Janet, I got a call from Tony (my mechanic) yesterday and he adjusted the valves and said that #1 and #2 were extremely tight and tried starting it but didn't catch. He planned to do another compression test today (so that he would feel satisfied with his own results) and said he'd call sometime around 5Pm so we'll see what happens.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

The diagnosis? How's the patient?
Janet

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Janet
1979 240 D China Red SOLD
1973 GMC Green Service Truck w/ lift

getting optimistic again. I cross my fingers! Will you please note the result in the forum as soon as it becomes available?

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"Schwarzbraun ist die Haselnuss":

1979 300D 234.000 Miles "Brownie"
daily driver,
1979 6.9 Sundays to the Tavern
and car shows "Big Brownie"

My mechanic's business is taking off since he just started his own shop in January of this year and so I can't stop him from paying bills.

I am interpreting what I heard from him based on a poor cell phone connection yesterday.

The valve adjustment was done with an attempted start but with no start.

The IP pump rack was stuck at the shutoff position so all this time the engine wasn't getting any fuel or not enough to start anyhow. Still no start.

He pulled one of the glow plugs and pumped in compressed air to see if the piston would move. Upon doing this, something peculiar happened. The piston did not move at all with the valves closed there was air going into the cylinder but air wasn't coming out. There was no air coming out of the dipstick or crankcase vent or our of the air intake or the exhaust pipe (with the help of an assistant). So as it stands, there is a mystery leak in the block somewhere. The head has not yet been removed but that's the next step.

Is there a way that the head gasket is completely munched? What would cause that suddenly? Overheating? Where can air leak in the block that makes it undetectable?

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

no idea, Curtis. I am banking on your fine mechanic's good talents to figure the deal. As it sounds, the head will need to come off to find the leak, my current mechanic arrived at at a similar finding: a leak somewhere, perhaps a cracked head. Could come from someone overheating or running without oil. We just don't know. Keep digging deeper and you will find the root of evil. Optimism makes the winner.

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"Schwarzbraun ist die Haselnuss":

1979 300D 234.000 Miles "Brownie"
daily driver,
1979 6.9 Sundays to the Tavern
and car shows "Big Brownie"

Curtis
Since this is once again a mystery car and would probably be interesting to the entire forum, perhaps you might want to start a the thread, starting with the mechanic's information and discoveries. This one is entitled Regarding selling, and probably won't garner as much interest. I'd love to see a lot of posting. I'm terribly curious and I'm sure others would be as well.

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Janet
1979 240 D China Red SOLD
1973 GMC Green Service Truck w/ lift

Case closed 5/17/05! - refer to the thread below for the final story.

The Scoop - Janet's 1979 240D

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

"The IP pump rack was stuck at the shutoff position so all this time the engine wasn't getting any fuel or not enough to start anyhow. Still no start."

Someone should have shot some starter fluid at the intake.. that would have pointed out a no fuel delivery problem....

"He pulled one of the glow plugs and pumped in compressed air to see if the piston would move. Upon doing this, something peculiar happened. The piston did not move at all with the valves closed there was air going into the cylinder but air wasn't coming out. There was no air coming out of the dipstick or crankcase vent or our of the air intake or the exhaust pipe (with the help of an assistant). So as it stands, there is a mystery leak in the block somewhere. The head has not yet been removed but that's the next step."

I did not understand this the first time you wrote it either... what was he trying to accomplish ? If he put 100 psi into that cylinder and the piston was NOT ON BTDC... it would have moved.... unless the glowplug hole was completely obstructed...
It is very dangerous putting air into a bore... it would be 1200 lbs of force applied to the piston.... and so you have to be sure your hands are not near any belts or fan blades... ETC... I always mention this when people talk about doing a leak down test... must use caution because only if piston is at the bottom is it not going to move...

Leathermang this was described to me over the phone and so I am reiterating it to you as best as I can tell the story.

With respect to the starter fluid, this was attempted at least once when I first saw the car but there wasn't a sign of starting.

As for the compressed air test I don't have the particular arrangement in which it was set up since I have never done this myself however it's pretty obvious that the piston can only move down. I presume the engine was carefully hand cranked to TDC whereby the compressed air was carefully applied. Even then, so much compressed air was leaking out so that there was absolutely no piston movement. Tony is a very meticulous guy and has years of experience so I trust he performed this with the utmost caution.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

"carefully hand cranked to TDC whereby the compressed air was carefully applied."

One thing which can happen doing this is turning the engine backwards... needs to be PAST TDC to keep that from happening.

Good point....it HAS to be aligned for the next revolution. My mistake from inexperience

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k