Tips & Pics - 617Turbo oil drain, check valve, oil pump pickup boot/strainer, sealing
 

Sometime after the first annual Mercedes Shop / Fast Lane Get together, my 84 300sd sprung a leak. I was on my way to work when my wife called saying she spotted oil on the garage floor. I quick check at the oil pressure and a banzai move into the first parking lot with the hood popped as I came to a halt revealed nothing major. The turbo oil return line had started leaking – top o-ring. Until I could get the parts I made a make-shift diaper out of a shop towel and zip ties (pic 1).

I decided to do a couple of additional jobs as preventative maintenance since I would have the pan off to do the drain. First was the check valve after reading Dave Morrison’s excellent write up:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/122057-617-engine-replacing-oil-separator-check-valve-upper-oil-pan.html?highlight=check+valve

Second was to replace the strainer and boot that is at the bottom of the oil pump pickup. There is a post somewhere on the forum (can’t find it at the moment) showing a broken / torn boot.

Tips on the oil drain tube:
This is a royal PITA job. It took me hours of struggling to get the darn thing back in. I replaced the gasket under the turbo, both o-rings, the grommet at the oil pan and the straight oil drain tube (pic 2).

First tip is to cut away the big grommet where the straight tube enters the oil pan. That will allow the tube to rock back and forth giving you the angles you need to get the tube out.

Second tip is to remove the heat shield that sits just in front of the turbo under the plastic air intake elbow. You will need all the wiggle room you can get to maneuver the tubes back in place (pic 3 – taking out the shield) (pic 4 – more room!)

Part Numbers (for an '84 300SD - yours may vary!):
617-014-01-80 - oil pan gasket
617-187-10-01 - oil drain tube (straight - not the elbow)
617-187-01-85 - rubber ring (grommet)
004-997-53-48 - seal ring (o-rings x 2 qty)
603-187-05-80 - gaket turbo
007346-020001 - pin (believe this is the collar for the check valve)
617-018-00-29 - check valve
123-010-00-28 - oil pan
110-180-03-55 - strainer

Oil drain cont.
 

Third tip – getting the tube pushed down into the grommet. This is the PITA part. Best I can tell you need to have the grommet in the pan first, get the tube started into the hole with the new o-ring, then pull down like hell. I first tried a strap method (pic 5). That was a good start, but I couldn’t yank the strap down hard enough to get the tube completely seated. The straight tube with the elbow on top will get jammed up under the turbo until you can get the drain tube to slide into the grommet. You’ll know when the tube is completely seated as the top elbow piece will then align perfectly under the turbo providing just enough gap to slide the gasket in place.

To get the tube pushed in I used a pry bar and two hose clamps. You’ll pry down against the top hose clamp, the second clamp is there to not allow the top clamp to slide down the tube as you pry. I’m prying against a big piece of metal (I forget – it goes to the engine shock or engine mount – it’s a super beefy arm). In my opinion, this is THE TECHNIQUE to get that puppy pushed down and seated. (pic 6)

Check Valve
 

Dave’s write-up says it all in terms of procedure – I’m just adding some additional pics.
First pic is the part number
Second pic is the old valve in place
Third and forth pic are some close ups of the valve

Check Valve Cont.
 

Fifth pic are the tools I used – Facom / SK punch if you wanted to know…
Six pic is the valve removed – notice the inner brass ring – that’s the nipple that goes inside the return tube that snakes it way up underneath the air filter. In this pic the turbo drain tube has also been removed (the hole right next to it)
Seventh pic – the valve in place having been seated by the punch. I think the condition of my original was fine – just preventive maintenance

Oil pump pickup boot / strainer
 

Sorry I can’t find the original post that showed one of the rubber boots torn / deteriorating. When I replaced mine I thought the rubber was still in good shape and probably would have lasted the lifetime of the motor. I will say that is not a bad idea if you ever drop the pan to at least inspect the pickup to see if anything has been caught in the screen.

Removal is very straightforward, it just peels off the lip around the bottom of the pump – notice the orientation of the screen’s dome. (pic)

A side-by-side of the old and new part – you can’t see any visible wear or indicators as to the condition of the rubber boot. It was still pliable and good condition. (pic)

New one in place (pic)

Sealing the oil pan
 

As you probably read in my other posts, the first time I tried to put the pan back on with a new gasket it leaked. I got a new pan and gasket and applied a thin layer of Permatex # 2 gasket sealant on the gasket to ensure a leak-free seal. Below is the technique I used.

I laid the gasket on a glass table top (easier to clean-up later with a razor blade) and applied a layer of the gasket sealant to the side of the gasket that mates to the oil pan. I used a plastic putty knife to spread the goo thin across the gasket. I then flipped the gasket on top of the oil pan and used two of the 5mm hex bolts to keep the gasket centered on the pan while I repeated the goo application and spreading with the putty knife on the side of the gasket that mates to the bottom of the engine (see pic). That’s all the goo you need – just a thin layer. Torque to 10nm (all 19 bolts) and you are done.

I took this additional pic of the oil pan as it shows the extra long bolt and spacer that holds the transmission line that runs down the driver’s side of the engine on the way to the transmission cooler.

<<<<<UPDATE>>>> the pan gasket leaked with time :( I went back and painstakingly (sp?) removed all the goo and went with the OEM gasket put on DRY. So far so good.

I think this should be wiki'd.

Dave and Shell pretty much set the standard for write-ups! What a nice job! I love seeing even the bottom of random engine bolts clean on his engine. Such an enviable sickness......:sick2:

Bodyart27.......if the rest of your engine compartment looks as clean and fresh as the parts of the block that can be seen............YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!:whip:



Thank you for the inspiration.

thanks
 

Thanks Jimmy. I thought you'd like the "diaper" stop-gap technique for keeping oil off the engine. It doesn't take long before the entire underside gets a coating of oil from such a small leak.

Argh! I went through a leaking turbo drain grommet over Thanksgiving weekend. I tried a temporary fix and realized afterwards that it wasn't the correct oil-resistant sealant. Now I have the oily mess you talked about. Temporarily resealing with RTV around the outside got me back home.

I noticed you put the second o-ring at the bottom of the drain tube and that makes sense. I was unsure before and since the PO/mechanic had been in this area before (dented tube, missing o-ring & missing check valve). BTW, I've found that using an assembly lube, such as Dow Corning-4, it makes for easier press fitting of rubber grommets and bushings, but clean it from your hands as it makes gripping anything near impossible.

Thanks for the check valve part number as it is next on my procurement list. Did you get your parts from Park Place and did they have them on hand?

Park Place
 

Yes, I did get the part at Park Place Dallas since they give the MB club folks a good discount. They did have to order the check valve, but they had it in within 24 hours. I deal with Stan and Doug alot at the counter.

Wow - Shell - That engine isn't in a daily driver is it? Must be in a museum somewhere!

Unbelievable - I don't know if I should be motivated or depressed looking at those pictures.

Do you have a write-up on detailing?

Yea I can't tell what you have there at all. None of my reference points are visible. The mush between the two metal parts of an engine mount, the grease covered block, dirt caked onto oil caked onto the oil pan, leaky hoses (identified by the color of the stuff leaking out of them), none of it is there. What you have there is a very nice example of how the parts look on the shelf with no usable information about where said parts fit on our cars.

Seriously, good info. Some day I"ll buy a new car and understand the world that you work in.

-Tad

When mine began leaking I put a smooth layer of orange high-temp sealant around the base of the tube (over 2 years ago) and it hasn't leaked since. Took 5-6 mins to do, and cost $4 :D :D

However, my car "oozes" all types of fluid except tranny fluid (not a drop of that, all seals have been replaced). So its a little tough to keep it as clean as yours....well, impossible. :D I did replace my oil pan and gasket, so that leak is stopped and helped a bit, but it still leaks a little bit.


Extremely clean engine, simply amazing! My dad's is bone dry, but still not that "clean"....I suppose if we scrubbed everything it could look like that, but in MI, why bother, it'l just get dirty again in a few days. :rolleyes: