1976 240D woes adoption
 

Next project - this one experienced a big cloud of smoke and immediate engine stall - not cranked since (I haven't bought it yet).

The owner seems to know something of this car and thinks its valve train or timing chain. He also claims the valves are vertical to the pistons and may not trash the pistons if the chain went on this model (I presume a 615 engine, 76 vintage). That's contrary to what I know of my 300D.

What do you think? Trashed pistons? New engine?

Pull the valve cover and take a gander.

Also, just because it could have toosed a timing chain, it doesn't mean that the motor is trashed! I bought a car and got a spare engine like this and it turns out it didn't do much except bend one valve slightly!:D It is totally rebuildable which is what I'm doing now.

I've already had the head off and taken it to a machine shop who told me that besides replacing the valve that got bent, it was in good shape and I chose to do a valve grind and a new set of vavle guides knurled for better oil control!

As for the lower end, NO DAMAGE!:D Pistons are fine and all I had to do was rotate the motor with a breaker bar to get the broken timing chain out and the bottom end looks fine! Pull the valve cover off and look inside!