R63 AMG The Unicorn of my Destruction

Get off the computer and GO BEAT THE PISS OUT OF IT. If you need anything else just email me.

I can see the clickbait title now... "The dealer said it would cost $57,000 to fix this minivan. The owner decided to repair it himself and then THIS happened!"

I've been lurking on here for a while with nothing to add, but congrats on getting it going again. Nowhere near the same intimidation level or astronomically high prices as your situation, but I'm trying to rebuild the Ford 5.4 3 valve out of my pickup this summer to avoid paying $10k (Canadian) to have a Ford reman put in. New vehicles are complicated and intimidating compared to older ones, but you've helped inspire me and I'm diving into my first real engine rebuild with it. It isn't nearly as intimidating once you get a manual and follow the instructions. Kristian

In reply to CornerCarver:

I had no idea what this thread was going to become. I figured there was maybe a couple dozen people following along. Even when the headbolt let go, how much interest can there be in the mechanical life of a stay at home dad who clearly makes terrible decisions?
So I'm humbled that you, and so many other people, have gotten sucked in and watched me get the van back on the road. I guess the world still loves a good story.
GRM has been incredible to me. Their magazine is like no other, and almost 20 years ago it let me know that I wasn't alone in the universe. The forum is an extension of that. Not only can I read about these people, but I can talk to them too, and in the last several years many of them have become friends.
Maybe the best thing that this thread has done is take the backyard clubhouse that is GRM and place a huge neon sign over it. Lots of people peeking in, many of them staying. I'm glad you're here.

MB_tech2005 wrote: Get off the computer and GO BEAT THE PISS OUT OF IT. If you need anything else just email me.

Nobody beats the R63. From the green to the speed limit, you don't get past my door, and when you finally do, it's because I lifted.
The van is back. It makes me a terrible person, but it's back.

In reply to turbo_bird:

I'll be 100% honest and tell you that the sight on an engine getting yanked out still makes me queasy. You've got the right attitude, you can do this. Bag and label. Follow the directions. Ask for help. Let us know how it goes.

mazdeuce wrote: Nobody beats the R63. From the green to the speed limit, you don't get past my door, and when you finally do, it's because I lifted. The van is back. It makes me a terrible person, but it's back.

Hell yeah!

Mazdeuce, You're tempting me to ditch the Bluetec R and find an R63.

In reply to chuckha62:

I would be very interested in your thoughts between the two if you had a chance to drive them back to back.

mazdeuce wrote: What did this cost? Well, the tools section was $3150. $2800 of that was the lift, engine hoist, and three new torque wrenches. The rest is one set of inverse torx, a set of long allen sockets, and a couple of specialty MB parts to pull the cams. Slippery's tool is priceless of course. Parts were only $3300 which is quite a lot less than I thought it was going to be, mostly because I didn't put new cam phasers on. I might regret that later, but they were $500 each and there are four of them. It would have seemed stupid cheap if I didn't have to spend that last $400 on a new AC compressor. So the total cost, all in, to get the van back on the road was $6450. Saved myself about $50k and got a lift. Not too shabby.

That's impressive! Could have easily been 4500 more with the cam phasers and an intake - still a bargain. Early on I think your local dealer came in around $6500 for parts and the labor side was something like 10k (also not including cam phasers or a new intake. So best case is saving 50k over a new motor or saving 10k on repairs by doing it your own self. Not to mention that at this point you know there isn't anything you can't do on the mechanical side.

Audi S4 timing chains don't look so scary now...

Let me guess #70 is Loctite ?

Mazdeuce, Wow. Congratulations on getting it done! It has been so enjoyable to follow this thread from the beginning to the sound of that sweet engine starting up. You write very well and have included enough detail (with photo's) to follow your work. There have been some very impressive people giving you suggestions and helping you out. One of my favorite parts is the triumphant welder photo. We need one of you with that same look standing next to the car with the hood up and the engine running. Your wife is a jewel. This whole thread has me thinking about my Mothers 1948 Land Cruiser Studebaker. I have been somewhat wishing I had it. My Mom did a lot of the simple repairs herself. She drove it into the 1960's until it was too much to fix. I loved riding in that thing. Mostly I find myself wishing I had you for a neighbor. If you were next door I could pop over and see the progress you are making and learn directly from you. (The other guy I want for a neighbor is an appliance repair guy that thinks I am pretty good at appliances. If he were my neighbor I would be in the business by now.) Last thing is Mercedes. I think all of us on the thread want to be with you when you pop over to Mercedes and casually show them the running car. Enjoy your fame, you have earned it. Thank you for all the inspiration!

In reply to mazdeuce:

Nice!

759NRNG wrote: Let me guess #70 is Loctite ?

Liquified crystal meth to keep you going for the whole 39 hours of reassembly...

The S4 has to be on the list of "cars that require you to own another car".

In reply to LT:

Thanks, my wife is truly one of the great ones, I'm glad my writing conveys that.

On Tuesday the van goes back to the same AMG tech who saw it originally. He was a cool guy and I can't wait to talk to him again.

mazdeuce wrote: In reply to LT: Thanks, my wife is truly one of the great ones, I'm glad my writing conveys that. On Tuesday the van goes back to the same AMG tech who saw it originally. He was a cool guy and I can't wait to talk to him again.

Please for the love of god record his reaction.

Stumbled across this about a week ago out on the interwebs...almost never go for click bait or forum threads but boy was this one ever worth it. Been reading straight through from post #1 in my spare time since, all the way til now. Did I mention I never, ever do this? And now all I can do is join the chorus and agree that this journey has been a fantastic inspiration.

Additionally, for what it's worth it struck me as oddly similar to my own initiation into engine resurrection, which began with (witnessing) a phenomenal shade tree rebuild of a monstrous blown Mercedes engine (check) using only hand tools and minimal support equipment (basically check) repairing parts that "couldn't be repaired" (check), all done by a handful of guys armed with a few days and the grit and gumption to see it through (and a trek across east Africa to finish). And when I got back to the states I had the fire to resume work on my own "valley of dry bones," which still runs today. But that's a story for another time and place...not mazdeuce's brilliant R63 thread :)

And many thanks to GRM for fostering the friendship, wisdom, and spirit of knucklebusting adventure so plainly evident here!

mndsm wrote:

mazdeuce wrote: In reply to LT: Thanks, my wife is truly one of the great ones, I'm glad my writing conveys that. On Tuesday the van goes back to the same AMG tech who saw it originally. He was a cool guy and I can't wait to talk to him again.

Please for the love of god record his reaction.

He's probably been following it on the forum. :)

In reply to revengineer:

I am simultaneously humbled and horrified that anyone is reading this through from the beginning. My only solace is that anyone who makes it to page 86 can at least see it start.
Thanks for reading. There are some other great threads on here with some talented fabricators if you like actual tech. For shananigans there's always the Grosh thread, or if you're really brave, wait a week and you can follow my next project from the beginning.

I'm another lurker drawn in by this amazing project. I have since gone back and started reading your grosh build. Another great story! I just have to say, my hats off to your parents who have instilled in you, this wonderful​ work ethic. You should teach a class ( maybe junior high), on " how to be an adult". It's either that or your kids are going to have to run the damn world all by themselves.

MazD major thread hijack....Alex Honnold scaled the FACE of EL Capitan barehanded in a little over 3.5 hours yesterday...major stones there boss..

In reply to 759NRNG:

The mental part of free climbing is something I never got into. There is no doubt that those guys are climbing at a level where the climb isn't difficult for them in the traditional sense, but the consequences are as high as consequences get. The summer I was in the Valley I got to hang out with Katie Brown when she was one of the top two or three female climbers in the world. The difference in ability between her and normal recreational climber was staggering.
To bring this back to cars, it would be like Lewis Hamilton showing up at your local autocross. I've had the luck to hang out with a couple of national and world class athletes and it's always been a treat.

In reply to TherealAJ:

Thanks for the kind words, I must copied and pasted your post and sent it to my mom. You're going to make her very happy.