Marvel mystery oil too strong to soak injectors? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Frankie · #16 03-08-2007, 09:23 PM

Hey TM
Easy now! I like my driving! I rarely drive faster than 70 mph except for that infamous road trip to LA last week. I think the problem started BEFORE the road trip eventhough I was only running 20 % of the tank on WVO the rest was B50%. I am not ready for a nursing home so I'm not going to going to drive like a old lady!
My mechanic is going to pull the head of the engine off to investigate what else happened. He already gave me a best and worst case scenario. I'm a taking this in stride. . . sort of. It is a very expensive lesson but it does help me decide that I really need the professional conversion kit with the BEST heating and filtering system. In the meantime, I can run b50%
I am new to diesel Mercedes so I enjoy learning from everyone else. I do not plan to be a master mechanic, I like my day job.
F.

benzforlife · #17 03-08-2007, 10:08 PM

as long as ur running boidiesel, even b100 there is no need to convert anything

aklim · #18 03-08-2007, 10:12 PM

How about simply taking the injectors someplace for proper testing? Say you soak it for all eternity, how will you know it has worked? How do you know how long to soak it for? All it is at this point will be a SWAG.

I took mine after 100K to a diesel shop. They checked the pressure and pattern. 1 failed. Low pressure and bad pattern. They took it apart, cleaned it and it worked well. $70 for the test of 6 injectors, cleaning 1 and retesting that one. No guesswork. You can soak it in B100 or MMO or DP. You will never know. Hooking up the injector to a tester is the definitive way to do it.

greasybenz · #19 03-08-2007, 10:21 PM

MMO wont do the job. Acetone will, imo youd be better off soaking them in acetone as thats one of the stongest solvents available on the shelf. It will burn through plastic!

just be sure to be careful handling these chemicals.

Anyway, on the greasecar forum some guys have had success removing carbon from injectors with acetone and a wire brush. But they said it was a ***** and a half to remove the carbon even after having the injectors soaking for a week in acetone.

barry123400 · #20 03-08-2007, 10:27 PM

There are some real good useful thoughts coming out on this thread. Keep it up.

barry123400 · #21 03-08-2007, 10:33 PM

Your mechanic wants to pull the head? What exactley was/is your difficulty? We would not even make fun of you for burning turnip juice ...

Frankie · #22 03-09-2007, 02:49 AM

Hey Aklim that sounds like a good idea for the injectors but what to do about the compression test results? #5 was too low, 200 and that is why my mechanic wants to pull the head. He thinks that the valve is damaged and less likely that the piston is burnt. I have a little time to make my decision, he plans to start work on it Saturday.
I might look up diesel shop in my area. Wonder what THEY use to clean the injector?
Ruben, you get your Plandrive in yet?
Frankie

greasybenz · #23 03-09-2007, 02:53 AM

Still havent gotten my plantdrive kit together. I keep blowing off my money on other things

I still need my rear suspension fixed on the car though, that would be the priority right now. Especially since the rear suspension broke loose on a tight turn and sent me sideways!

Frankie · #24 03-09-2007, 02:54 AM

My mechanic knew that I was using WVO and biodiesel. He was not happy about it but it turns out, more money for him.

Barry- a hammering noise and lots of smoke from exhaust with a rough idle suddenly appeared during a road trip to LA one week ago. My mechanic told me to pour in ATF fluid into the fuel tank and that it sounded like a dirty injector. If it did not get worse, I could make it home to SF if I drove slow, under 70 mph. That is what I did, it did not get worse but it did sound slightly better after atf fluid.
F.

Frankie · #25 03-09-2007, 03:08 AM

OMG! Similar thing happened to me on the drive down to LA, NOT fun. Thank God I never lost control of the car. The rear axle busted in freakin' Los Banos, one horse town. Mechanic showed me how the car wanted to "lock up" on me, grinding, creaky loud noise.

Bummer for you Ruben. I'm thinking of getting a second job (Not). . . because of Sophia being high maintenence. My injector and nose looks just like your pics! unfortunately. I thought I was doing everything right, I drove one hour and waited till the engine was very hot before filling with 7 gal of clean WVO. I really needed to have the in-line fuel heater installed to do this properly.
I'll probably buy the Plandrive two tank system with the vegtherm heaters and their fuel filters.
I'm intrigued by the hydrgen cell car or the fully electric car. Did you know that the Tesla fully electric sportscar headquarters is in San Carlos, CA.? That is only 4 miles from where I live! Did you see it of that Discovery Channel Fuels of the future program 2 weeks ago? Exciting.
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Frankie · #26 03-09-2007, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greasybenz

Still havent gotten my plantdrive kit together. I keep blowing off my money on other things

I still need my rear suspension fixed on the car though, that would be the priority right now. Especially since the rear suspension broke loose on a tight turn and sent me sideways!

Ruben are you OK? You didn't get hurt from that, did you? Hope not.
F.

greasybenz · #27 03-09-2007, 03:20 AM

Im ok, i was more worried about my car then myself

I was inches away from a parked pick-up truck when the car stopped!

Its to bad your injectors coked, i hope you didnt have any long term damage. But i think this would be a good example of what would happen even in short term with one tanking or blending as many like to do.

I saw lowered compression along with my coked injectors on my 300SD. And my SD had coolent heated filters and a inline heat exchanger. But it took over a year and many miles for it to get to that point.

Im stunned that it only took one road trip with the engine warmed up!

Frankie · #28 03-09-2007, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greasybenz

Im ok, i was more worried about my car then myself

I was inches away from a parked pick-up truck when the car stopped!
Spoken like a man who loves his Benz! Is car OK then?

Im stunned that it only took one road trip with the engine warmed up!

I've heard that it could happen in as little as 20 hours but was not counting on myself as being a casualty. I think it started a month before this trip. I was a "blender" in January, 4 gal WVO mixed with 12 gal biodiesel 50% and cetane boost. I'm very anti one tank system now. I was even telling my friend Katrina not to consider Lovecraft partly d/t they are censoring their internet forum. Sounds sketchy to me.
F.

aklim · #29 03-09-2007, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frankie

Hey Aklim that sounds like a good idea for the injectors but what to do about the compression test results? #5 was too low, 200 and that is why my mechanic wants to pull the head. He thinks that the valve is damaged and less likely that the piston is burnt.

I might look up diesel shop in my area. Wonder what THEY use to clean the injector?

Well, I don't see how the injectors affect the compression so I would have to assume either piston rings are leaking or valves are leaking. I haven't done a compression test in a diesel before. In a gas engine, I would do a dry test and then squirt some oil into the cylinder. If the compression goes up, the rings are probably bad. Of course a leakdown test can confirm it.

In my case, they took the thing apart to clean it.

barry123400 · #30 03-09-2007, 08:12 AM

From your more detailed description I think the injectors should be spray and presssure checked after you soak them. I see no reason you cannot deffer removing the head and dealing with the low compression cylinder till after they are installed. It should still be firing up I think and you can verify that by loosening the injector. Engine just may be a little slow getting going initially and a little less power from that cylinder. Your mechanic or you have checked the valve clearances? Especially #5? If you do decide to go further do the cylinder pressurization test to tag the problem of the lower compression to the valve before removal of the head. If it is a ring problem another used engine might be a more practical solution. Or has your mechanic already run it down to a valve for certain?