Diametrical,

I was afraid U would say it was already sent to a crusher. I like to see someone save a good MB.

P E H

Please keep us posted on your progress. As one who was also prepared to do what you're doing now, I'd love to know how it's being restored to an L.A. 240 Manual.

P.E.Haiges - I felt that it should be saved and therefore to took the steps to make it happen and I feel better that it has. I just REALLY wanted to know what happened to the car because i felt that the car wasn't being diagnosed in the right order.

jsp - I will definitely keep everyone posted. If I can, I'll run over to Santa Monica and see what the progress is perhaps this week and take some pictures to document the continuing saga. I was a huge rush just to get the car out of impound yesterday so much paperwork and ridiculous fees and penalties it racked up in just a week!

"ridiculous fees and penalties it racked up in just a week!"
Check to see if there are laws in your state regulating those fees... and check to see that they got the notice of impound out in correct time....some delay so as to increase their profit...

On the " correct order" in diagnosing..... I will bite....
What is the correct order ?

FYI here in San Diego some impound yards are owned by ex-Judges therefore the high fees (I think) don't ask me how I find out..

...and now that you have a "fish on" :) My point was that a lot of good advice was recieved by all however I believe that it wasn't narrowing the problem. The last straw and the first...the compression test yielded:

#1 - 240psi
#2 - 240psi
#3 - 200psi
#4 - 200psi

that's half the compression (400psi is where it should be correct?) and the valves were not adjusted before the test was done so therefore it seems as if the valve situation was not eliminated as the culprit before moving to the next step....whatever that may be.

The other question which I have is the timing chain. Could the timing chain tensioner have a slacking event or something like it which would cause the chain to jump a sprocket to throw the timing off enough to cause improper valve closing on the cylinders which would therefore affect the compression? Can this sort of thing happen? :confused:

I found out the the tow yards are contracted by the city and aren't city run which likely means they can charge whatever they want as long as their "fair and reasonable" contracts are approved by the city/county. NICE :rolleyes:

yes
 

Diametricalbenz, thanks for keeping tabs for us and DO post pics of this car. Sounds nice.

Glad you got it before the yard crushed it.

Hey, work the car fees into next year's income tax itemizations.......be creative. I am sure you talked business with the attendant... jeje. :D

Cool :hat:

If you don't mind my asking, how much did you wind up paying?

I'm just wondering if the fees were above the limit I had set for myself...

Thanks!

I just bought my 1982 240D for 200 bucks (stickshift). It runs, drives, suspension is good and it needs only a drivers side rear window (vandals threw a bottel through it).

:)

diametricalbenz, I've seen them start and run with compression numbers as low as these. Didn't start willingly, and took a lot of heat (examples: one engine with a tow start, another large stationary engine with several magnetic stick-on electric heaters on the block and oil pan and ether). Those compression numbers are at the bottom end of the acceptable scale. But this engine alledgely went from running to not running very suddenly.

Tow start will tell the tale of a chain jump. It will or won't start.
Valve adjustment may help compression, providing there's no coking.
You probably know these engines eat head gaskets if overheated. I'd be tempted to pull the head, have a good look-see at the top end, clean things up and put in a new head gasket, squirting down the pistons with oil before putting it back together. Then redo compression test. If better then install a new starter - search for the JimSmith recommendation for the big starter - I think the current starter has been used and abused. Then fix the glow plug issue, time the injection pump and enjoy the car.

Dabenz,

If the timing chain jumps one tooth, the valves will hit the pistons and the engine won't turn unless the cam towers are broken. For this reason an engine should always turned by hand to determine if it will turn freely if it suspected that the chain has jumped or if the timing chain has been replaced. Cranking with the starter will also break the cam towers if chain has jumped.

Therefore if a push start is used to find out if the timing chain has jumped and it is, damage to the engine will occur.

P E H

I wasn't aware of the catastrophic one tooth jump to severely damage the engine, but it doesn't surprise me. I wasn't present at one of the numerous valve cover removals but I am quite sure the cam tower is not broken and so that is a good sign. I am still awaiting a second opinion on the chain stretch so we'll have to anxiously wait and see.

As far as I know, the engine was not overheated prior to it's non-op event. I'd be floored if all this was attributed (or even partially) to a faulty head gasket? :)

P.E.H., good call. Fingers faster than the brain. I shouldn't even be on a computer this time of year.

diametricalbenz, agreed that the head gasket is probably not the problem at this point. But now you know the potential if you overheat these 4-bangers. One of my old truck mechanics changed out quite a few in the 70's and early 80's. Easy part-time money for him.

My ex car
 

Hi
First, I would never have let it get crushed. It was always up for grabs, and fortunatly it escaped execution.

The towers weren't broken. I was there at all of the valve cover removals.

I've always believed this car would run, and still do. Best story would be that his mechanic finds something minor and he's gotten a good deal. It's a lovely little car. I already miss it, even thought I drove it under 300 miles.

Guess I'll have to change my avatar. ;)