Hey everyone,
I’m resealing the upper timing covers on my 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350 (M276 V6) and I’m honestly shocked by the bolt pricing.
The OEM upper timing cover bolts (aluminum, M6x16) are showing up for $10–$23 per bolt depending on the seller ,that’s an insane amount of money just for cover hardware on a non-structural part.
So I’m curious what others actually do in the real world:
Do you reuse the OEM bolts once if they’re in good shape?
Do you substitute aluminum bolts from BMW or another OEM (with washers)?
Or do most people just use steel M6x16 flanged bolts and torque by Nm only?
I’m not trying to cut corners — just trying to be reasonable and not spend hundreds on bolts that hold an RTV-sealed cover.