the value in doing so unless I'm looking to do a full restoration. I would be keen to hear the thoughts of people who have been in this situation previously.

 

Not familiar with what MBSH is?

Wow what year? 500 miles in 6 years pretty crazy.

I would drive it some and keep an eye on the leak and fluids. Enjoy it some and see what else might need attention. Then decide what to do and what you want to spend in it. The money will add up quick. If you can do any of it of course it would save some money.

Would love to see pics of it. Post them up!

You in the US? If so what state?

 

Is this a $5-10k car? And you want to spend $5-10k to fix it? I would just manage the fluids as is until it stops running....

 

Aren’t these early engines extremely susceptible to head bolt failure? Isn’t the head bolt failure an extremely expensive journey?

 

Hey, I'd be happy to share my perspective:

1. I'm not super familiar with the 6.3 engine platform, I just recall hearing they had head bolt issues. The way my mechanic broke it down for me is this - your engine is like your heart, so focus on that first and work your way from there. The tappet noises, maybe try some of the Liqui Moly additives for tappets. There's a few M113 platform engines that have used it and seem to like the outcomes so far, but of course do your research first on your 6.3 platform.
2. Now having said that - if the oil leaks aren't massive and pouring out steady, then I'd say the leaks can wait if they're just a slow weep / leak. Keeping some oil with you to top off is probably a safe bet. I'd probably find out if the head bolts have been replaced first. If not, plan accordingly. If they have been replaced, I'd probably focus on all fresh fluids instead + the rubber mounts across the vehicle. (Engine, Transmission, Diff.) Fluids first, then rubber IMO, or save up and do both at the same time - AFTER you inquire about the head bolts.
3. If you like your car and enjoy it, then spend what you want on it. These cars aren't investments, aren't particularly expensive anymore, and the older they get the more they are closer to scrap value in some places. For myself, I'm fixing / restoring it from the previous owners neglect and I PLAN to enjoy it as much as I can because it's partly a hobby / a labor of love.
4. Here's my math - we're all picking these cars up for a fraction of their original MSRP so yes maintenance is expensive but if you have a decent car to start with, DIY some of the easy stuff, you're still getting a pretty decent ride in the end for a pretty steep discount vs buying one brand new. Cars are money pits, so pick your flavor at this point and at least enjoy it while they still exist (V8's). My CLK 55 has been one of the easiest cars I've ever worked on and I've had several different brands in my life. These older cars are so much more DIY friendly.

 

Best keep in mind that these decisions are not financial but about making you happy. It only has to make sense to you, to be worth it for you. Do not expect to get your money back, but to earn personal satisfaction. Enjoy your car, enjoy your life!

 

I've owned a 2007 since 2008 and still love it to this day. Spent about 25 over the years to keep it in top shape. The replacement soft top was about 10K with the hydraulic cylinder hoses.

 

I had a SL63, a 2012 car. The head boilts stretched. First there was a slow loss of coolant, which could never be fixed. I took it to three places, a dealership, who said the bolts never stretched as they had not seen it, and an indie who also said they'd not seen it though hadf heard of it. The indie looked a lot closer when I insisted, and admitted there was a coolant leak by a headbolt. They took both heads off, the tappets and buckets were caked in oil, and the inside of both heads were caked and horrible. They took both heads to a shop for blasting and cleaning, and ordered new buckets and of course, bolts. it took them 1/2 day to remove the bolt that had stretched. $9,000 later I had the car back. She ran beautifully and a lot quicker.

I heard the early engines were good, together with the last ones. There is a msg somewhere on the SL63 threads that tells you which engine numbers got the defective headbolts - it was a lot of them.