Not so, the infamous gm 5.7L diesel was a factory converted 5.7L olds gasser. The blocks were the same. They were junk! We had 3 in the family. In fact, a mechanic friend of the family converted a 5.7L diesel BACK to a 5.7L gasser. Stay away from them! 6.2's and 6.5's were decent if they were maintained. Unfortunately, GM only offered the junk 5.7 olds diesel in the passenger cars. The others were only offered in trucks and suburbans.


So I was off on the displacement, still, same idea and same general concensus. If you don't worry over being the best looking thing in the neighborhood and you plan to just give it regular maintenance and run it till it drops as a runabout it works. It's certainly not an investment car, and not anything worth putting any real repair money into. I dunno what the heck they were thinking when they designed those trunks. If they'd only made them longer and more squared to follow the car's lines, they'd have had a decent body.

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale

My grandpa had two 1980s Gm diesels. One in a car and one in a truck.

Lets just say he said after he sold them (for next to nothing) he would never own a diesel again.

And don't blame it on low quality fuel... He still has three 1960s 70s and 80s diesel tractors that used the same fuel, that are still running to this day.

Head gaskets, no power, smoked, lift pump not supplying enough fuel, just some of the problems he could remember, but said there were more

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Dave

1985 190D 2.2 auto--gone
1975 240D 4-speed--storage
1985 500SEL--daily driver
1985 300TD--bad rust, soon to part out...
1982 300SD--waiting on engine from RD
1984 190E--storage
1996 Dodge 2500 Cummins--daily driver

Revisited:

Well, after deciding against buying the Caddy Seville diesel, I ended up in the area of the car today, and, as I had not yet seen it in person, went to take a look. So now I have more information/ need for knowledge and opinions.

The interior is SPECTACULAR. A little dusty, but with a good vacuuming and cleanup, it would be a BEAUTIFUL interior. Really liked that.

The engine started up fine after a glow, but it made a LOUD "pop" kind of noise (loudest when it first started, but continuing even after that). The "pop" definitely sounded out of place and WAY to loud, even for a diesel.

So: I'd really like to pick up this beautiful car, as it is a VERY low price, BUT I'm disconcerted about the pop sound.

Any ideas? Could it be the sound of an engine running dry (ie oil pump dead)? It's NOT a knocking sound (ie doesn't sound like a thrown rod). Could it be somehow pre-ignition in the cylinders?

ANY ideas would be helpful. I'll post pics when I get home. After I have more info I'll try to get down there again (it's about 30 miles away) and get some video w/ sound so that you all can hear exactly what it sounds like. Thanks guys.

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'79 300SD
'82 Chevy Chevette diesel

Incorrect, if you would do your research you'll find that the 5.7L diesel block is unique to the Diesel engine.

Wrong, he converted it INTO a g@sser. It was never a gasser to start with, no other engine used that block.

I was looking around the web and there seemed to be a few reports that the popping sound might be a bad valve lifter...

Again, any ideas?

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'79 300SD
'82 Chevy Chevette diesel

It could be the case, are the reports saying it is for the older style flat lifters or the roller lifters that should be in that year motor. But anycase if it is the lifter, you might try some sort of engine oil cleaning agent to see if it relieves it.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

I've driven a Cadillac diesel years ago and it seemed to have adequate power but it was loud as a garbage truck.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

clean it up, put it on eBay (be sure to use the word "Biodiesel" in the ad), sell for double or triple what you have in it (possibly much more).

that's what i would have done while everyone around here argues about "the urban legend".

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1966 200D Fintail. "Flossie" 151k Dying a slow death.
2008 ML320 CDI 32k "Waiting for a name"

for $500, if you only get to thrash it for a year its still worth it... so abuse the hell out of it and when the engine craps out, slap in a gas engine from the junkyard and sell the nice car with the immaculate interior for many times more than you have into it.

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99 E300 Turbodiesel 100k

The interior alone, if immaculate, could fetch $500. Is it leather or fabric?

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I thought this was the diesel we were talking about


not that god awful abortion of a car

Your talking about this Cadillac Diesel?

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

lietuviai: the interior is cloth. No rips, no tears. Fully stuffed.
The Don: Believe it or not, as hideous as this car is in pictures, it's actually not too bad looking in person.

OK, so I should definitely get it if just to resell for more. But my primary question is no longer "should I?", it's

Does anyone have any ideas about what the loud popping sound might be?

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'79 300SD
'82 Chevy Chevette diesel

Purchased an '84 Cadillac 5.7 Diesel at 99,000 mi in '89. Traded my Audi Wagon in for it and the dealor couldn't believe we were giving up the Audi. It was expensive to fix. We owned the Cadillac for 6 years and it was amazingly 100% reliable. Never had any motor or fuel injection pump trouble. Top of the line trim w/leather and real wire wheels. This automobile had great range with many out of state trips. For example one memorable drive we drove it to New Orleans from Waterloo Ia, filled up in Memphis and again when we arrived in New Orleans. Two tanks of fuel with factory tank! It was a tremondously comfortable road car. Sold it with 194,000 mi and saw it at Kmart this last fall of '2007 still being driven by the same gentleman. I would not hesitate to purchase this one again were I able to do it over again! I loved it!

Owned an '82 Olds Custom Cruiser wagon and an '83 Olds Delta 88 as well. Both of them had head and injection pump troubles with the wagon having 3 replacement head gaskets. I didn't know I should have had the head planed for warpage. I Liked these cars as well for range and comfort, however my olds models were trouble. I believe the '84 and '85 model year motors had stronger head bolts among other engineering improvements.

That being said, without anyone knowing service or being able to drive or look over the car it must be your decision and it's a small investment up front with unknown dollars for immediate maintenance.

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'96 C220 138,000mi, '95 E300D 239,000 mi., '87 300TD 214,000mi '88 6.2 Turbo Diesel Chevy Conversion Van 253,000 mi.

the 5.7 was improved over the years with stronger rods and better crank and other refinements. It was never in the the league of a benz diesel of course but the cars had a reputation for getting 30 mpg highway with their ubertall 30% overdrive tranny.

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.