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Old 10-11-2013, 11:27 AM
ebrobb ebrobb is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 37
Unhappy

Well, I had a reason for this posting and I was able to confirm it last night. See my other post about 300SDL timing problem driving me crazy.
After a head gasket replacement because the oil passage at the front of the block was leaking into the #1 cylinder, and having a machine shop check the head over and found no cracks, as well as the car never showing signs of a cracked head before the head gasket R&R. I believe now the head has indeed cracked.

I read on another forum a guy was on there saying never attempt to R&R a #14 head, they are so fragile that if it isn't cracked when you take it off, just the tightening of the head bolts will crack it, when you reinstall it. I decided to take my chances and hope the guy didn't know what he was talking about. Now it seems he was correct.

Wednesday night I saw white smoke/steam coming out the tail pipe after the engine had fully warmed up, as well as the crankcase breather tube that goes from the valve cover to the turbo.

Last night when I attempted to start it up it wouldn't even turn over, I pulled all the injectors and spun the engine over, #4 was full of coolant. However #1 did not have oil in it like it did before the head gasket procedure, so I think while fixing one problem I have created another.

The car runs fine while cold, but as the engine warms up it begins to blow white smoke/steam out the tail pipe, no coolant in the oil or vice versa. I would think if the head gasket didn't seal it would blow steam all the time, which leads me to believe the problem is a cracked head, because the crack opens up as the engine warms up.

Whatever the cause, headgasket that didn't seal at #4 or cracked head, it would seem now that with this new problem the car is indeed a parts car at this point. I am at my wits end with the car and my wife is screaming at me to quit messing around with it and, blowing my time and money on it. And with the car's other problems I hate to admit she is correct in that I'm just throwing money into a bottomless pit. She just wants it gone so, I will be listing it as a parts car later this weekend, if after a couple weeks there is no interest I will just have the junkyard come get it.

It's a crying shame really, I hate to see a Mercedes go to the junkyard, and I have saved many cars from the scrap heap over the years, but this one got the better of me.
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