for all 603 3.5 diesel owners

[larry perkins]

i just picked up #72 knowing the oil pan was in the trunk,well the 10 cent washer from a bolt holding the oil baffel to the block worked its way thru the oil pump screen locking up the gear driven oil pump.car has 210k and was running great, now has a damaged crank and will require turning.
just a word of caution as i have stated before, these engines are a ticking time bomb,pulling the pan and securing these bolts seems like a good idea to me.
this is two in a row i have seen do this and the first one had 280k.
larry perkins
72 old cars

[Johnhef]

Good god I hope thats a running total and not currently 72 cars in your driveway

[t walgamuth]

do the 3.0 versions of the 603 do that too?

[braverichard]

As far as I know the 3.0L ones are excellent engines and don't have that problem. I'm definitely shocked to see this problem appearing after 280K miles. I thought it was guaranteed that once they get to such high mileage then they wouldn't develop that problem. I guess nothing's for sure with that engine. I'll bear that in mind as I start rebuilding the one in my recently acquired 1995 S350.