Originally Posted by crossfire ninja
My point about the bolts is this....just as one of the latest posts mentioned, the factory bolts ARE longer than the bolts that I removed when taking off the covers. I would be concerned if these "bottom out" and prevent a tight fit. Anyway, I thought it would be worth mentioning. Check out the pics.
Tomorrow I will work on cleaning to make sure I get a VERY good seal when I reinstall.
I'm told that M-B recommends discarding the old aluminum SHCS's and re-install using new fasteners. Since the aluminum material is weak relatively speaking, any excessive torque (even the smallest amount) applied during installation can stretch the screw. That makes the assembly inherently loose and places all the sealing capability on the sealant used. Once the screw is stretched, it's defective as a fastener if used again.