breeze247

I recently did a valve cover gasket job on my 125k mile 2003 CLK55. This is because the valve covers were leaking slightly. I was doing plugs and wires and from experience know that the leaks only ever get worse, so decided to go ahead.

To me this is a standard job;

• Remove plug wires and plugs
• Remove valve covers
• Remove breathers from valve covers
• Clean out old silicone thoroughly
• Re-fit breathers with Elring Dirko grey sealant and new bolts
• Refit valve covers with new Febi Bilstein gaskets (and no sealant)
• Torque to 10NM in a spiral pattern starting in the middle and working outwards
• Replace plugs, wires and finish up.

Oil was changed at the same time to the recommended 229.5 oil from a dealer.

I've noticed that the valve cover is leaking on both sides. Not massively, but enough to have oil burning off the manifold. Frustratingly, worse than before. I think the possible causes could be:

• I didn't tighten the valve covers sufficiently (unlikely) or I over-tightened them (more likely)
• I did not seat the gaskets properly
• The valve covers are warped somehow (meaning that the usual torque is not enough)
• I over-filled oil (unlikely, 8 litres out, 7.7 in and checked on the dashboard)
• The Febi Bilstein gaskets are no good.

I should say that a valve cover job is not new to me. In fact, I did basically the same job on a CLK430 (also an M113) back in 2017 and that was straightforward with no issues. I used Elring gaskets there, instead of Febi-Bilstein, but used the same Dirko sealant.

Thoughts?

Happy to admit if I have made a simple mistake so please do flag the obvious things that go wrong.

Edit: Spiral pattern not a star pattern.

breeze247

I just went to take another look.

Leaks are definitely from the gaskets and not the breather covers. Dripping on the lower side, closest to the headers. To me that means they could be leaking from the half moons at the rear and dripping down or on the lower edge themselves.

I tightened everything a little (now I would say more than 10NM) but still had a visible drip on one side.

Starting to think pinched or somehow damaged gaskets are most likely. The gaskets were in a ball, in a plastic bag and not on a piece of cardboard like I would have hoped.

MBENZTECH

I stopped using aftermarket VC gaskets a long time ago. They are cheap at the dealer. Get both gaskets from the dealer and a tube of mercedes sealant.

breeze247

Just to close this out, I got the Febi-Bilstein gaskets refunded and went with Elring.

Quality was massively better. Softer rubber, better sealing. All went back together perfectly and no leaks (it isn’t a difficult job...).

In retrospect, the Febi-Bilstein parts didn’t fit well when installing but I had just assumed that they would even themselves out. Not terrible, but not a great fit and a little bit stiff.

To help others, the Febi-Bilstein gaskets that I would *avoid* in future:
- 46040 (Left)
- 43697 (Right)

Mercedes part numbers are A1130160221 (Left) and A1130160321 (Right). Would be the same for most if not all M113 cars so 430, 500 and 55 engines.

Elring we’re only marginally more expensive, but you are right, even genuine MB is not that expensive. Just a question of time to order parts.

breeze247

Good advice!