Did you ask if they would be willing to offer a "group buy discount"?

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Steve
'87 300TD - 132K - Soon 4-Sale
'84 300D Turbo - 122K - Driving
'77 VW Type II - 77K - Restored
'08 250EX Ninja
English Bulldog (Brier) - My best friend. Passed away 12/02/04 while in my arms.

I've come to the conclusion that Holloway just does not want to work on any older cars so they quote prices so outrageous that only (wealthy) mentally ill people would use them. They quoted me 3X the going rate for a timing chain replacement on my 560SL. Forget about them for anything but parts, their partys department is the one exception to my criticism of them. They have always gone out of their way to help me and never balk at dusting off the old parts books when I need something for one of my "classics".

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

It certainly seemed that way - my curiosity may lead me back to them simply to see if they have any rebuilts. Heck, I can always use the laugh I'll probably get from that...

I contacted Metric Motors for a rebuilt OM616 for my W123 and they quoted $4600 for a rebuilt engine.

How could they justify $5000 for labor to install an engine at the dealer? Would it require six people at $100 an hour an entire day to install it? Maybe it includes the cost of flying the entire shop crew to Germany to train them on engine installation

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

$4600??

That seems pretty steep to me.

I have a pal who badly needs an engine for his 240D. I have been able to find oversize pistons for as little as $70/ea for the 616. I have to believe that a DIY rebuild (with machine shop assistance, of course) can be done for $1500-$2000. Less if you are a tightwad and reuse valves etc.

Junkyard engines are tempting, but lets face it, most of the cars that hit the yards these days are pretty well shot, especially the 240Ds. I suppose an engine swap in a 240D is about as painless as it can get, but the odds of getting a decent one out of a yard is low. Maybe the story isn't quite the same in the rustbelt, but for my money, I'll be rebuilding my 240D engine when the time comes.

Now, the OM617s with the oil cooled pistons ($170 ea x 5 ) may be a different story.....

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

http://www.adsitco.com/category.asp?CID=297

I know some people have not recommended these but they come with a 1 year warranty and is probably worth looking into anyway. They also say to call for a price on "good used engines". Since your block is not rebuildable you would have to pay $400 more for the rebuilt one but that's a typical charge if the core is not usable.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

The dealer who asks 17K for a "New" engine installed on a 240D is participating
in a rich FANTASY life (his).

I think NHDoc had it nailed - they want their money off the new stuff so they discourage the older model owners by producing these overly inflated repair costs.

Just and idea...

While the long block idea is great. I don't believe the metric motor engine will come with a rebuilt IP. The MB one does.

You could maybe buy an MB short block. Then it's only the head and IP to rebuild. Head should be doable. There are a couple Bosch rebuild places can do the IP.


Michael

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Michael McGuire
83 300d
01 vw A4 TDI
66 Chevy Corsa
68 GMC V6 w/oD
86 300E

I saw a post somewhere, but I can't remember where, that if you overfill the engine oil this can happen. Odd as hell I thought.The post had pics and everything, with a fist sized hole in the block of a 240D. The guy was plopping in another engine.So maybe this is what happened here

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1983 240D 4 speed running on B100 and SVO
www.b100wh.com/b100wh.html#reactor
My Biodiesel Reactor/Processor

http://www.msdra.com/

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

Anyone else notice that the auction prices of used MB diesels has been rising quite a bit recently? It would appear that there is an increase of interest in the work horses in the stable as gas prices continue to rise.

Time to renew my efforts to find a replacement for my crippled 240D...

I seem to have the opposite problem. I have a 1983 240D with a new motor, but the body is so rusted, I can't drive the car. I am only keeping the car for the engine. The previous owner ordered a BRAND NEW long block from the Mercedes Dealership and had it installed in the car. One year later he noticed a hole in the floor of the car and got very nervous and sold it to me. I hoped to repair it, but the floor rust is MUCH worse than I expected, and a few places I took it to told me it would be easier to find another "donor" body than fix this one.

I still have the original receipt for what the previous owner paid for the new engine. I believe the price for the engine (new) was about $4,800 and he paid another $1,600 to have it installed. I can't remember exactly. I will have to go home and take a look. The total mileage on this engine is about 13,000 original miles. It still looks new and shiny and runs like a swiss watch. It will fire up at just a tap of the key in temperatures well below freezing. It's ashame too. This car is a 4 speed with a sunroof and all options. Everything works too! I really wished I could have saved it.

I never really thought about selling it, but maybe I need to think about it. I live in Southern New Jersey.

I just picked up an 240D engine from a yard for $800. It's being delivered straight to the shop and will hopefully be installed today since the car has been sitting for 4 months! I am anxious because it's anybody's guess as to the engine's condition.

The people at the yards really don't seem like doing any work to sell their products however. Do any of you get the lazy response when you ask them to do a compression test on the engine and explain how difficult it is to do the test.... etc?

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

For $800 there should be some kind of warranty.... 30, 90 days or something ... you would lose your installation cost... but you should have some kind of recourse if it is really no good.. I assume you just did not mention the warranty... ?