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Coolant is going missing. You know the drill. I know that I have the technical ability to tackle the job BUT I really don't want to get into an exceptional bind mid job. Things like broken exhaust studs, hard to reach bolts, etc. would spoil the fun. There are a few YT vids for the M156 but I haven't seen one specific to an SL63. I'd imagine there's not so much room in the engine compartment.
Anyone have any experience doing this at home?
Would being in this far make motor mount replacement any easier?
I'm into this job now on my 2009 SL 63 although I'm not pulling the heads as I have no coolant consumption or any other symptoms. Doing the head bolts proactively and while I'm in there... Adjuster upgrades as well as road & race cam upgrade from 63 Motorsports and Black Series lifters. Based upon my viewing of videos on other models, especially the C63, I will say that doing head bolts without having to remove heads is much easier, there is a lot more room on the sides and back. Front is tight, probably the same as all others but it's very easy to remove the fan which makes lots of room.
On the drivers side it's very tight as you go lower, doesn't look like much fun to try and get the exhaust manifold off. From what I've seen on YT I believe that dropping the engine and front subframe as a unit is the easiest way to do this job if you need to pull heads. And then mounts are a piece of cake. If I had to pull heads I'd drop the engine out. But I also have the space and a lift. YMMV.
BTW what kind of mileage do you have on yours? I bought mine this past spring with 30,000ish. Cams show very light wear through heat treating on the lobe peaks of the intake cams and all lifters look great. Almost wished I'd saved some money... but am excited for the more aggressive cams as a mild power upgrade. Also replacing all hardware with titanium and ARP, just to bulletproof, piece of mind. Might do a S/C next winter.
Mine's got 67k on it. Runs fine. I changed the plugs not long ago. They all looked fine. Drove it 70 miles on Saturday and didn't seem to lose any. But a previous 70 mile drive did. Chances are......
I'm leaning toward having a shop do it as long as I can find one that will upgrade the adjusters instead of replace them. They seem fine as of now, but while it's open, I'll do all the PM I can.
Anyone know of a good shop in eastern Ohio or western PA?
That photo is both encouraging and terrifying at the same time. What did you find most difficult about the job?
That was one of several photos documenting the job that I was sent.
My original plan was to do the 1-by-1 method over the Winter but I was tight on schedule and the Genuine MB timing tools were not in stock anywhere at the time.
As a result, I went with a reputable shop that Spring which had a lot of experience with AMG cars and the M156 in particular.
In order to honor the 1 year warranty on their work, they would only do the factory-approved procedure of removing the heads, which is why the image looks scary.
The most important element for me was making sure the timing was set correctly, which is why I wanted the Genuine MB tools in the first place.
The biggest risk to a DIYer doing the 1-by-1 method, IMHO, would be if a bolt snaps while attempting to remove it, as then it would become a heads-off job.
Evidence of coolant consumption/loss indicates a compromised head gasket so at that point it's off with the heads.
I'm doing it (one at a time, heads on) only because there has been zero symptoms of head bolt/gasket compromise in a very low mileage engine. And if a head bolt snaps off then I'm no worse off, head removal isn't any more difficult.
I'm leaning toward having a shop do the job. Wish I knew of someone with M156 experience in my area. Any tips on finding someone?
Search around for MB Specialists in your area and talk to them about general experience with the platform and doing head bolt / lifter replacements.
If they tell you it's not necessary / an exaggerated issue, respectfully move on to the next shop.
Or, if you want to visit the NYC area for a week, I can recommend a couple of options.
Originally Posted by KLinNBC
Evidence of coolant consumption/loss indicates a compromised head gasket so at that point it's off with the heads.
I'm doing it (one at a time, heads on) only because there has been zero symptoms of head bolt/gasket compromise in a very low mileage engine. And if a head bolt snaps off then I'm no worse off, head removal isn't any more difficult.
Agreed. There are only options in approach if you are doing this as a preventive measure. Once the head gasket is compromised in any way, it needs to be resealed via factory procedure.
When we removed the valve covers the heads lopoked like this. Off came everything followed by a full clean and new buckets. The oil under the covers was contaminated by the leraking bolt. Two bolts stretched and they were a ***** to get out, toook a good mechanis 6 hours to remove them (without damaging the head.
Get it done, mine were at about 67,000 miles also.
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