Is the K1 spring kit from Mercedes designed to correct the 2-3 flare or just the same part to replace a worn out spring assy.

Is there any place on the front of the 300 D engine , beside the front seal than can be leaking oil. Can the back of the balance wheel sling oil from a leaking seal all over the front of the engine.

K1 is the 1-2 shift (I am sure - someone correct me if I am wrong). Be sure to check the torque converter drain plug - it may be leaking.



Sorry, astroman. I stand corrected. I just looked at my maintenance records and I installed the same K1 kit for a 2-3 flare and it took care of it.

The K1 accumulator spring upgrade kit is indeed designed to help with the 2-3 flare. It seems that when the other shifts are properly adjusted (and I use that term loosely, as it is subjective) there showed up in some, especially higher mileage transmissions, a 2-3 flare. Get the kit, do the upgrade, you'll be pleased. If you need help finding the part numbers, let me know.

Yes.
Other sources of oil leak:
Vacuum pump gasket.
SLS Pump gasket and/or connections/seals
Turbo drain,
Sump gasket,
Valve cover gasket
Crankcase vent line / oil separator.

Wash the engine down and start the engine. Observe where the oil is coming from.
Then fix the leak.

Easy eh?
Not so, I have a leak at the rear of my wife's '83 300D valve cover gasket. I thought, "now I have an excuse to set valve clearances". I set the valves, installed a new gasket and refitted the cover. After tightening it all down, and test driving, the leak is as bad as before.


What else could be wrong?
I cleaned the head mating surface for the gasket - no marks there.
I checked the valve cover for possible leaky spots where the gasket sits - nothing obvious,
I looked at the gasket, still looks like new (except for the added oil)

Any suggestions?

__________________
Tony from West Oz.
Fatmobile 3 84 300D 295kkm Silver grey/Blue int. 2 tank WVO - Recipient of TurboDesel engine.
Josephine '82 300D 390kkm White/Palamino int.
Elizabeth '81 280E, sporting a '79 300D engine.
Lucille '87 W124 300D non-turbo 6 cylinder OM603, Pearl Grey with light grey interior


Various parts cars including 280E, 230C & 300D in various states of disassembly.

Since the valve cover is basically sheet metal, if the mating surface is not flat, and the screws are required to force it down onto the head, the low torque produced by the screws, and the nature of the beast, will leave gaps between the screws.

Take a look where the leak is. Then pull the valve cover and attempt to determine if the cover is slightly raised at this area. You might be able to force it back into shape but it's not easy.l

Tony, check the flatness of that valve cover. If someone once overtightened it they could have warped it. Putting it on the head without a gasket and following around the perimeter is one way to do a quick check.

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

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

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

I resolved a valve cover leak on a 617 engine by sawing off about 3/8 inch from the bottom of the sleeves in the cover where the mounting studs pass through. That permitted the edge of the cover to seat more firmly against the cylinder head.

Russ M