617.952 turbo engine installed in 240D - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Old300D · #1 09-26-2004, 08:19 PM

It fits just fine with my 722.17 transmission, using the crossmember, shift linkage, trans cooler lines and front driveshaft from an older 300D (mine had a 722.118). The transmission cooler lines from the 300D didn't quite hug the oil pan like before - the turbo engine upper pan is different.

I've got it all hooked up now, and wanted to try to get oil pressure up before I fired it up. The injector lines are loose so no fuel will get in the chambers. I put 4 quarts of oil in, and poured some more in the filter housing. The dipstick shows at the lower mark.

But I can't get oil pressure more than a needle's width above zero while cranking it with the starter. It does rise from 0, but it seems like it should be more. The engine should be fine - it reported came from a rolled car, and it came out of the car in January. I replaced the oil pan as the old one was a bit bashed up, but the pickup seemed to be in good shape.

Fire it up? Prime the oil pump? Panic?

leathermang · #2 09-26-2004, 08:43 PM

Do you have an external oil cooler ?
I think you have not put enough oil into the system yet... in its original car I think it held right at 8 qts...
So I would put 2 more quarts in before doing anything else....
Then try a little more cranking ... without overheating the starter of course...
Were the type of sending units for the oil pressure the same on the original and the present car ?

Old300D · #3 09-26-2004, 08:49 PM

The oil pressure gauge is mechanical, and it threads into the bottom of the filter housing. 616 and 617 have this port in common.

Thanks, I'll add some more oil and keep trying.

grimgaunt · #4 09-26-2004, 09:10 PM

The oil pressure line will interchange if it is not a motor from a SD. The 81 and up SDs had the electric pressure sensor, whereas some of the earlier ones are mechanical bourdon tube type.

Also, a non turbo tranny will only last a year or so behind a turbo motor with hard driving.Ask me how I know !!!
good swap though.

leathermang · #5 09-26-2004, 09:37 PM

Perhaps you need to bleed the air out of your oil pressure guage line.... ?

Old300D · #6 09-26-2004, 09:40 PM

The engine came from a W123, an '82 300CD. I did get a transmission with it, but it had been sat down on a rock that punctured the pan and broke a chunk off the valve body. If the 722.117 doesn't hold up, I'll grab a valvebody and pan from a scrapyard car and repair the 300CD transmission.

Old300D · #7 09-28-2004, 10:36 AM

No luck yet. I filled the sump up to the top mark (8 quarts in) on the dipstick, and cranking it, I cannot get any oil pressure. Of course I have an old battery, so I have it constantly on a charger. I can only get about 90-120 seconds of cranking before the battery dies.

My n/a 300D was a bear to get started sometimes, and it would develop oil pressure long before it would start, that's what's worrying me. I'm about to just feed it fuel and start it just to see if I get oil pressure with the higher rpm before I shut it down.

Old300D · #8 09-29-2004, 10:42 AM

Had to jump it, as the battery just wasn't up to snuff. It fired rough and immediately had oil pressure, so I was worried for nothing. I had it filled with 10W-40, just regular gasser oil (cheap), and as soon as I put 100 miles or so on it, I will replace it with diesel grade oil, eventually transitioning to synthetic. I put 9 quarts total into the engine, and the level is not over the top mark on the dipstick -

Just going to take care of the leaks, and I should be able to drive it tomorrow! The fuel primer is leaking badly (original design), but I have a spare upgraded unit, the transmission is leaking where the dipstick fits to the pan, and the number 5 injector body is leaking. Maybe that injector will seal if I open it up, then reassemble...?

I'm psyched!

leathermang · #9 09-29-2004, 11:03 AM

You did not say if you have an external oil cooler... like along the edge of the radiator...
This would account for some amount of oil ....
With this it usually takes about 8 qts...
I am really worried that you have some item which has allowed you to OVERFILL your engine...
Which would be very bad...

For instance.... there are more than one dipstick amoung MB engines...
any chance you have used one from one car in the other...
9 qts of oil is just too much in my opinion... and even more if you do not have an external oil cooler...

better a little low on oil THAN ANY OVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Old300D · #10 09-29-2004, 01:14 PM

I agree, better a little low on oil than too much. My '78 300D drank so much oil I could barely keep up with it - about a quart a week, and that's only 250 miles. It would use a bit less if I kept the level maintained at the lower mark.

I am using the white dipstick that came with the engine. I thought about testing the red one from the "old300D" just to see if it was different. Keep in mind the engine has a new oil pan, so no dents to displace the oil, and it has an external cooler from the 240D, so it was bone dry to begin with. Like I wrote above, the oil level dropped to slightly below the top mark on the stick after running it for about 5 minutes.

GAG! Filled my garage with white smoke from 100% biodiesel!!! I need to warm this baby up and get it cleaned out. I'll be test driving it tonight, hopefully the transmission is ok for a while.

Old300D · #11 09-30-2004, 10:09 AM

Drove it into work today. Even with the 2.88:1 rear end, this car has tons of get-up-and-go. The KKK turbo spools instantly.

The transmission is in bad shape. After filling, the shifts flare badly. Hopefully I can nurse it along until I can repair the original tranny that came with the '82 300CD engine. And I've inherited the cooling problems of the '78 300D - it runs about 90C-95C, temperature rises either idling in traffic or after accelerating, both the radiator and the fan clutch came from the old car. So, new radiator and new fan clutch seem to be in order.

This engine's cooling system has no bleeding screw off the thermostat housing - is it self-bleeding? I had plenty of heat driving in, so it doesn't seem like there is an air bubble trapped somewhere...

As always, all suggestions welcome.

wagonpilot · #12 09-30-2004, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathermang

Perhaps you need to bleed the air out of your oil pressure guage line.... ?

Why? Did I miss the news that air is no longer compressable? Crap, better not let my helicopter hear this.

Old300D · #13 10-04-2004, 10:50 AM

Found a leaky hose in the switchover valves, and I think the valves are a bit leaky as well. Replaced the hose, and it's shifting a little better. As soon as I can get the rest of the leaks taken care of, this tranny may be OK for a while.

I moved the coolant sensor to the thermostat housing. Now the temperature is constant, so I know the thermostat is doing its job.

I'm starting to like this car a lot - very spirited acceleration, completely different from the old300D!

Old300D · #14 11-04-2004, 04:03 PM

All right!

I completely removed the switchover valves and disabled the EGR. I tested the vacuum signal to the transmission - idle was 10", and it gradually drops to 0" at full stroke of the accelerator (the term throttle is wrong of course

).

The transmission was still flaring out considerably on shifts, especially when warm. The fluid level is correct. I followed the transmission adjustment procedures from the stickies.

Thanks BoostnBenz for the excellent links!

Now the shifting is firm like it should be and functions well at all pedal positions.

The Warden · #15 11-04-2004, 04:48 PM

Congratulations!

Now, sorry to go off-topic brefly...what happened to the 240D engine?

Thanks!