Hello! I am a newbie..I need your advise

Hi..Its good to see all brathars and sistas!!

I had 97 c280(inline6) lend it my father and got overheated blew the headgasket!!!  I took out the plugs and saw water in them. Motor would turn but wouldn't start. I put water in radiator about a half gallon then when I start the engine(w/radiator cap open), water shoots out of radiator and I see there some squirts coming out of water pump.....

Do you know any (reliable and price reasonable) mercedes machanics around Oakland and East bay in San Francisco Bay Area?

So far...I could find any...

I found out all the shops that I called, will do the job for me,...but they all seems like my car is first experiment with their skill. and I hate gamble my car with their skill.

It seems like I have three options;

1. Go to the dealer and Pay($10,000) dollars

2. Go to the shop and get my head gasket done.($1600) if head is cracked..it will cost more$$$ quote from Global engineering in Richmond,CA

3. Go to the unknown engine shop and get low mileage engine.($3200)[includes labor&parts]Got this quote from JEM in Oakland,CA

 

Still I have no idea if they do it right or not....  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE somebody refer me to decent place where I install around(labor&Parts) under $3000... and I don't have to worry about check engine light and all other small issues later.

Thank you SOO much for your reading my miserable post.

 

 

ilovebenz38069.7565972222

If you saw coolant in the cylinders when you removed the plugs, it was not wise to try to start the engine.

Water is incompressible, so when the piston hits the water - Bang! You've bent the con rod (and I'm told it is possible with just the starter motor).

(How did your father overheat it?? Not watching the gauge?? Did a hose blow or pump fail or the head gasket leak? I hope he stopped as soon as the temperature started rising. Also, I guess the low coolant light would have come on and warned him).

Best of luck with it. No doubt your father is going to pay the bill

sorry for the mishap

i go to metric motors in SF, john is the mechanic, he's good and he charges fair price.