Whats up guys I've been looking to buy some used valve covers for my m113k because after a valve cover gasket job they are still leaking..

As the shop was doing the job they told me that the metal on the valve cover was breaking down / Pitting corrosion too much and could leak.

I tried googling and searched through the Facebook group but haven't found a mention of that.

The car has never seen snow or salty roads but I do know magnesium breaks down which is what they are made of.
Has anyone else had this issue before or is this a common problem with these valve covers?

 

Buy new, they are available and cheap, and come with sealed breathers. Used will have the same issue.

 

New are $400 each plus install

 

Install takes under twenty minutes by yourself. If buying a new part with a sealed breather, all you are doing is replacing a gasket and bolts and no sealers used. Only the air intake and coil packs have to come off. Install and reseal of used parts takes hours to prepare sealant of the breathers, likely will fail your first time, and are they already are on their way to pitting. You will pay more in the end your way. They pit due to their chemical composition and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it long term without an epoxy process (which there is a video from fluid motor Union on how to do)

This is an amazingly easy repair we can walk you through. Save money on labor and buy the right parts.

Yes 400 for this part is cheap for an expensive vehicle. If you’re not happy with that, any real repair will have you moving to a different brand. Save the money on your labor, not parts. Shop around, I’ve seen them in the low threes just a few months ago.
Once you’re in there and have the valve cover and the coil packs out of the way, it makes a spark plug change very easy and you can save yourself another grand.

remember, 100k car, 100k car repair bills

 

I use mbpartsource.com for my dealer parts. Shipping cost are always very reaonable compared to many others I have tried. I just checked the cost of 113 010 04 30 (right side) valve cover - $289.28.

 

can you please link the video you mentioned 🙏

 

When replacing the driver's side valve cover, be aware there is a metal line that leads to the intake manifold that is attached to the valve cover. If one pulls the line out of the rubber grommet in the intake manifold, the car will have a massive air leak and the engine will not idle/run properly. Keep an eye on that and ensure the metal line is not dislodged from the manifold.

 

 

okay damn thats a whole shop process not something I can do, anyways I went ahead and bought some valve covers on ebay, after a lot of research and also pulling the air boxes off my engine to get a better look it seems like m113 and m113k valve covers are identical

 

Did you buy new or used. IF used, better get acquainted with how to seal the breathers because its a total pain in the butt with the approved sealant and can take up to a week to cure depending on the environment. Id suggest leaving them off the engine while curing in the proper environment. OR go against the mb sealant rec and use the reinzosil equivalent. You MUST make sure the MB sealant is fresh and is best bought from he local dealer, imo. Do not overdo the sealant in the breathers or you can clog the breathers tiny hole. Remove all traces of sealant in the breather cover screw holes or you won't be able to tighten it back on. Try to buy stock gaskets for the VC. And lastly, make sure to replace the cover bolts and use a torque wrench or you will regret not using one. Find posted wis instructions and follow without deviation. Im being blunt in my statements because this is a repair you can save a lot of money DIY but can waste a ton of time improperly cleaning and sealing. Understanding the sealant curing curves is very important for these aerobic sealants. Also understanding these are magnesium covers means that they degrade, change color and need proper prep...so yes the process FMU does takes awhile but thats part of making things cure correctly.

 

Here are a couple of Tasos Moschatos videos specifically on the m113 valve covers and how to properly deal with sealing issues.

 

Also very important, use the original MB gaskets! I did this job 3 times (!), because I would not listen to @UncleBenz55 , who told me to buy MB gaskets first time around . The liquid sealant , also buy from MB off course (I believe Porsche uses the same stuff but a bit cheaper).

I tried Febi Bilstein > leak
I tried Viktor Reinz > leak

 

I use Ford black sealant for stuff like this. I have used it at the dealer for many years and that stuff is fantastic with bonding and drying times.I have used it on everything from home repair to transmissions and engines and never let down including at the dealer. I'm telling you ...this stuff is fantastic and set's up like concrete !!
The part number is TA-357
For sure the Mercedes sealant takes a LONG time to seal and does not like cold temps to set up.

 

Yesss. Listen to this guy. He has more than proven his expertise!

 

Yes I bought used but I will clean them up really good, also since I saved so much money on them I might just have a mercedes shop install them since they have done 1000s of them and I can always go back if there is a problem.

 

Yes I will buy everything from the dealer, they aren't even that expensive..

 

Well luckily I live in Miami so no cold temps here lol but I will be taking the car to a shop to have the VC put on so im not sure if I can just hand them some sealant and say here use this.. I am taking it to a shop since I bought the VC used and saved so much money there might as well have some professionals do it.

 

Good job, I was a bit stubborn

 

Also aside from the vent cover needing silicon I have never used it anywhere else on the valve cover.

 

Updating this to say m113 valve covers fit m113k without a problem. Now here is a picture of my old ones