Not exciting but oil free after some fast hot motorways and some time on the twiddaly bit testing the new sticky tyres



Not so easy to photograph

 

Well, I will give you this. That is a close up....

 

looking good
1. you can remove the oil fill cap extension neck, use a flat screw driver and pry up on it from the back side and twist off counter clockwise. you can then screw the oil cap directly onto the valve cover and eliminate a potential leak point.
2. I would like to see the hose clamp on the hose connecting the drivers valve cover to the CAI's MAF housing (I sent 2 of them with the kit).
3. you can remove the 4 rubber mushroom grommets on the valve covers as you no longer need them with the CAI
4. your missing the passenger side wiper arm nut cap
5. a little bit of brake cleaner and a plastic brush would go a long way on the top of that intake manifold to bring back its glory.

 

Can we do this without an oil change?

 

No reason you couldn't.

 

YEs - I repaired my breather covers that way when they started leaking. No reason the valve covers can't be repaired that way also. Oil should be down in the pan.

 

There was lots of talk in the early pages of this thread (I didn't read every page) about the aluminum screws. Fastener Express sells them in quantities of 25 but if you contact them they'll send you "samples" and just charge $6.95 for shipping.

M5 x .8 x 16mm Socket Head Cap Screws 7075 T6 - Black Qty. 25

 

Good to know, thanks for the tip and the resource.

 

It's hard to add much to this excellent thread but, in addition to the source for the aluminum screws I mentioned above, I found it helpful to cut some wedges out of scrap pieces of wood and plastic to help scrape the old RTV off and to clamp the cover to the bench top so that the new RTV can be squeezed deep into the groove using two hands.

I've had a minor oil leak for a long time. I just wish I had done this earlier.

 

So I just took the covers off today. The breather hoses were a pain to remove. I didn't use any tool to remove them. I accidently broke the one close to the oil cap on the driver's side. Where can I get one? Does anyone know the part number.

There's what seems to be a power steering line in the way above the driver's side valve cover. Did you guys remove that? I don't see how I will be able to put this back in if it's in the way.

Thank you guys. I would really appreciate some help and guidance. I think I should have bought the service manual. It would have been precise and clear.

 

Anyone can help?

 

The line you need to remove is the gas line to the fuel rail. Get ready, about a cup of gasoline is gonna drain from the rail when you remove it. I used a couple of rags to soak up the gas. BE CAREFUL! You do not want contamination in the line, as there is no filter between that point and the injectors.

The hose (Which is a vacuum line) I THINK you can replace with generic hose of the same inside diameter, use hose clamps, I know they didnt' when they built the car, but do it anyway.

Just download it from our tech section - but don't have high hopes, the service manual is less than what I expected, and I expect so little - being divorced twice.

GO here:
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ollection.html

 

So do you remove it from the top of the engine?

Should I do the spark plugs too? Is it easier to change them with the valve covers off?

 

You can find all (I think) of the Crankcase Ventilation Breather hoses at this webpage in Pelican Parts: Click. Or you can do what Pizzaguy suggested and use standard vacuum hose with clamps. Lots of us do that vacuum hose replacement similarly.

You'll learn that you can find nearly everything for the powertrain by looking up the part for a Mercedes-Benz SLK320, 1999-2004 model years (I always use 2004), or the M-B SLK32 AMG if you have the 2005/2006 Crossfire SRT-6.

I don't recall having to remove that fuel line you referenced as being in the way. Been a few years since I made that breather cover repair, but I don't think I removed any of the hoses. (Note: I didn't need to remove the Valve Covers when I repaired the leaking Breather Covers.)

 

OK. My covers were covered in oil so I wasn't sure where the leak was coming from. Maybe it was just the breather covers.

 

Several of us have had similar signs of considerable oil leakage. If I was in your shoes, I probably would have removed both sets of covers to make sure I fixed the leak. Fortunately, I caught my leak from the Crankcase Breather covers early and the repair was somewhat simpler to execute. I did find the larger Torx screws securing the valve covers to be loose at nearly all locations. I tightened all of these to the recommended torque value during my repair. And I check these probably 1x/yr.

Hope everything goes back together well and your oil leak problems go away. Later,

 

I think I will make this an annual task as well.

 

Do you know which one I need to order. I'm confused... lol sorry

 

You'll need to remove the hose that broke and compare it the ones listed in the website. If it were me, considering the age of the car, I'd probably replace all the Crankcase Ventilation hoses with new ones.

 

Here is a complete set for 25 bucks :
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mer...30-m1123pcvkt1