I spent an hour cleaning it today. I washed the metal parts off with a wet rag, then a scrubbed hard with a rag damp with WD40. I guess t worked well. What do you think, and how do you clean your engine?

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Rod - Ali
1986 300SDL (w126) - 111k
1991 420SEL (w126) - 123k
1981 300SD (w126) - 205k (passed away 2/20/06)
1985 300SD (w126 - 185k
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4481/sig1hd.jpg

here is my fullres pic

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Rod - Ali
1986 300SDL (w126) - 111k
1991 420SEL (w126) - 123k
1981 300SD (w126) - 205k (passed away 2/20/06)
1985 300SD (w126 - 185k
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4481/sig1hd.jpg

Is there a reason that a pressure washer can not be used? I will have to clean mine when I get the oil leaks fixed.

Thanks
Doug

You have done the best you can with all the linkages intact.

When you need to set the valves (now???), all the linkages need to come off the valve cover. Then you can polish the linkages and polish the valve cover off the engine. It will look quite a bit better. You can also take off the cruise actuator and clean that as a separate unit.

It's all time consuming. I'm doing a bit at a time while the head is off.

What's that green coolant doing in the engine???

Paint it!

5 min in a car wash does the trick.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I've had very good results with Simple Green. I spray on a 10% dilute solution (I buy the gallon jugs of concentrate), let it sit for a few minutes, scrub with an old toothbrush, and rinse with plain water. It gets everything clean without dissolving your hands, driveway, or car, and it even smells good.

did you paint the injection pump and everything black!?
was it all in one piece when you painted it, or am i looking at this picture wrong?

is it powder coated? do the nuts come loose easily for service?
wow.

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PagodaLOVER
1967 230SL, manual
1959 180D, manual

Needs a metal oil filler cap, when I installed mine... made it look so much nicer!

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

i drive the car and get it hot... and i take a can of
gunk (citrics smell) and go to the car wash... I spray the
gunk on then i wash it off with the high preasure car
wash

I spray the whole engine compartment with engine cleaner and hit it with a hose.
I kinda like the Simple Green idea.

I always clean the valve cover by hand when I take it off. Is there a way to get it to stay shiny?

DAnny

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1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

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(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination

A couple of the posts in this thread are dangerously deficient. You need to search the archives.... and find my posts about engine cleaning....

Some potential $$$'s in problems were flashing through my mind also . . .

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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.

Don't hose down hot engines, and don't use a pressure washer on the engine.

erfaniman, your prefilter is looking pretty dirty, but looks can be decieving.

There are heretics and unbelievers in our midst.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13