I, like many OM603 owners, are looking into the head problems on these early engines with the <14 heads. With that said, I asked some guy in my area and he told me he has a #96 head. I thought to myself.... !?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Does a 96 head exist?

Never hear of a head number over ~20. Guy must be reading some other number.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

Maybe he has a 1996 and thinks that it has a 603 instead of 606? I've never heard of that either.

__________________
Dan
2005 E320 CDI - 246k
1987 300SDL TD05-16g, Herlevi pump, Elbe manifold, 2.47 LSD - 213k
Past: 1987 300D - 264k

I received an E-mail this morning and he gave me Part # 603 010 96 20. ???

http://mbca.cartama.net/archive/index.php/t-1599.html
Third post down mentions this part number

Sounds like it could be a good deal! Although I am still confused as to why it says 96 there; that is where the head casting should be.

__________________
Dan
2005 E320 CDI - 246k
1987 300SDL TD05-16g, Herlevi pump, Elbe manifold, 2.47 LSD - 213k
Past: 1987 300D - 264k

There is a difference between the part number cast into the head (raw casting part number) and the part number that you will use to order the (assembled) head, this might be the confusion. I don't believe there is a head casting beyond 22.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

He's probably reading the "16" as "96". It's most likely a 16..........which is not all that common.

Ok well thank you for all the responses! The next question, should I get a #16 head? Or save up for new >16?

I'd pass. I think that the #17 head is the first head solved many of the cracking issues previous head designs had.

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

I can't recall (in the FSM) which head casting cured the first problem, and which were not as critical, nor which castings are for N/A vs turbo engines, it is all in the archives somewhere, ...

Anyway, the later the casting, the more problems it solved, and a 20 or #22 casting was designed to solve all of the known cracking and oil-leak problems as are the later head gaskets, therefore the latest are worth getting if you have a choice.

That being said, if I had a good spare #14 casting, and the car was not cherry, I'd consider using it. I've had three #14 heads go over 200,000miles with no problems (knocking on wood) with proper care. If you were to find a great deal on any known good 603 head, I'c consider how long and how you wish to use the car, the #16 might be worth a second look considering the price of a new #22 and all of the necessary parts.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff