R63 AMG The Unicorn of my Destruction

BAT poster said: Loved this car! Intake manifold bolts all replaced with updated versioin in last 12 months.

Wait...does this explain the manifold damage?

In reply to mazdeuce:

I'd just get a welder to help you fix your intake. The intake is most likely cast aluminum, as most of the later mercedes engines used this (except 112/113 were magnesium). Should be a quick weld, 20-40$ I would bet as cost.

As for removing the damper bolt, just buy one of the cheaper tools and angle grind those 2mm off the tool that you need for clearance. Your damper looks very close to the 112/113 dampers that required that 3 finger tool. Both your M156 engine and M155 engine are based off of the M113, so many of the parts are going to be similar.

AmySanders wrote: I've loved reading this thread. I wish everyone would be brave enough to take on projects like this on their own cars. I started doing it because poverty was the motivator in my case. I was a single mom with two kids and a car that lost the rod cap thereby wrecking the only car I had. I figured that there was nothing I could do worse than fate had already done, so I bought a manual on the discount rack and went to town. I rebuilt that thing in my living room on a tarp. It was winter and it was my living room. I asked questions of the parts guys, the old guy across the street, the gas station mechanics (tells you how long ago that was) and phoned every shop in town that would give free advice. I replaced the bearings, the crankshaft and as long as I was there, had the head reconditioned. I replaced everything and probably a little more than I needed to, but what did I know? I learned about Engines and having no fear (or was it brains?). I got another 200K miles out of that little car. I ended up the family mechanic. I have four brothers and two sons who are completely helpless and hopeless when it comes to cars. In fact I have my youngest son's car in my garage in pieces now thanks to his "just a little tighter on that bolt" causing a pot metal flange to break. Thanks mazdeuce for giving inspiration to many of us who are just like you are, willing to take a chance and do it ourselves.

Awesome story, love your motivation and determination!

I wonder how much traffic this thread has pulled to the forum since that first article got published.

NOHOME wrote:

BAT poster said: Loved this car! Intake manifold bolts all replaced with updated versioin in last 12 months.

Wait...does this explain the manifold damage?

Interesting to note that there's no such mention of "any" bolts being replaced/updated on the image with the itemized service record.

It's amazing to me how many new readers are here most likely because they saw that article.

While it's still an awesome repair, I think us regulars here take for granted the insanity that this must be to the non-GRM crowd.

mazdeuce wrote: Who knows Mercedes crank pulleys? This tool on Amazon says it matches to the part njmber, but it doesn't list the M156. Tool on Amazon

WIS lists 112 589 00 40 00 as the correct puller, this one should work. My tool looks similar only instead of pins it has socket head bolts. An impact wrench is not likely to get the pulley off, the torque spec is 200 Nm plus 180 degrees. The pulley look similar to those used on the 112 engines.

That's the thing, this isn't insane at all. Not for here. It's just fixing a car in good fun. For anyone looking for a peek at insane got check out NOHOME's Volvo/Miata mashup. Or if that seems too normal, check out maschinenbau's Rice Rod. Or if that seems too crazy and you just want to see normal car stuff you can watch petegossett tear his dead Corvette down to a bare block and build it up again. And that's just what's currently floating on top of the pile of crazy. Come for the R63, stay for the actual talented real projects going on.

In reply to itb76:

I actually have another solution coming that's pretty cool. More to come.

Tonight I got a CEL in my CLS63. Fortunately, it doesn't seem related to all of this, a P0106 for the MAP sensor, so it is likely to be leaky intake manifold gaskets apparently. This, and some looking around on MBworld tonight has me thinking that if I am that deep into the motor to do the intake manifold gaskets, that I might go a little farther and try the replace one bolt at a time in the correct order method of prophylactic repair. Lots less work then if the gasket actually goes to keep the heads on, just need to pull the cams. Hmm.

There is also the plastic accordion thing at the back that is known to crack and (I think) cause the same symptoms. You might have to pull the intake to see it, but with looking at.

@ Mazduce: Could you make your own crank pulley tool? Looking at the pictures, it looks similar to a tool I made to hold the camshaft gears on my Focus.

mazdeuce wrote: That's the thing, this isn't insane at all. Not for here. It's just fixing a car in good fun. For anyone looking for a peek at insane got check out NOHOME's Volvo/Miata mashup. Or if that seems too normal, check out maschinenbau's Rice Rod. Or if that seems too crazy and you just want to see normal car stuff you can watch petegossett tear his dead Corvette down to a bare block and build it up again. And that's just what's currently floating on top of the pile of crazy. Come for the R63, stay for the actual talented real projects going on.

I agree that the threads you mentioned are all awesome.... but this one is too, in a little bit different fashion. The depth of topics in this thread, from negotiations with MB, to solving specialty tool issues, and tricks of using cardboard templates to keep the ridiculous numbers of different bolts straight, is great reading aside from the core theme of the headbolt repair. Thanks for doing such a great job of telling the story of your journey with the R63.

Oh, and one other really cool thread (among many) is the Kristi KT-3 snowcat restomod

Quick Question on the current One Lap. Is it still one lap of the northeast States? I read the Car & Driver article on the very first One Lap that went all around the USA. It was just a fun event, with visits to some tracks and fun events there.

Over time it grew rules and regulations and was no longer One Lap of America. They went so far as to disqualify a GM factory team for changing a tire on their Corvette. They were demonstrating the durability of their run-flat tires by driving the entire course with one flat tire, except for the track events where they'd swap on a tire that hadn't been run flat. Thus the car was out of the running to win.

Seems that most things in motorsports eventually get that way. "Let's do something fun and inexpensive!" Some years later it costs a six figure sum to compete and tech inspection takes an hour, with knocks for the slightest infraction.

In reply to Galane:

One Lap changes every year. Because Tire Rack is the current title sponsor we start and end in South Bend which lends itself to a more easterly event. Two years ago we made it out to Colorado and this year the route takes us down to Florida and GRM headquarters. There are certain tracks that are "friends" of One Lap that get more repeat visits than others.
One Lap is it's own thing. It has a unique format and a history that led to that. From Brock Sr. figuring out they were all going to jail if they kept going Cannonball to the origional road rally type endurance event to including tracks and evolving into the week long rolling time trial that it is. I don't think anyone can look back at an event that long without saying "that was stupid" about a couple of decisions.
In the end, it is what it is, what Brock Jr. makes it as he tweaks little things here and there to make the event enjoyable and safe. Last year I was in a stock Mini 'competing' against 800hp GTR's and a full factory minivan effort with a pro driver. If you look at One Lap as a pure competition or as road rally or just as a collection of guys with too much time on their hands then you miss the fact that it's these specific things to some people and all of these things to everyone. In a world that is sterilized and routine while taking itself way too seriously it's an adventure. It's fun.

mazdeuce wrote: In reply to Vigo: I think the difference is in design language through time. The R is probably the worst example of a rather elegant design language from the mid 2000's until almost now that has evolved and aged quite well. Side by side with a CLS of the same era the R class looks like the chubby unathletic brother of a supermodel. The Pacifica is probably the best example of a Chrysler design language that graced some mediocre to horrible cars. You can't look at it without seeing sadness and broken dreams.

I was thinking something very similar when I made my post. Don't want to dump on the R-class, but it's the styling low point of Mercedes of that era, while the Pacifica is the high point of Chryslers of 2004 (Viper notwithstanding, i suppose).

The ironic thing to add is that the reason Chrysler's meteoric rise and strong design language through the late 90s dribbled off to the sad state of the Pacifica being a high point... is because of Daimler Benz.

In reply to Vigo:

mazdeuce said: The Pacifica is probably the best example of a Chrysler design language

I don't think I'll ever convince GRM of what's ugly. You people have a different view of aesthetics.

not all Chrysler's were hideous.

Just most of them.

Interesting reading last night while I was trying to figure out some parts numbers. Mercedes says DO NOT use a magnet to lift out the lifters. Any contact with a magnet can magnetize them and that field can attract magnetic swarf which will grind the cam/lifter into oblivion. Some of you probably knew that, I didn't. Good think I'm replacing them.
Also, I desperately want to front an 80's tribute band called Metallic Swarf.

Sounds like a good name for the R63!

Now introducing Metallic Swarf with their hit Unicorn of My Destruction!

Any contact with a magnet can magnetize them and that field can attract magnetic swarf which will grind the cam/lifter into oblivion. Some of you probably knew that, I didn't. Good think I'm replacing them.

That's an interesting scenario that i never thought of or heard anyone mention in my experience as a tech. Thanks for sharing that!

You could just degauss them with an old CRT. This is GRM after all.

Or one of the ones meant for automatic watches.

When I pulled the intake manifold I set it aside. It leaked a large puddle of oil out.
The oil is milky so I assume it got sucked in during "the incident" but having the inside covered oil when I want to weld/braze the outside seems like a bad idea. Incidentally, Mercedes says to never ever take this apart further than accessing the throttle bodies. Non serviceable and all that.
Bottom off. This looks expensive.
This picture is for me to remind me where those metal tabs go.
And this is the middle and upper still stuck together. I haven't spent much time working on getting them apart because the variable runner flappy thing is attached to both pieces and I'm not sure how to get it apart without breaking something that is clearly not for sale. Any hints?

Re: lifetrs, a watch demagnetizer is like $10 if it comes to it.

Since we're posting up threads that new readers should check out, I have to mention Nashco's AWD Hybrid Fiero I somehow stumbled across that one years ago & got hooked on GRM.

Disassembly continues....... After some coffee and looking at things I figured the flat part should just pull off. And it did. No pictures of that, sorry.
Next the two halves of the variable length runners should just slide apart after removing four bolts. But they didn't, and I didn't want to force the issue and break something having come this far. I thought about it and realized that the two halves of the runners must be sealed with RTV or the like. A narrow gap with stuff I want to get out......floss!
I could only reach so far down each runner so I had to tie a washer to the end of the floss and feed it down a runner and back up the other side and then pull it through. Worked like a charm. And there was a LOT of goo in there. Glad I decided to clean it.
All five major pieces of the intake manifold. It seems simple enough to put back together and seal so long as I can get the boss fixed. Lots of cleaning to do though. More and better pictures to come when it's clean and time to reassemble. This thing is absurdly complicated MB at it's finest.

@mazdadeuce

I am unsure if this would work for you or not but to get that crank bolt off check out a tool called a torque multiplier. they are used for removing lugs off of semi truck wheels and some can operate over 100lb torque applied.

also I am incredibly inspired by this whole thread. Probably the only thread I've read every page of that was 40+ pages long.