Originally Posted By: FlyNavyP3
Great looking UOA Astro! I'm sure you're pleased! What a fantastic car to take out and enjoy, does this engine use traditional cast iron cylinder liners or is it a plated bore (Nicasil or similar)?
It's a plated bore - a silicon/aluminum alloy of about 2.5mm thickness...according to the Mercedes promotional literature that I've read.
The design decisions on this engine were centered on smoothness, quiet operation, power, and light weight...with "reasonable" economy...It really is a wonderfully smooth engine with a sweet sound to it.
I am very pleased with the performance of the Mobil 1 0W40. You can see the history in the photo. I bought the car with 59,000 miles on it, so every oil change has had a UOA. We can all debate additive packages, base stocks, and other oil attributes, but the real measure is how well that mix performs in your engine.
And this oil does well.
So, I plan to keep using it.
The engine in this car is very expensive - Mercedes lists a replacement long block for $75,000 or so, and while the used market isn't terrible, I really don't want to think about ever replacing, or even rebuilding, this engine...
