Originally Posted by gdemoss01

I can't be positive it has a blown head gasket. When I bought the car it started and ran but used mucho oil: 1qt/350 miles. I'm basing the blown head gasket on speculation (said mechanically challenged) because there is a large amount of oil that is visible, caked on , on the intake side of the engine. It looks like oil just seeped down the side of the engine for a long time and dirt caked onto it.

The vehicle in the meantime has had a completely rebuilt engine put into it and runs perfect (after many travails).

So, I've got another 300SD with low compression that I hate to give up on but probably needs an engine transplant. So, I'm just playing with the idea of putting rings, etc in the engine out of the other car a swapping it with the one currently in the 300SD.

Just trying different scenarios to determine easiest, simplest, and least expensive.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Magoo

I had a dodge once that used oil like that, but most of it was leaking out of the mains and could be seen wherever it was parked. Did this engine leave puddles on the ground after it was started and run or was it fogging out of the tailpipe? That should give you a clue as to the condition of the internals, or whether it simply needs some seals/gaskets replaced. If it did not run well and smoked a ton of blue before you pulled it, you would probably be further ahead to find another known good engine as whiskeydan suggested.

Originally Posted by gdemoss01

The engine in my garage, as I recall left an oily residue on the rear of the 300SD it was in before it was removed. This happened a couple of years ago so my memory may not be precise, but I also recall crawling underneath the car and it was dripping oil around the turbo. The car did not appear to smoke appreciably, if at all, and started with normal glow.

Never the less, oil residue mixed with dirt is on the passenger side of the engine from the head gasket on down. That is what made me think it was the head gasket leaking oil.

I live where 300SD engines are scarcer than hen's teeth. I would venture to guess there is not another within at least 100 miles that is available.

Originally Posted by Magoo

The caked on oil is probably from something leaking over there, like the air cleaner oil return tube, turbo oil return tube, or it may be seeping back from the front of the engine somewhere. Could also be the valve cover leaking.
Based on your description of the engine's characteristics from your memory, and limited availability of another engine, I think I would replace as many seals as you could while the engine is on the stand and then put it in the vehicle. If it doesn't run well, you're only out a few $$ for the seals/gaskets and the time to install.