ml 270 cdi exhaust leak

[tsu]

hi everyone , i have an ml 270 2001 that has been making a siren sound beyond 2500 rpm , The local mercedes dealership says i need an exhaust manifold gasket as well as removing of one broken stud that caused all this. However when i went to the machine shop to have the broken stud drilled out of the head they told me wthout even checking that the repair isnt worth it because the damage is actually on the cylinder head as the manifold is made from a harder material and therefore wouldnt have suffered any damage before the aluminum head did.Removing the head to sand it down is obviously not worth it on a car valued 4k-5k eyros.Does anyone have any experience on that matter ? is it possible that the head is damaged? Thanks to anyone who takes time of their day to answer this!

 

[mioba]

I would go for the gasket change first - much cheaper. If that solves the issue then job done.

It could be the 2nd garage is trying to upsell some work.

Never seen much on merc heads need doing tbf

 

[oigle]

It is amazing how effective clear silastic/silicone gel can be if there is an issue there. Have used it instead of exhaust gaskets on competition turbo motors running at ridiculous temps and boost levels and it holds up amazingly. If head damaged, use this in damaged area along with a new gasket. Let it set and run it hot without boost for a bit before full usage.