Well, a few weeks ago I decided to start driving my 87 300D again. I checked the oil, added some coolant, and generally gave it a good look over. Apparently I left the cap off of the tank for the cooling system. I got about 12 miles from home when I heard some wierd groaning from my heater core. I thought it was the fan going bad. Then I noticed the temperature guage at 120 C or so...

Now I am using 1-2 gallons of coolant a week (500+ miles a week), no puddle at work, no puddle at home, and no coolant in the oil. I am assuming that combustion gasses are pushing the coolant out through the overflow tank as I drive back and forth to work.

Looks like I need a new head. I wouldn't mind getting a complete head with injectors and everything. My car was an early 87 (October of 2006) so it is likely that nothing will move over to the newer heads.

235,000+ miles one the apparent original head. The only reason it didn't go farther is operator error...

-Jim

__________________
1995 S350D, Green with black leather interior.
Bought January 2008 w/ 233,xxx miles.
I did 22,000 miles during the first year of ownership.

Hi Jim.

Sorry to hear about your coolent loss. I've got 2 "maybes" for you:

1) Maybe the coolent is leaking out of the water pump "weep" hole?

2) Maybe I can get you a head --- there is an 87 300D in one of the boneyards here. At least it was the last time I was there. Although, the writing on the car says, "bad motor".

Do you see any wet spots down the side of the engine between exhaust port #1 and #2?

__________________
daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

Sorry to hear of its demise, hopefully it will be a bad gasket due to a little repairable warp, ...

Whenever the engine has been overheated, even if the head is not cracked, the FSM specifies that the hardness of the aluminum needs to be checked. Either way, good luck.

I am happy that you're planning to repair rather than junk it. I could always use a spare car around though, ...

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Darn, not as prestigious as say the Cheap Wagon Club {oh wait, no prestige there either} , but it is a club with a few members. Glad to hear you will be repairing the car.
I can't wait to one day, hopefully soon, own the elusive W124 diesel.......

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I'll check the exhaust port and see.

When adding coolant today I ran my finger around the inside walls of the tank. It is coated in a thin black layer of oil. Why there is none floating on the coolant I don't know.

Bad motor does not sound very encouraging for the one in the yard. I want to do something to make it all better...

__________________
1995 S350D, Green with black leather interior.
Bought January 2008 w/ 233,xxx miles.
I did 22,000 miles during the first year of ownership.

"bad motor" could mean IP or ?? Worth looking at IMO, considering the head would be a couple of hours' work and less than $100.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Good question about why no oil floating on the coolent?

I pulled the Injection Pump and it was good. I keep hoping that the head is okay (considered pulling it for myself) and maybe there is no compression on a cylinder or two......or maybe a broken crank.

__________________
daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

If the bad motor means bad head would you let me know. I traded a sd for a 350sdl with what I think s a bad head gasket (plan on pulling head next week) and am looking for a 603 (3.0) short block to freshen up.....may send the rod bender out to pasture. Anyways let me know.

It looks like there is coolant coming out the passenger side of the engine inbetween the number 1 and number 2 cylinders. There is a fresh clean streak down the side...

-Jim

__________________
1995 S350D, Green with black leather interior.
Bought January 2008 w/ 233,xxx miles.
I did 22,000 miles during the first year of ownership.

Jim --- This "may" actually be good news ---- you might just have a blown head gasket. I have a wet spot down the side of my engine between exhaust #1 and #2 but I have no white smoke, no oil in my coolent, and most importantly no coolent in my oil.

__________________
daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

I have oil coating the inside of my coolant tank.
I have white smoke sometimes while sitting at stop lights.
I have a big cloud of white smoke if I shut down the car when hot, do some shopping or whatever for 5 minutes, and then start the car back up.
I do not have coolant in my oil.
I have the clean streak from where the head meets the block inbetween the #1 & #2 cylinders, on the exhaust port side.

-Jim

__________________
1995 S350D, Green with black leather interior.
Bought January 2008 w/ 233,xxx miles.
I did 22,000 miles during the first year of ownership.

It's either a cracked head or a bad head gasket. You won't know until you pull the head and take a look. It'll likely be very obvious.

BTW, you'll never see coolant in the oil unless it's a massive leak. The coolant boils off and leaves a glycol and sodium residue in the oil..........easily confirmed with an oil analysis.

The SD had a bad head.........no real signs of a problem until you did an oil analysis.