The rebuilt head arrives tomorrow! Stay tuned!

sweet. where from?
full head? w/ camshaft etc..?
$$??

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For those unfamiliar with my past exploits, photos of my 603 head replacement are at this link, and photos of my 602 head gasket blowout are at this link. There are some close-up photos of the cracks, and also some comparison shots of a 14 head next to a 22.

If you have to replace a 603 head, please do not put another #14 on there unless you intend to sell the car. Spend the extra few hundred and get a #17-22. The 22 is preferable because it has the enclosed front oil channel, which should prevent the infamous gasket blowout problem at the #1 cylinder. Several places sell the new #22 for $1600-$1700 (plus S&H). The new head comes with new guides, seats, and exhaust studs.

There is pretty much no reason to buy new head internals. The prechambers don't wear, the springs & valves only need replacement if damaged or broken. The cost for new prechambers & valves is insane and the ROI, IMO, is very very low. About the only item I might consider is new splined prechamber lock rings if you have inclined injection (90-up), I've heard more than one report of old lock rings cracking (they are much thinner than the notched lock rings used with verical injection through '87.)

Don't lose too much sleep over nozzles... pop test what you have, if they are original Bosch German nozzles they might clean up well in an ultrasonic cleaner at a diesel shop. Either Bosch or Bosio #265's should be ok. After a few thousand miles they should be re-checked and balanced (they will change after they get seated in... mine dropped 1-3 bar each after 4000 miles.) Unless your current injectors are really bad, don't expect magical changes in power, MPG, noise, or smoke. If anything, new nozzles can create more noise for a while!

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Check out my website photos, documents, and movies!

Is it possible/adviseable to do a more thorough cleaning of the prechambers than just reaming?

Sixto
87 300D

It's nearly impossible to clean the interior, but soaking in solvent or parts cleaner, with a good rinse and compressed air dry, wouldn't hurt. This assumes they are removed from the head. I cleaned the exterior with a wire brush on the end of a drill. When clean, they drop right into the head, no hammering (in OR out) required.

I almost forgot about the possible prechamber seating issue, when using vertical prechambers on a newer (17-22 casting) head. Ugh! Let's just ignore that until the problem actually appears...

If the prechambers don't seat then you know you should send the head to Mark DeGroff!
Let us know how it works out
Reid
(PS, Dave those 500E Brakes w/ Porterfield pads are really making me smile!)
Stilll running on a used #14 head (and not sweating it either! )

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

If the prechambers don't seat, either the head or the prechambers need slight modification. I was able to get access to a lathe and lightly trim my prechambers (photos on my website) so they worked fine. This is a lot easier than getting the head modified, IMO. But Mark can definitely fix the head so any prechamber will work.

BTW, I'm glad the brakes are working well, Reid!

What is the preferred method of cleaning the face of the aluminum head? Is a 00 scotchbright pad used carefully too aggressive for the sealing surface?

If it cleans up well and flatness is good, I'd like to avoid removing any metal, so I don't want to score the face.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I've been told that professional mechanics use 3M Roloc pads for aluminum, which supposedly don't remove any of the metal. Personally, I've cleaned the surface by hand, very carefully, with a scraper and razor blade. As long as you're not gouging the surface you should be ok. I also used lots of solvent and rags to clean the residual carbon, oil, etc off the surface. The surface does not need to be perfectly clean, but there shouldn't be any high spots. I also did a very light scuffing with a Scotch-Brite pad but that may not be necessary.

For a brand-new head, I did nothing - just bolted it on.

My #22 has some miles. I scrubbed and scrubbed in the parts-cleaner tank, got through the carbon and oil, but around the water passages etc. there are some deposits on the head I'd like to remove completely for the best possible seal.

I have several ROLOC pads for my air-burnishing tool, kind of figured they'd be too aggressive, guess I'll give them a try. Thanks.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

There is a specific Roloc disc for aluminum... I would ONLY use that one!!

Well, I tore it down and put a new head on and put it all back together and it won't start. It sounds like a fuel starvation issue -- no partial firing at all, just the sound of the motor turning. I have a inline ball pump installed on the diesel side to bleed it, so I know there is no air in the system. Guaranteed.

I have a horrible feeling that I messed up the timing.

On the first start attempt, I heard a strange metal sound. Like a adjustable wrench was dropped. But it came at the very end of a good long 15-second start attempt. In 10 more attempts to start it, I have not heard anything out of the ordinary. The timing chain is intact.

During the rebuild, I replaced all of the injectors, glow plugs, fuel lines, timing chain tensioner, and guide rails.

I know people are going to suggest that the there is air in the fuel system. I've had this ball pump on the car since I've owned it and it makes bleeding the diesel side a breeze. I can start it on the first try after a fuel filter change with this thing.

Any chance you used the wrong fitting on one of the fuel lines? The banjo-type bolt that has the check valve goes on the OUTLET of the pump (back side, hidden from view). If you have that on the inlet of the pump, it may never start.

With a dry system, it will take a lot of cranking (possibly 2-3 minutes, assuming your main spin-on fuel filter was FULL) before it will light up. Crank with your foot on the floor (WOT). Crack a couple of fuel lines at the injectors, see if you are getting fuel up there or not. Also make sure you're getting +12v at the glow plugs - it won't fire without 'em.

But yeah, it wouldn't hurt to double-check the timing... make sure the IP is at 14° ATDC, with both cam lobes pointing upward on the #1 cylinder. Could be 180° out if you pulled the pump, or a tooth off, or a spline off, etc etc...

Thanks, G.
Look for an update on Saturday. That will be the first chance I get to chase down these ideas.

I rotated the engine around to 14* and the lobes are NOT pointing up on #1.

I'm guessing I need to rotate the cam shaft in order to fix this problem. Can the camshaft be rotated while still bolted down or do I have to go through that lengthy removal and torquing process again?

Is there some easy way to verify beyond a shadow of a doubt that the #1 piston is at the top of the compression stroke? Does the 14* reading on the crank guarantee this?