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  #1  
Old 06-08-2007, 01:35 AM
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OM617 Worn Camshaft - Safe to use for a while, or not?

Folks, I've searched high and low, and there are no good used camshafts and rocker arms to be found near by. With large grooves, some of which are easily 0.7 mm deep in many of the cam lobes, will I encounter any problems if I use the car while I'm searching for replacement parts? I need to commute about 80 on the interstate each day, but I don't want to kill the the entire motor in the process.



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Old 06-08-2007, 02:40 AM
ForcedInduction
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The damage is already done. It hasn't blown up the engine in the x miles you've driven it without knowing so a bit more won't be much worse.
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Old 06-08-2007, 03:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ForcedInduction View Post
The damage is already done. It hasn't blown up the engine in the x miles you've driven it without knowing so a bit more won't be much worse.
Well, to be honest I've driven the car about 40 miles since I bought it, and that was mostly from bringing it from the PO's house to my friend's house to be worked on. I certainly don't want, or need the hassle of a serious break-down in the immediate future, and I'm not certain if catastrophic failure due to cam wear is an issue for the OM617 as it is for some other motors. Given the fact that it clearly took some time for the wear to develop, I was thinking I could try to adjust the valves and just use it while I'm sourcing out the parts. I figure if nothing shows up within a month, I'll just bite it and pay out for a new camshaft and rocker arms, which seems like it'll be about $400 in parts. Ouch.
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'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work


My '77 300D progress thread

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Old 06-08-2007, 07:03 AM
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The only damage I can forsee, would be to ruin the rocker arms, or whatever actually rides on the cam to make the valves move. Since you are planning to replace those, as well as the cam, I see no catastrophic problems.
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Old 06-08-2007, 08:29 AM
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before you drive it any, be sure to drain your oil twice. once to get any metal particles in suspension, the second time to flush out the passages and cooler (after a few days of driving)
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Old 06-08-2007, 10:07 AM
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Personally, if it were me, I would not drive it. On camshafts, the surface is hardened. Once you get past that you are into "soft" metal that will wear much faster.

Even if nothing catastrophic happens, you will be dumping metal shavings into your oil with every revolution of the camshaft. Your filter will probably catch most of them, but they the engine will wear at an accelerated rate. Flushing is a good idea, but you will need to do it frequently IMO.

Have you checked with Phil or your local MB Parts Department? I would think that you would have better luck finding a used engine than just a used camshaft.
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Old 06-08-2007, 11:10 AM
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I've seen them on Ebay. That "source" place might even have one lying around.
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Old 06-08-2007, 11:49 AM
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I found a few entire motors starting at around $700 USD, but for that kind of money, I could buy the updated camshaft and associated parts. Craziness. If I buy a whole motor, it better have a turbo attached. I've found a few good heads a few states away in the $300 range.

Heck, if I hold out for the right car to show up in the self-service yards, I can have an entire motor for all of $99.50. At this rate, slapping AAA coverage on it and driving it with shoddy cams seems like a feasible plan. I guess there's only one way to find out, eh?

I'll drive it for a week and then do an oil drain to check for wear particles. If everything looks to be holding up, I'll keep running it for a while.
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- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work


My '77 300D progress thread

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  #9  
Old 06-08-2007, 12:29 PM
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There has got to be a lot of bad motors with good camshafts and rockers out there. Try your local auto wreckers. Also post in our parts wanted section. Just make sure whoever supplies it knows to label all the rockers to correspond with the cam lobes.
Remove your rockers and check cam bearing fit and condition in the towers as well. If sloppy get the used towers as well.
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Old 06-08-2007, 12:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barry123400 View Post
There has got to be a lot of bad motors with good camshafts and rockers out there. Try your local auto wreckers. Also post in our parts wanted section. Just make sure whoever supplies it knows to label all the rockers to correspond with the cam lobes.
Remove your rockers and check cam bearing fit and condition in the towers as well. If sloppy get the used towers as well.
And this is exactly why I'd prefer to pull the parts myself. I don't trust a yard ape to bother keeping the rockers in order. Most of my frequented salvage yards know me well enough to let me out to pull my own parts, but none of them bother with old Mercedes, and I've had no luck so far in locating ones that do.

They do, however, occasionally turn up in the Pull A Part yards, and their prices are hard to beat, I just have to remain vigilant. $11.50 for a camshaft and $6.50 for a rocker arm assembly? You just can't beat those prices, and a dead auto tranny seems to be what lands most of the old diesel W123 cars in the yards, here, so the motors are usually fine. Boy, the parts fly off of them fast once they hit the yard, though.

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- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work


My '77 300D progress thread

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