Well, I finally got my "Junkyard Dog" running today. In case I never posted here before, it's a '79 300SD in almost rust free condition that I "rescued" from the local salvage yard. Anyway, to keep it short, it's been sitting for 12 years. After flushing out all the old stuff from the fuel system, new battery, new filters and fuel and a great deal of priming the pump, bleeding injectors, etc, it finally came to life. I even drove it down the street and back.

Now for what I consider the main problems. It's really loud. I mean it "clatters" worse than any diesel I can remember hearing. You can't carry on a conversation with anyone while standing anywhere near it. Once it's moving and engine is under even a slight load, it quiets down and actually sounds pretty good but as soon as I let off the throttle, it starts the loud clattering again. It has great oil pressure (over 30psi just cranking it) and I checked valve adjustment although I can't imagine even really loose valves making that much noise. It makes very little smoke (for a diesel) and no blue smoke. Supposedly the injector pump was was bad and may have been replaced before the car was "parked" but nobody knows for sure. There was a spare IP laying in the trunk but the trunk had a lot of condensation in it and the pump was a pile of rust. I know the owner (good friend) of the yard I got the car from and he told me everything he knew about it but he didn't know if the pump on the car was the good one or the bad one. I'm guessing since it now runs that the pump on the motor is a good one? Another problem is the engine is totally gutless. Very little power. My VW bus could outrun it. I think the turbo is siezed or close to it. I took off the air cleaner assembly and can turn the impeller shaft by hand but it's pretty tight. I'm not so much worried about the turbo as much as the noise. I can replace the turbo. The noise sounds like the car is self destructing!

This is the first diesel (anything) I have ever owned or worked on and I feel preety proud of myself that I even got it running but beyond that, I'm mostly lost. I've learned some things from reading the posts here but I still have a long ways to go. Any help you guys can give me will be gretly appreciated!

I am assuming that you replacedes the oil also? The post is not very specific.

You need to adjust those valves, no matter what they are at now, you cant hurt it by doing the valves the right way. If you need info on valve adjustment, whunter has a great thread on the topic. Search for it.

Did you take out the injectors and squirt each cylinder with oil before cranking it over? I am hoping that you havent damaged your rings...

Compression test? How hard is it to start?

Definatly do the valves ASAP.

As for power, the turbo shaft should turn over a few times after you spin it by hand quickly. If it doesnt, or stops while turning, you will probably be needed a new turbo. Is the connection of the pressure line between the intake and Alda obscured? If so, the car will act as if it has no turbo.

When does it smoke? At idle? under heavy load? When my car finally got running (with a bad Injection Pump) it smoked like a freight train (quite literally!) and had very very little power, So I would think that your IP is ok.

Have you done a diesel purge yet?

I would check the pump timing as could produce quite a noisy engine if way out of time. Pretty easy once you follow instructions either on this site or from a service manual. Sady has adjusted pump timimg more than once I believe. Just a thought if perhaps the last guy got the pump too far advanced or changed it with the same results. Would answer why the engine quiets a lot when you pick up some rpms. Also not the best ideal to run the engine for extended periods if pump is a long way advanced. Possibly the bearings in the turbo have rusted with twelve years of sitting around but they can be replaced at home i understand. Again threads in archives a guide to how and economical bearing and seal suppliers. The best with your new car.

I would check the pump timing as could produce quite a noisy engine if way out of time. Pretty easy once you follow instructions either on this site or from a service manual. Sady has adjusted pump timimg more than once I believe. Just a thought if perhaps the last guy got the pump too far advanced or changed it with the same results. Would answer why the engine quiets a lot when you pick up some rpms. Also not the best ideal to run the engine for extended periods if pump is a long way advanced. Possibly the bearings in the turbo have rusted with twelve years of sitting around but they can be replaced at home i understand. Again threads in archives a guide to how and locating economical bearing and seal suppliers. The best with your new car. Just an abstract thought someone more knowledgeable might care to comment on. I assume these pumps have a mechanical advance system. If it is stuck in a pump what are the symptoms? I would think simular to his but probably wrong but that may be why the pump needed changed in the first place although unusual I would think. I just do not know enough about these cars.

as if the timeing might be off.

the turbo i would think is not rusty, but the oil is prob just gooey and running it will loosten it up.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

My 300D sat for a long time when I bought it. I found many issues with it. But the more the car got drove the better she ran.

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If it isn't old. It isn't worth beans!

85 300d 365,000mi war wagon
84 300sd parts doner, many parts for sale
90 Nissan Pathfinder 250,000+mi work horse

After you run it long enough to get the tranny fluid warmed up I would change it along with the filter and then proceed to change all the fluids. Don't forget the brake fluid.

My 240 sat for a year before I rescued it. It was loud at first [ not as loud as you describe] but quieted down after running it. The "power" picked up the more I ran it. Power is in quotations because 240's will do 0-60mph in 10.3 days at best.

Cheers,

Bill

Hey, thanks for all the responses! Oh, and thanks to Sady. Your 55 page thread was inspirational! I wish I was that dedicated when I was 15. Now I'm 47 and getting to lazy in my "old age".

I have to admit I did check the oil (looked clean enough) but didn't squirt any down the cylinders before I cranked it or anything. I thought about it afterwards but it was a little late to do anything then. My bad. I got so into the idea of hearing it run yesterday that I admittedly rushed a few things. Well, it seems to have good compression, or sounds like it does anyway (I don't have a gauge to check it with) and I checked the breather vent and it didn't seem to have any strong blowby from what I can tell. Now that it's running, it starts right up, even after sitting for a few hours. I adjusted the valves before I ran it (I had to "narrow" one of my 14mm wrenches on a grinder for those locknuts). They were way too tight. I might have them a little loose now. Force of habit from adjusting valves on air-cooled VW's. A friend of mine agreed the rattle might be injector timing but he admits he doesn't know much more about diesels than I do. I'm going to go through and change all the fluids and then try and check/adjust the timing. One thing I did notice is the glow plug light doesn't come on (bad bulb?). I'm guessing they are working because I can see the drain on the battery charger (it pegs the needle when I turn the key on) and the fuse in the relay box gets pretty warm. I just turn the key on, count to 10 and crank it. Sound about right? I didn't check the resistance on each plug. My digital meter seems to have gone AWOL again.

I'm trying to think of anything I might have left out here. Also, my "internet writing" is horrible so please bear with me if I say anything that sounds stupid or just plain doesn't make any sense. Thanks again guys!

It doesn't seem to smoke much at all for a diesel. What is a "diesel purge"? I drained the tank (it was almost empty anyway) and flushed out the entire fuel system as well as I could.

basically a purge is running the car on a sperate, temporary fuel tank which is nothing more than a jar. Use the search on purge and you'll find pix of the procedure.

Something else i thought of that might be the cause of your lack of power. Try changing the fuel filters. There are two. One is clear and on the drivers side of the motor right near the IP and the other is a spin on type also located on the drivers side of motor up towards and next to the power steering pump.

Cheers,

Bill

I changed both fuel filters after I drained and flushed everything. I felt I had to because the stuff that was coming out of the lines looked "black" and smelled like nothing I can describe. The whole downstairs of the house still smells like it ( I spilled a bunch on the garage floor). The wife isn't too happy with me right now! For what it's worth, she wasn't happy when I brought the thing home in the first place. Oh well.

Is there any good links on adjusting injector pump timing? The only links I have been able to find here (Richard Easley something) were all dead links.

The black stuff that came out is algae. do a search in here for "biocide" and for "algae" to get more information. You will need to continue to treat the tank for a while to clean it out. There is a strainer in the tank as well. you might search for "tank screen" or "tank strainer" in this forum. Check the DIY's at the top of this forum too.

All that additional clatter makes me think you are describing what many around here call "nailing" do the valve adjustment. Diesel Purge is an injector cleaner product made by Lurbra Molly. (spelling?)After doing the valves run a bottle of diesel purge "correctly" thru the system then do an "italian tune up" (search on that too). You might even do an additional bottle after the Italian Tune up?

Sounds like you got the time to take on a project. I envy you.

Good Luck

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"If anyone knows other lessons I need to learn, please tell me. I'm tired of learning them the hard way".
by JerryBro

The Glow Plug Wait: This waiting period is a moment of silence to pay honor to Rudolph Diesel. The longer you own your diesel the more honor you will give him". by SD Blue

My normal daily life; either SNAFUed- Situation Normal... All Fouled Up, or FUBARed- Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD daily driver- both powered by blended UCO fuels

Thanks! Well, I don't really have the time. My job is "Mr. Mom". Wife works and I stay home and take care of my 5 year old. Long story how that happened. Anyway, I spent all day yesterday getting the beast running and the wife came home to a sink full of dirty dishes and the house was a wreck. Didn't go over too well but she didn't say anything. I could tell what she was thinking though. As much as I want to tinker with the Benz today, I have to get the house in order first or I may end up living in the Benz!

There is a good way of checking IP pump timing in the DIY Sticky thread at the top of this forum.

Make sure you remember that back bolt on the bracket (which is very hard to get to with the Oil filter housing in place)

Best of luck to you!