Hoping that adjusting the valves would miraculously make the ticking (or sort of knocking) go away in the engine was foolish. After all, the PO did tell me the engine was blown. Yet after getting it home and getting it running it just sounded pretty good at low idle. Oh well. Take a look at this video taken today after I drove the car for about 30 minutes. Definitely sound like it spun a bearing to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7TXT7Z0JAk

So the only engine I have been able to locate locally for a 240d is from a year 1977. Mine is a 1975. The 1977 would be a 123 chassis and mine is the 115. Still, the wrecking yard who is trying to sell me this motor swears that this engine is a direct swap according to his records and manuals. He is guaranteeing good compression, no oil leaks and said they will run the engine for at least 30 minutes and make sure everything checks out OK. They want 500 dollars for the the entire long block. I am not really sure what is different and what would need to be changed. Any help or advice would be great. Chris

123 motors have the oil filter housing right where the 115 steering shaft is. I've heard of people making adaptor plates to relocate the filter, but it is definitely not a straight up swap. I'd keep an eye out for an older style motor, they're less common, but they are around. Good luck.

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"spreading a trail of obnoxious where ever we go"
1981 300sd w/ 341,500 miles

http://www.wecrash.com/pics/ddda_banner.gif

Thanks for the heads up. Relocating the oil filter housing seems like an easy fix. Why couldnt I just move the filter below the engine where it is on the older style engine? From what I understand they share the same block. Am I right? What else might I have to change?

No, the oil filter mounts are cast as part of the block in different locations.

You would have to fabricate an adapter plate in order to relocate the filter.

There's a forum member making adaptor plates for remote oil filters. He has a Rover with a 616 so needed to do it for that application. He posted a picture of them a couple of weeks ago. Looked like a pretty easy subsitution.

__________________
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

apparently these guys in WA have a 1974 for $850 (via car-part.com) seems kinda spendy

__________________
1982 300TD 210K miles ("The Replacement" aka "The Anvil") - SOLD
1979 300SD 245K miles (never ending project)
2007 Pinarello F3:13
1995 Ducati 916 (SOLD, sniff)
1999 Ducati 900SSie (SOLD)

The wrecking yard guy keeps telling me 'direct replacement' on the phone and seems to think there will be no modifications needed.

guess I will have to run down there today and get a look at the engine myself. I heard Mercedes didn't wait to reveal new features or designs for a new year but implemented improvements as they were engineered. I wonder if some early '77 cars were still w155? For example, my 1975 240d was manufactured in Sept. 1974, yet it is titled as a 1975. I will go have a look at the motor today.

What do you all think of the video? Does the engine sound like a main or rod bearing?

That engine sounds pretty good for being blown....maybe an injector problem? Does it develop good power? I'd drive it/service it normally till it actually "blew" it could run a looong time like that.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

How can I determine if it is just an injector problem. I do know that all the overflow tubes from the injectors all sweat and leak fuel badly. I am also still running 2 year old diesel but I really dont think those things would cause the engine to sound like it was ticking and knocking.

I cant really seem to get much more power after I hit 55 mph. It kind of feels like it stumbles at that point and wont increase in speed. After the engine warms up for a few minutes the ticking getts louder and it is embarassing to drive at that point. And a little scary

Hmm....have you had it checked out by a mechanic. It seems to me that if there really was a critical engine problem it wouldn't be able to drive around up to 55mph like that....

Does it smoke or anything? If its a critical engine problem an oil analysis would tell you, if it came back fine then its something else. Personally I'd probably check it out as much as I could before I decided to scrap it.

If the two year old fuel in the tank has a lot of water in it that could be causing a knock/bad firing. Try running the engine from a bottle of fresh diesel with some diesel injector treatment in it. Just disconnect the two lines from the metal ones coming from the tank, and stick them in a bottle of diesel. Make sure the filters are new/not plugged too.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Here's a blown one:

http://www.zippyvideos.com/6161441694710296/350klocker2/

My 350SD is much happier now with a 3.0 liter OM603.

I seem to recall that the very early W123s used the older type block.

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

That sounds like a big problem right there.
I would flush tank and lines, do a diesel purge, change filters, put so good diesel in there and give it another shot. However, having the PO tell you it is blown does have a few question marks about it.........What did he do? run it out of oil?

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

Flyer,

Sounds like a rod knock to me. Pull the pan and if the crank isn't damaged, U might be able to replace the rod bearing.

Don't run it anymore or U will damage it further.

P E H

Still hard to tell from the video, sounds OK for the most part but there does seem to be knocking especially at the high RPM at the end of the video which doesn't sound good. Wasn't yours the car with all the oil sludge build up on the valve train? That, and having been run out of oil wouldn't be good signs BUT it seems like there are a lot of good parts on this engine, so maybe you can remove the head & oil pan, clean it up and rebuild what needs to be...heck I did that with a lawnmower engine once, the OM616 is only 3 more cylinders

If you want to go with a replacement engine the W115 240D from 74-76 would be the direct replacement, then next easiest the OM615 220D '68-'73 (less powerful) and then the W115 300D OM 617 (might be a bit of challenge to mate with the manual transmission but it would be a really fun car if you did). If you were going to use any W123 style engine (besides the earliest Euro 200D/220D ones), might as well go all the way and install a turbo 617 because it will take a lot of modifications to install those in a W115 from what I've read.

BTW, this is a video of a 240D that really has a shot engine: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6160070621642477358&q=240d+engine

Poor thing barely moves anymore...

-AC

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1976 240D "Katja"