Symptoms
Coolant loss with no visible leak, bubbles in the coolant, white exhaust smoke, or oil in the coolant.
The fix, step by step
- Drain the coolant and remove the intake, exhaust, injector lines and valve cover.
- Loosen the head bolts in the manual's sequence and lift the head.
- Have the head checked for flatness and cracks, then clean the deck.
- Fit the new gasket and new head bolts, which Expedition Imports strongly recommends, and torque them in stages to the 435 manual's sequence.
- Reset the valve clearances and refill and bleed the cooling system.
Tools & part numbers
- Torque wrench and angle gauge
- engine hoist or helper for the six-cylinder head
- straight edge
- 435 repair manual
Where to buy the parts
Head gasket OM352 & OM366Expedition Imports ↗Amazon ↗
Cylinder head bolt set OM352 and OM366Expedition Imports ↗Amazon ↗
Valve cover gasket OM366Expedition Imports ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Mercedes-Benz Unimog U1300L (435) parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.