I don't know if anyone remembers but I ordered a nice shiny rebuilt engine for my 91 350SDL. When I ordered it, I told my mechanic about it so he could be ready... It arrived about 10 days after ordering it like I told him it would. No one called me until I checked a week later to see if the engine came in. They told me they would get around to it sometime but were busy with other customers cars. I had asked to be put on the schedule for a certain time. Its been four weeks now and they still can't give me a date of when they are going to do the work... So here is my question... I have another mechanic who helps me with some of the other stuff on my other cars.. I am not too dense with mechanical stuff either but don't have all of the kewl tools that he has. (I will just say this.. The Snap on Tool man really loves him). He is talking with me about replacing the engine for me. The new one has a rebuilt Injector pump that has been timed etc.. It also has new injectors, glowplugs etc.. I bought a new water pump for it as well.. Do you think I should wait for my MB Mechanic who is jerking me around because he didn't get to mark up the engine and is going to charge me 2 grand to install or should I go ahead and tackle it myself with my other mechanic. The place where I got the engine from said it wouldn't be hard for anyone who is familiar with swapping engines to do and my buddy does it all the time for all kinds of cars... Just want some advice since I was hoping this baby would be back on the road and running by now... Thanks for everything...

I would sure go with the guy you like... and never visit that MB guy again... I had a Motorcycle shop lie to me about being able to get a MX once....said they had checked all the shops in Texas and no one had one... I called Dallas and they had one... I flew to Dallas and drove it back...and went to San Antonio to do the warranty checkups..... They thought I would wait forever I guess... they were angry I bought one elsewhere... but it served them right...

Hey, if they don't want to make 2k for 2 days work, (all it should really take in a professional shop), #$% them... Go to the guy you like, learn a few things, and take 3 days to do it..

If you haven't already done it, run some searches to see what else to change while the engine is out. You will have easy access to some knuckle-busting areas. It is nice to detail clean the engine compartment.

Examples: engine mounts, bearings/bushings and brushes in your starter and alternator. A new radiator is cheap insurance for a new engine. Others will know more specifically about your particular car.

Do it yourself. For way less than 1 grand you can replace several things like motor mounts that might need it, and you will learn about the engine itself on at least some level. This familiarity will be valuable in thwe future as the engine compartment isn't some vast, dark unknown. I am so much more confident in my abilities of self reliance now that I've taken done several swaps. I know where everything is in relationship to everything else, and the only one who's going to take me for a ride is the car itself.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

You will have a LOT MORE FUN....
If you over a week.... you spend 15 minutes per day.... getting the engine compartment CLEAN ENOUGH TO EAT OFF OF....
This really makes everything much nicer to deal with....

I wondered if I should buy a new radiator.. Had planned on taking it to the Radiator shop for a good cleaning while it was out of the car.. But if a new one is the way to go, then I will just have to order one of those as well... I would rather do it now instead of later... And if there is any junk in the old radiator, then why risk it...

I wouldn't change the radiator just because I could. Bring it to a radiator shop and have it checked properly. If it leaks, is blocked or has salt rot, then you might want to replace it. But with the dollar so low against the Euro, a nice new Behr radiator will cost you.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.