That's a really clean injection pump, rebuilt recently?

Thanks so much for all your help so far. I am getting the head checked for cracks. I' ll just end up getting new head bolts I recon.
t

I don't know why that injection pump is so clean. I haven't had the car long so....?
t

GOOD FOR YOU! I really recommend it and your not going to spend a lot of money on these. It's cheap insurance and piece of mind! And yes, I did mean tensile strength, but even stretch bolts could have fractures and it just seems like a waste of time not putting in new ones since they are so reasonably priced.

how about converting it to studs

..........if you believe that a full set costing $100. is reasonably priced...........

OK, maybe somebody else asking will help. What were your symptoms that started this whole process? We must know........

BTW, that IP is simply way too clean. It appears to have been rebuilt or replaced.

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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

Studs won't stretch properly. If you knew the torque to use as a result (it will be different), and if the cam towers didn't hit the tops of the studs, that would be a great idea, except that head bolts aren't a common problem on that engine.

I've never paid more than $50.00. Just shop around! Even $100.00 is better than risking broken bolts in the motor case! If your going to remove rebuild and replace the head, DO IT RIGHT OR NOT AT ALL!

Doing it right is measuring them according to the book. The bolts are extremely high quality. You will simply not have any trouble with them if they meet specs. I have had at least five mercedes motors rebuilt with excellent results. We measure them and reuse if they meet specs, just like every other part.

No sense spending money on a part that already meets specs.

On most of my motors we have reused the pistons too. Again, it is a matter of the professional machinist measuring and examining the ring lands. If they meet specs we reuse them, if they don't we replace them. And so it goes. We have reused even bearings, valves, valve springs.

On a chevy engine a whole engine kit costs what $200? On a mercedes diesel you can about add a zero. More if you start gratuitously replacing parts that meet specs.

Tom W

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[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.

You can shop till you drop and the price is not going to be $50. anymore for a set of them.

As far as "doing it right", Tom said it better than I could.

I did replace the set when I did the head, but, it was a matter of convenience and time...........had nothing to do with "doing it right".

Read the FSM..........there's a world of info in it.........and then you would have some valuable info to share.

Since three cylinders in line where clean make sure the shop checks the head for being true. Sounds more like a head gasket than a crack because of the three cylinders in a row being so clean.
It would not hurt to check the block as well for flatness. Have a critical look at the cylinder gasket rings where they connect to each of those three cylinders. It almost sounds like the head lost its seal by lifting off.
I personally would check the valve guides and general condition of the head as well. Applies to any older engine as a good practice. I would be very thorough to detect and eliminate any warpage if it exists.
Was the car using a little coolant? Or blowing white smoke ? There had to be a reason you pulled it.

Car was loosing coolant and had more white smoke than a KISS concert shooting out the back (at idle). I am going to check with German Motors here in Denver for the head check and the repair. http://www.germanmotors.net/

OK - well just looking at those three clean cylinders gives you the answer. Definitely coolant steam-cleaned.

Just guessing, I would lean toward a warped head or a really bad head gasket. Cracked head is not impossible but doesn't happen all that often on these cars.

Do you have some problem with the car overheating on you at some point? Like a pegged Temp gauge for some reason?

You may have caught the problem in time to save the engine.

Can head warp be measured with common tools, or is that a job for a machine shop?

Ken300D

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

You can measure head warp for practical purposes at home with a good known metal straightedge and a set of feeler gauges. The tollerence you are allowed is usually in the service literatiure. Since he is taking the head to an automotive machine shop they are better equiped. Espeially at determining if there is any twist as well. If german motors does not have a self owned automotive machine shop I would just get a recomendation from them. Otherwise you might land up paying additional handeling charges along the way.