The head gasket on my OM603 is leaking oil around one of the head bolts and the engine still runs hotter than I like it to, but the #14 head hasn't cracked yet. The engine doesn't loose any coolant, and there is no oil or water intermingling. It doesn't show any hard hose symptoms when cold either. Hopefully, I'll get to the citric acid flush this summer, but there is a laundry list of other stuff to take care of since I have had my 1987 300TDT for 6 years now.

I have been looking for a replacement head for a while, and I always seem to miss them at the wrecking yard. It's kind of funny I came across a 1987 300D in the South Sacramento PNP that I had looked at in 2004 when first started searching for a W124 with an OM603. In 2004 the seller told me it had a new head because the original #14 cracked. Sure enough the "new" head was gone from the engine when I saw it. Last time I went to the Moss Landing PNP in January there was a 1987 300D with cracked #14 head in the yard.


I still would take a OM603 any day over the OM617. My Mom used to own a 1981 300D that I learned to drive on (and I had to take care of). The OM617 was naturally aspirated and quite reliable, but the power difference and refinement was like night and day. Just my two cents worth in a long running debate.

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1987 300TDT smoke silver w/ burgundy leather interior
2000 VW Passat wagon indigo blue w/ beige leather interior
1985 Mustang SVO
1970 Chevrolet K10 fleetside, shortbed