Well the day has not been good.

Figured we would use the friends lift to repair tranny modulator bolt that I broke off and then get my sons new 85 300D on the road. I was going to test drive it for a week or so before handing it over to my son. Just so I would know that everything was in good shape. So this was going to be a good move.

At 630PM my son called and said my car , the 82 300TD, which he had been driving, had no power. He pulled off the side of the road, engine was smoking a little. Said the temp was OK but the oil pressure was low, not zero but low. He checked the oil dipstick and it showed none on the dipstick. Thats when he called. I grabbed a few tools and some oil, I know the car has some blowby and a few leaks but not severe. It had quite a lot of oil under the car. I put in 4 quarts. Had to jump it to get it running. And it did not want to run. Got the car into a safer locaton a mile down the road and filled the oil to the upper mark. It took 5.5 quarts. So the engine had 2.5 quarts in it. One in the oil filter and 1.5 in the sump. Not enough to lubricate the engine properly. So the engine is now toast.

I did not figure the oil consumption was that bad, but I guess it was.

Very upsetting. I have owned the car since 1990, 17 years and its in very good shape.

I can, and cannot blame my son. He should have checked the oil at every fueling, but hell even I don't do that. He's a really great kid ( actually 24 ) undergraduate degree in 3 years, Summa Cum Laude, honors MBA program in 16 months, an A average, and a MS in Finance. All this in 5 1/2 years (Definitely can't be my kid). Also a Certified Flight Instructor- Insturment. So he knows about preflights. He has been very busy with work and trying to start a new business with my daughter. So his mind has been elsewhere.

SOOOOO now I decide whether to get a long block, short block, used engine or rebuilding this one. I have considered getting rid of the wagon and getting some thing new in a pickup truck. I've also considered just driving the Honda and the 560SL. And if I need anything big at Lowe's I'll have them deliver it, or rent the truck. The wagon has a trailer hitch and I have a 4' X 8' folding trailer to carry large items (think 4X8 plywood ).
I think I'll give it some time and look into my options.

Really pisses me off. I guess the engine was showing an increased blowby. So I guess engine problems were coming, in the back of my mind I sort of new this.

Dave

PS I know, I get the 300D engine for the 300TD and all is well. He even said this, but then he does not have a car.

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

That's too bad.

__________________
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

Sorry to hear that.

How many miles had your son put on the car without checking the oil? Seems to me if it was consuming that much oil it was probably on it's way to "toast".

Nice wagons are rare. I vote for keeping it and swapping a good used engine.

This is one reason why I love the 124's low oil level indicator. Many times when you notice the oil pressure is low it's already too late. The indicator warns you before it gets dangerously low.

Hope you find a good replacement engine for what sounds like a great car. I think a 300D short block will bolt up to the TD head.

__________________
Dale

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...MG_2277sig.jpg

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo -155k
2000 E430 - 103k
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel 4x4 - 11k
2014 VW Passat TDI SE - 7k Bro's Diesel
2006 E320 CDI - 128k Pop's Benz

Pre-glow - A moment of silence in honor of Rudolph Diesel

The 300D engine won't swap right over to the 300TD because it does not have the pump necessary for the SLS.

__________________
'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Ahh true, knew that was not going to work for some reason.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

You have got to be proud to have a son like that.

Try to find another engine to put in there, rebuild the TD head, bolt it on the engine you find and keep running it. I am of the opinion that the TD's are especially worth it.

__________________
Jim

OUCH! I'm feeling for ya. Need to decide, it's gonna be big bucks to straighten out. My vote, hey I'm not paying for it! Long block, comes with an IP, right? A mechanic mentioned it would take him around three hours to time one, a short block, I know doesn't come with.
Good luck.

__________________
83 SD

84 CD

Just to be absolutely clear, the short blocks are all the same and the heads have the sls pump. the heads will go on any short block as long as its turbo.

Tom W

__________________
[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.

Sorry to hear that. I'm for swapping in a used engine with the existing head rebuilt on it. There's a 617 for sale on Denver's Craigslist.

__________________
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

Dave - Sorry to hear your news. I don't happen to be looking for an engine swap write up! As always, I know you'll do an expert job with whatever course of action you deem appropriate.

I would be darn proud of my son or daughter having accomplished what your son has.

(Guess this means there might not be a transmission seal replacement write-up coming anytime soon - darn I was looking forward to that!)

__________________
83 300d - 390k

Sorry to hear about it, but if you had a bunch of oil on the ground under the car, did you find out where it was coming from? Sounds like an oil cooler hose or some other mechanical joint failure. Also, I would not be so sure if a bunch of oil was under the car if there was not sufficient oil to make a few lbs of pressure before it was shut off. Technically you only need all the oil pressure (needle pegged) when those engines are under boost.

My son did the same driving home from college for Christmas several years ago - the car had a range of about 2 tanks of Diesel and you needed to add oil to bring it to the half way point. Unless you parked with the nose up on a hill, as the rear seal leaked quite a bit and warm oil just added to the flow rate. Or, unless you drove over 70 mph. Then it threw oil past that rear seal and all over the clutch parts.

He came down the driveway and I could hear the car was low on oil. It shuddered to a stop and never really started again. No oil visible on the dip stick. I was brokenhearted - we had that car since the mid 1980's - purchased it with just over 100,000 miles on it from captain of one of Donald Trump's yachts in Manhattan. All the kids learned to drive on it, and my daughter drove it with 290,000 miles, across the country and back after graduating from college. I had guys on this forum along her path send me contact numbers in case she had any difficulties. No problems there or back, in late August, across Death Valley where the outside temperatures reached 112 degrees F. It died at 322,000 miles, for no really good reason.

Sounds like yours is worth fixing. Mine was also suffering from rust around the jack holes and a few other select spots. So, we let it go.

Good luck, and sorry - but don't hold it against the kid - they don't get why we value these things. At least not until they are gone. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

But, the wagon's head would swap to a good 617 block.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

swap the heads.. If I recall correctly the pump is mounted into the head...

I know of a 617 at a pnp..

Sorry to hear that. I noticed mine is going through a lot of oil, too.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles