Hi All,

This SLS system mystery has me baffled. I am gaining oil in the SLS system while losing oil from my crankcase. The oil gained in the SLS is the exact amount that I am losing from the crankcase. How is this possible? I thought there was no connection between these systems.

No, I am not losing excess oil by burning it or dropping it on the highway. The oil
in the SLS system highly resembles engine oil, and not hydraulic fluid.

Any ideas? Its a 82 300TD Wagon.

Brian

Speaking of mysteries, what year is it?

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Has to be coming through the pump on the head somehow. (providing it is of the correct year for said pump) I had no luck getting gaskets for the pump on my last wagon.

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Sorry, its a 82 300TD

Brian

So, the gasket would be a something other than rubber? Perhaps I can make one with one of those DIY gasket kits?

I should probably start tearing into it to see what I can find.

Brian

It's got to be coming through the pump somehow. There's no mistaking black crankcase oil for the correct SLS mineral oil. Old mineral oil may darken but nothing like oil that's been in the crankcase for more than a few miles. Once you find your problem be sure to throughly flush the SLS system through the bleeder in the rear leveling valve. I've never heard of one of the SLS pumps going bad unless it was run dry so you must be an (unlucky) outlyer. The good news is that if you need one, a used pump is probably a fair alternative.

__________________
LRG
1987 300D Turbo 175K
2006 Toyota Prius, efficent but no soul
1985 300 TDT(130K miles of trouble free motoring)now sold

Yes, this seems really strange. I still cant see how the engine oil would be pushing into the SLS pump, especially at the top end where it is located. I suspect that high crankcase pressure from blowby is partially to blame.

Is there a way to tell if the pump is destroyed? Excess play in the pump shaft maybe? I disconnected the filter to see if I could oil to squirt out of that pipe (while the car was running). I saw very little coming from that pipe, and it was more of a steady drip-drip-drip. A very slight increase in oil flow was observed with increased throttle.

Brian