Quote:
Originally Posted by Maxbumpo
Don - ignore all the naysayers - if the car indeed has a factory crate engine installed, it'll be just as bullet-proof as any other OM60x engine from the eighties or nineties. My understanding is original issue was a bad head gasket design that allowed oil to leak into the #1 cylinder and cause a hydro-lock, which bent the rod, and it was all downhill from there.
Worse case scenario, you need to replace the engine. Spend a thousand or two and get an OM606 turbo, which is the next generation engine with far more power, from a '98 or '99 E300. Keep your OM603 injection pump, install the OM606 engine with turbocharger and intercooler, and then enjoy life for years and years.
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Thank you, Max. I've been talking to a couple of local diesel techs as well and they agree with what you wrote. If it is indeed a factory crate engine then it should be rock solid as long as it is kept up properly.
I think it is time for me to dump my newer cars and save the proceeds so if I really do need a new engine and/or transmission it won't such a heavy blow.