FYI, camshafts have to be removed period. You can not replace headbolts without removing camshafts

I just bought a an E63 back in December 2017 and put a total of 15mi. on it before started taking it apart due to a 1200 rpm idle. I turns out the Intake Manifold throttle plenum had deteriorated causing an opening which would lead to a high idle. I too took the preventive measure of replacing my Headbolts for my 07' E63 w/94k mi. but once I removed the Intake Manifold, I could see not only see Oil pooled up sitting in the rear of the Intake which led me to have the IM refurbished by RMT, but also see carbon build-up in the Intake runners of the heads. I then toyed with the idea of renting all the tools necessary for using the Walnut Shell method, but ultimately decided to remove the Heads instead. Fortunately I did too as the guys working on the heads (Xtreme Cylinder Heads) informed me that 8 of 16 Intake Valves were bent! I wouldn't have known otherwise until of course a much bigger and more costly problem were to occur down the road resulting from those 8 bent valves being pushed harder!!! I have yet to get the Heads back and am waiting to install but in the meantime I've rebuilt the front end with new Thrust arms, Air Spring Bushings, refurbished RMT Air Springs, Adjustable Upper Control Arms, ball joints, with new bolts all around.

With the heads off, I took the time to clean the tops of the positions using Acetone soaked blue shop towels with Nylon scraping tools that allow you to press the soaked towel into the carbon followed by scraping, vacuuming, then more soaking and rubbing to clean the pistons as well as the walls and rims of the piston wall. I should mention that if you do this the piston and walls will be very dry afterwards so I applied some oil from a Pump Can to the circular. Edges of the pistons and with a rubber glove made sure every surface was lightly slicked with oil. Since the Oil applied was NOT a lubricant like WD40 which can flow past the seals into the oil Pump and corrode the internals, my thinking was that it was better to leave it lubed with oil while exposed. When I install the heads, I'll do a quick wipe down and repeat for good measure.

I then cleaned the engine bay below the heads where oil has leaked from the valve covers from the previous owner. Further, I replaced the knock Sensor, refreshed the seals on the passenger side coolant shutoff valve.

I custom fabricated a Catch Can by splicing into the EGR valve using a 1" dia Heating Hose from the rear with a 90 degree bend running passenger side between the headlight and Air Suspension pod, to the Can placed there and the return winding back with 3 90 degree bends around the Pod then spliced onto the OEM valve using Oetker Clamps at the bends and onto the OEM rear Mount and OEM Valve itself. Being that the can itself is from a Husky Air Compressor, I chose to use worms clamps to the can since I intend on renewing it in future.

Also just replaced the Steering Pump because the Pulley was thrashed due most likely to it deforming from oil spilling out of the valve Cover! On the list of to-do's are replacing the Cam Timing o'ring seals, coolant & oil temp sensors, Air Hat Gaskets, renewed rubber vacuum hoses and elbows, new cabin and air intake filters, gaskets for thermostat, valve covers, oil filter, intake Manifold, exhaust Headers, Head Gaskets, install the new black version valve tappets into the Heads. In taking things apart intitially, one of the Ignition Coils housing was broke and another was not "AMG"-so I went ahead and got 2 new ones. All in all, I've spent about $4k in Parts alone. I don't want to think of what I would have had to fork out if I had the Stealership do it!! I can't wait to get this thing on the road!!!