Interesting! Chris, did he use vertical or 'inclined' (3.5L) prechambers? Any chance you want to sell the old ones cheap?

Honestly, I don't know. I will ask this afternoon. I don't know what I would do with the old ones, so I could be persuaded to sell them. You can write me offline on a price you believe is fair and I'll go with that. But, a few of them are still in the old head, and I want to use this as an opportunity to play around and familiarize myself with them a bit. Not that I may ever do any of this work myself (no time), but I'm infinitely curious.

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Chris

'04 ML500 - 53k, Inspiration Edition, Desert Silver
'11 Audi A4 Avant - Brilliant Black
'87 300SDL sold
'99 C280 Sport sold
'85 190E 2.3 sold

Another potentially lame question: can I drive it hard right away in an effort to clean it out, or would it be wise to allow the new stuff to "break in"?

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Chris

'04 ML500 - 53k, Inspiration Edition, Desert Silver
'11 Audi A4 Avant - Brilliant Black
'87 300SDL sold
'99 C280 Sport sold
'85 190E 2.3 sold

I have my car restored to very good condition but everytime I hear another OM 603 cracked head post I wonder about mine. I am not fixing my Central Locking System out of superstition. I have a Kid going to college soon and I doubt i would spend the $1800 bucks to fix this, I would probably go out and buy a $500 Corolla instead

I cringe even when the temperature touches the 100 mark, no road trips, no high revs. Overheated ONCE for a few seconds at most (maybe 30-50 seconds since it takes about a minute to round my block), due to insufficient amount of coolant, but that was it.

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Jason

00 Subaru Legacy (fun wagon)
96 Nissan Sentra (disavowed)
82 300SD (garage queen, will run again hopefully)
87 300DT (Gone: 10/15/2010)

That is getting a pit paranoid, IMHO. I run the SDL up to 100 all the time when it is in full boost for an extended period (20 seconds or more). It sits at 100 and then drops back to its typical 90 after the boost comes off.
It seems to do this whether the A/C is on or not. It does it at 70 degree ambients and 90 degree ambients. I would not get the slightest bit concerned until it approaches 110. Then I would either back off the boost or pull it to the side of the road.

You need to run that 603 hard on occasion, otherwise it is going to choke itself to death on soot.

Diesel's like to run hot it burns off all of the crap that builds up inside. Besides the MB enginers didn't want the cooling fan to come on until 105C.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Chris, do you use the leatherique on the engine components

Or am I missing something here? Which product will keep that engine looking like that? I'm quite sure that no work was done to the oil filter housing or the IP or anything else below the head. They all look brand new. Enlighten me, please!

Wow that engine is clean! I only hope one day I can get mine to look half as good. Part of the problem is that if you live in New England all of those nice gold parts will turn gray quickly.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Brian - I use Leatherique on all rubber and plastic. I believe keeping the black stuff black has a great influence on the appearance of the engine compartment, much like, IMO, how keeping wheels and tires clean goes a long way to keeping the exterior "looking" clean when it really isn't spotless. All metal components are clean due to the fact that there are zero leaks. Also, the vehicle has never been driven in snow conditions, dirt roads, etc. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you, , it's just clean.

Re: the recently completed work, everything seems to be settling in nicely. I set out for a two hour drive to San Francisco yesterday and the drive was flawless; I really missed this car! As I type this response from a Starbucks in Union Square, I'm planning our return trip this afternoon across the Golden Gate Bridge and North up the coast, to cut across through the Sonoma and Napa valleys. This car loves the highway.

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Chris

'04 ML500 - 53k, Inspiration Edition, Desert Silver
'11 Audi A4 Avant - Brilliant Black
'87 300SDL sold
'99 C280 Sport sold
'85 190E 2.3 sold

That is the problem, and supports gsxr's earlier comment.

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Chris

'04 ML500 - 53k, Inspiration Edition, Desert Silver
'11 Audi A4 Avant - Brilliant Black
'87 300SDL sold
'99 C280 Sport sold
'85 190E 2.3 sold

Definitely look at the engine mounts if you have a rough idle -- if they aren't at least half an inch above the crossmember at the widest point with the trapezoid shaped bottom steel insert visible, replace.

They are gel filled, and when they stuff leaks out, the spring inside allows the engine to vibrate something terrible (the design is a combined damper/support). You will go from vibration that buzzes the headliner to so smooth you cannot hear the engine start.... If you get a bump on start or shutdown, the mounts oare toast.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Note about Peter's comments:The W124 (and W201) use round, 1-piece hydraulic mounts. But strangely enough, the W126 uses the same older, funky, multi-piece rubber mounts as the W123 - which are not liquid-filled. I was surprised to learn that when someone else pointed it out, and I checked the EPC because I thought they were wrong. (Oooops.)

The test procedure is in this factory PDF (scroll a page or two down), for the 124 & 201 cars with hydraulic mounts, where you measure the distance to the crossmember:
http://www.meimann.com/docs/mercedes/124_engine_mounts.pdf

I'm not sure how to test the older/rubber mounts for the 123 and 126? I'd just replace them if over 5-7 years old...

The older style mounts will also squash down, although what you get there is the center mount or carrier banging on the frame or mount shell. Check is about the same -- the engine carrier should be well above the shell of the mount. If it's sitting right down on the shell, or you get hard thumping noises, check the rubber (if you can see it) -- the center steel insert should be higher than the rubber. When old, it sinks in.

The changeover was with the 201 chassis in 1984 -- all later designs use the gel mounts, the W126 wasn't changed over with the re-design in 1986.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

The engine and tranny mounts were replaced last November, ~10k mi. ago. Would it be possible for them to fail so quickly?

__________________
Chris

'04 ML500 - 53k, Inspiration Edition, Desert Silver
'11 Audi A4 Avant - Brilliant Black
'87 300SDL sold
'99 C280 Sport sold
'85 190E 2.3 sold