Hi,

Some of you may know the story on this car, bought on ebay and had the engine blow driving it home....bent rod... I am finally geting the engine put in and hope to drive it by next week.

I am looking for advise on what needs to be done or not... I do want to get things done that are easy while the engine is out... But this is a long list...

This is what my mechanic suggested we do:
Change these gasgets
Oil Filter Housing
Oil Pan
Turbo and Drain Seals
Valve cover

Replace these parts (some will be swapped from the old engine)
Oil cooler lines (swap)
Voltage Regulator - check
Water Pump -new
Vacuum pump - rebuild
Rear main seal - new
Chain tensioner (?)
Timing Chain (?)
Front crank seal - new
Oil pump - new
Torque converter pressure plate (?)
Check bearings and glow plugs
Test injectors
Thermostat - new
All radiator hoses - new
Engine mounts - new
Temp gauge - new
A/c hoses (swap)
Fuel supply pump - rebuild
Breather tube - new

What do you all think about all this work?
How much time will I be saving?
Anything else you suggest?
Something I could save on?

I'll be posting some photos as well.

Thanks!

Get you manual out on the rear seal, I don't know the 116 engine at all, but replacing that in a 126 was a real bear, even after the engine was on the stand. You are likely to end up pulling the crank. In that event you might consider a new oil pump, or just the oil pump chain. I think the pump itself is costly though. I replaced mine at about $300. Just another might as well....

Replace these parts (some will be swapped from the old engine)
Oil cooler lines - yes(swap)
Voltage Regulator - check
Water Pump - yes
Vacuum pump - if the engine has 250k miles on it replace it
Rear main seal - yes - crank has to come out to do upper half
Chain tensioner (?)
Timing Chain (?)
Front crank seal - yes
Oil pump - yes
Torque converter pressure plate - only if damaged
Check bearings - replace bearings - parts are not too pricy and you may as well as long as you have the crank out
glow plugs - only as needed
Test injectors
Thermostat - new
All radiator hoses - new
Engine mounts - new
Temp gauge - no
A/c hoses (swap) - have em pressure tested while out of the car
Fuel supply pump - rebuild
Breather tube - only if needed

Put the injection pump gasket on there too. I would most definitely replace the chain guides. It makes it way too easy with the engine on a stand and the crank/front seal out. You will want to replace the oil pump chain tensioner and spring too. I can forsee the future - the oil pump chain tensioner will be worn. If you need to try to save money you could always drop the stuff that you can do with the engine in the car - vacuum pump, timing chain and tensioner. I would make sure all the timing chain slide rails get replaced while the engine was torn down.

__________________
Jim

it looks like a lot of that stuff is not really necesaary. water pump for instance. i wouldnt change it unless i knew how many miles it has on it. not that hard to change with the engine in. also rear main seal. why change that if it is not leaking? they last about forever. rarely fail. major job to change. etc etc. i am not much for changing things that aren't broken.

tom w

__________________
[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.

Well I would agree with him doing the rear main seal for this reason...the engine is out....he has the time...and its over 20 years old...if its not leaking yet if could start at any time....and yanking an engine just to fix that is a major effort.

I intend to do that with my spare engine this winter....and then some..prep it for dropping in either car.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

work and expense... I cannot afford too much.

I will find out how much the main seal will cost, if it means pulling the crank then it may be time consuming.

The temp sensor (mistakenly said it was the gauge) is bad on the old engine... thats why I ended up with a bent rod, I could not tell the engine was overheating....

Engatwork thanks for the check list review. I appreciate all input. Will be adding more as we get going on this (photos)

Cheers!

Rear main seal requires pulling the crank....the front one does not.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

There are a lot of things you can REPAIR or service rather than replace..

THe vac pump is most likely fine. If you are concerned about it open it up and put a new set of gaskets/seals in it.

It seems pointless to replace so many things that might not even be wrong.

I would do the rear main if possible...only becuase its life is a limited number and being as it overheated, it might need replacement anywho..

Don't replace your oil pump unless it is bad...a waste of money...

If you want to throw cash at it go ahead and replace everything in existance that MIGHT be used rather than new but IMO it is not worth the time/effort/cash.

If the engien ran rough...pull the injectors and have them balanced (pretty cheap) but if it ran fine...don't bother.

If you are looking for a perfect new engine then yeah go ahead and fork out the cash for all this stuff that is being suggested but if you want a runner that will get the job done...replace what is failing right now (or is cheap enough to replace on principle)

I think we will rebuild the vac pump as it is key to so many things on these cars... We are not going to do the rear main seal at this point, unless it is needed.

The engine ran strong and only has 160k, not sure how long it sat out of the original car so we are going to use a little marvel oil on the pistons/rings to get them conditioned.

Thanks!

Yeah if the rear main is too difficult you sorta have to play that one by ear...

Just do up the maintence items and go from there

Keep us updated!

I recommend using the factory (OE) oil filter stand gasket, aftermarket gaskets are no good here.
You should look closely at the oil cooler lines to be sure they are crimped good, again there is a big difference between aftermarket and OE. These lines are a bear to change with the engine in, so may as well do them now. However, I have seen the fittings on the cooler get damaged when removing the hoses at the cooler end you might wind up having to buy a cooler if you're not real careful.

__________________
'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Do you know if I have to have the AC evacuated when we change out the motor? My ac works and it would be $78 a pound for new r12 + $80 labor (3lbs?)


Can the a/c compresor just be unbolted and the motor put in place then rebolted without r&r the r12?

Is there room to do this in the 79 300SD?

I need to do this today if it has to be done... (just the evac)

On the 1979 300SD W116 you can.....the W123 300D you can not. Take a look at how the A/C lines run and it becomes evident why.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

did the deed on my 123. removing the engine wo taking the lines off the compressor. at least he said he did.

come to think of it they may have had to add freon in the end. so maybe they TRIED to do it wo taking the lines off....thought they could, etc etc.

tom w

__________________
[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.

I did an engine swap between 2 W123 300Ds and just unbolted the compressors, wired them out of the way and bolted them onto the replacement engines. Bit of a bear finding out which of the 3 spacers to install on each of the 3 bolts o nthe A/C compressors though.
On both cars, the A/C fired up as cold as ice.
One had R134a and the other HR12 refrigerant.

I am embarking on another exercise - transplanting an OM617 into a 280E, in place of a M110 with low compression (rings) on #4.

__________________
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.