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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / April 2006Epoxy repair on engine, will it hold?
I've had a freeze plug near the exhaust manifold finally rust through completely before I had a chance to take it to the dealer for repair. Now I've got a hole 1/8" (couple mmm) or so in the plug. I've epoxied it close with a 5 min expoxy. Drove it around the block a few times and it seems to be holding, although I can surely smell a burned smell (maybe I spilled some exposy on the exhaust manifold) anyway do I trust this setup to drrive a few miles to the dealer? the engine casing shouldnt get 'that' hot should it? Any advice appreciated cheers, guenter > I've had a freeze plug near the exhaust manifold finally rust through > completely before I had a chance to take it to the dealer for repair. Now [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > cheers, guenter Unlikely, the pressure in the cooling system when the engine gets hot will just blow he epoxy off, but I did a repair similar to what you describe using a coin epoxied onto a sump which lasted for years!! But no where near the pressure involved in what you describe. I am afraid the pressure of the cooling system will eventually blow it out. If you don't live that far from dealer... you can simply loosen the coolant cap... so it is halfway off... you know... not tight but cannot take it out and the cap rattles... this way, no pressure will build up at all... Engine temperature will be fine... thanks all for the advice. Much appreciated! I drove the car around this morning for a while with, of course, the coolant cap lose and indeed, the epoxy seems to be holding up fine. I guess I shouldn't leave it like that though. My dealer won't be able to look at the car for a week or so and I'm wondering if I should try to take the frost plug out myself. From the new plug I notice that it is quite rounded so that it is only held on at the perimeter.... should 'pop' right off really if I torque on it with a screw- driver in the hole there already..... the exhaust manifold sure is a pain though... cheers and thanks to all again guenter >I am afraid the pressure of the cooling system will eventually blow it out. >If you don't live that far from dealer... you can simply loosen the coolant >cap... so it is halfway off... you know... not tight but cannot take it out >and the cap rattles... this way, no pressure will build up at all... > >Engine temperature will be fine... Is this being done under warranty? If not, why wait for (or even take it to) the dealer? Find a good independent and save yourself money. Now if it is a warranty item they should be willing to give you a loaner if you have to wait (mine did). Josh >Is this being done under warranty? If not, why wait for (or even take it >to) the dealer? Find a good independent and save yourself money. Now if it >is a warranty item they should be willing to give you a loaner if you have >to wait (mine did). Independents, I've tried them. Probably haven't had a good one though. Seems mechanics can say they have worked on MB's rather easily but every time I've walked away disapointed ultimately and then wished I'd gone to a dealer in the first place. My experience is that the dealer doesn't cut corners or give you the runaround as much.... I guess it depends on the specific situation. I guess it's just good to know that a repair is done correctly. Had the worst experience with an independent (called himself Master Mechanic, was an Iranian guy trained by MB supposedly) who closed shop after about a year.... guess I wasn't the only one who had problems with him - cheers, guenter ps my 300e is an '89 and no warranty sadly. I guess I shouldn't complain though since other than a waterpump replacement last summer it has had nop significant repears at 250k km My mechanic is an authorized MB man and when someone takes an older MB to the dealer, they will refer you to either of the two authorized MB independent mechanics in the city. Also, my mechanic has had his own business over thirty years and owns several MB's. The one he drives daily is much older than my '83 240D. He has done all the work on my MB since it was taken off the ship from Germany in 1982! Furthermore, he only uses German parts and he's so busy that it's nearly impossible to even get an oil change without an appointment. BTW, he owns several MB's. He and his son used to race them, and other cars, so they know what they are doing and they are good honest folks. God Bless the MB independents! Not every mechanic knows diddly squat about diesels. Best to you. Helen Hope you find a REAL independent MB mechanic. They can't be beat. >> Is this being done under warranty? If not, why wait for (or even >> take it to) the dealer? Find a good independent and save yourself [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > complain though since other than a waterpump replacement last summer > it has had nop significant repears at 250k km > thanks all for the advice. Much appreciated! I drove the car around this > morning for a while with, of course, the coolant cap lose and indeed, the [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >> >> Engine temperature will be fine... I had a '62 Chevy that popped a freeze plug, no anti-freeze because I lived in Los Angeles before it got cold. We were in a campground in Yosemite a long way from anywhere. I used a bent type lug wrench to pry it back in with very little trouble. You might consider using a large nut or even a piece of wood (piece of broom handle, etc.) as a spacer. We drove about 50 miles with no problem so I decided to drive back home, another 100 miles. Took it to the dealer the next day and he said they couldn't get it any tighter and it would be OK. Sold the car a year later without any further problems, except overheating when ever I put the engine under load, e.g. high speed driving or in the mountains. So it must be save to do as you said. That's the thing... sometime it is easy... sometime, it is downright pain in the a.s. If you have easy access, then I'd hook up a puller to it and yank it out... but from what you said... there is no room. Exhaust bolts are very temperamental... alot of time it will break and getting the studs out is really a pain! On our aluminum block, you must take bolts off cold or you will strip all the threads. Let them do it... it is not worth your time. >I am afraid the pressure of the cooling system will eventually blow it out. >If you don't live that far from dealer... you can simply loosen the coolant >cap... so it is halfway off... you know... not tight but cannot take it out >and the cap rattles... this way, no pressure will build up at all... > > Engine temperature will be fine... I epoxied a hole shut that was worn into a radiator by a bolt. Meaning to fix it when the machine wasn't in use it lasted several years. Your milage may vary. Steve > I've had a freeze plug near the exhaust manifold finally rust through >completely before I had a chance to take it to the dealer for repair. Now [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >exposy on the exhaust manifold) anyway do I trust this setup to drrive a few >miles to the dealer? the engine casing shouldnt get 'that' hot should it? 5 minutes epoxy? Ohdeargod. Two words for you Gunter: "JB Weld". Home Hardware has it and it's meant for engine block repairs. 5 minute epoxy is totally inappropriate and risky. It's crap. Chisel it off and slather it with JB weld. Done properly (no grease or oil!) this can be considered a permanant repair.  SignatureNeed Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net >> I've had a freeze plug near the exhaust manifold finally rust through >>completely before I had a chance to take it to the dealer for repair. Now [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >inappropriate and risky. It's crap. Chisel it off and slather it with JB weld. >Done properly (no grease or oil!) this can be considered a permanant repair. Many, many thanks Richard..... I'm scheduled to have the dealer replace this frost plug this monday.... are you saying that this can 'truly' be considered a permanent solution in that it will hold for some time even if I pressurize the cooling system? So far I've got the cap only on lose and it seems to be holding just fine. Actually, I thought of putting in a sheet metal screw so that if the JB weld should losen a bit, it won't come streaming out with the screw in place. what do you think?? cheers, guenter > Many, many thanks Richard..... I'm scheduled to have the dealer replace >this frost plug this monday.... are you saying that this can 'truly' be [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >metal screw so that if the JB weld should losen a bit, it won't come streaming >out with the screw in place. With the result of being wrong being a dead engine, I'd prefer not to guess. But, people do repair cylinder heads with this stuff. Obviously notnear the combustion chamber, usualluy around weater passages and stuff. I repaired an exhaust system with it once and it held for years while the rest of the exhaust rusted away. SignatureNeed Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net |
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