Hi all,

My '82 is a Texas rust free car (a rarity up here). It has low compression on 2 cylinders (220 on #4, 240 on #5) and a lot of blow-by. The real issue is that it doesnt start below 32 degrees w/o a block heater. Right now I don't drive it in the winter to keep it rust free (and it doesnt start anyways in the cold).

I have reworked and rebuilt nearly every other car system back to new. I am now pondering getting an engine (new or used) for it so it can be reliable in the winter (and not smoke the rest of the time). The goal is to keep and drive the car as long as I can.

Who has bought a Metric longblock before? Why you'd go that route over rolling the dice on a used motor?


dd

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

" So when does a Metric Motors Engine make sense?"

When you compare the price and quality of a new car epically if everything but the engine is good

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

Main reason not to is because you can roll the dice on a used motor 10x before it adds up to a metric motors one.

The motor is 3 times what the car is worth, it doesn't make sense.

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68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

Nissan GTR - Nissan Skyline GTS25T - Toyota GTFour - Rover Mini - Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 - Cadillac Eldorado - BMW E30 - BMW 135i

It's the cost of knowing you have a rebuilt engine versus the risk of buying on with some amount of mileage and a dubious maintenance history.

If you have the money to burn and like your car very much then jump on it. Otherwise I bet you can find a nice OM617 on ebay

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

It makes sense if you like the car a lot, committed on keeping it long term (forever) and you can afford it.





.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

Find a used 617 and do a leak-down test.

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-1985 300TD - 324k mi on chassis. MB "Tauschaggregat" 617 motor + 4-speed conversion
Alaska Roadtrip 2009
-2002 E320 Wagon - 197k mi
-1998 E320 Wagon - 310k mi - retired

I bought a used engine for my 300D last time; I ended up with a good engine after plenty of hassle and I was without the car for a couple of months. Next time it needs an engine, I will just call metric and buy a long block. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

exactly my thoughts. there is an old saying, "there is the PRICE and then there is the COST". the COST of jerking around trying to locate a suitable used engine versus purchasing one from a reputable engine builder like Metric is night and day.

what is your time worth?

and then there is the peace of mind of knowing the engine will be good for quite some time. if you are planning on keeping the car then the new metric engine makes perfect sense. if you trade the car, you might be trading one set of problems for another and you will still be where you are now.

you know the history behind your own car. you don't know the real history behind one you purchase from someone else.

If you don't drive the car in the winter to keep it rust-free, it shouldn't matter that it won't start in the cold, you aren't driving it then anyway. I advise you to do nothing until the engine won't start at all. In the meantime, watch for cars that have been junked due to collision damage and get a good used engine from one of them. Metric Motors does good work but their rebuilt 617 long block is $7850 plus shipping from California to Boston. While your time is indeed worth something, you can afford to wait for the right donor vehicle to come along. Make sure to do a compression/leakdown test before buying.

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"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

if it was me, I'd look for a car wash that has a strong under body spray along with my own wheel well water sprayer. once or twice a week, give the under body a thorough bath. after the metric motors install, I'd drive the car 12 months a year.

You could rebuild your Engine or buy a used one and rebuilt that Engine for less.

Of course the other used Engine option is to buy another Car (but rusted) that you can test drive; in the Winter and make sure the Engine is good and use that Engine.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

For a long block? That seems like an awful lot. I've built balanced and blue-printed Chevy hot rod motors for quite a bit less. What is it about the 617 that is so expensive? Is the long block brand new? I'd guess if you supply a core, that it is not. Good machine shop work costs the same as a Chevy. I wonder what parts are replaced with brand new ones? Just what do you get for eight grand?

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85 300TD FED-Daily
84 300SD-Wife's
86 XJS-Sunday
66 GMC-Work- Given to my stepson
83 BMW Airhead- Given to my stepson

Yes, plus $500 core charge! The Metric Motors web site describes what they do. Remember that these are Los Angeles prices.

Even worse, the 603 engine is $8900 plus $1200 core!

The warranty is pretty good (given that you would have to pull the engine and return it to them, presumably at your expense):

"1983 - Current 4 years or 50,000 miles
PRE 1974 18 months unlimited mileage
1974-1982 3 years or 36,000 miles
Type 601, 602, 603 3 years or 36,000 miles."

A couple of years ago I had a local shop quote me $2500 to rebuild my 603 engine, including R&R. They probably replace parts only if they're badly worn or damaged; Metric probably replaces (for example) pistons whether they need it or not. If they use a lot of new factory parts, that would partly explain the high prices.

Jeremy

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"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

My view of things has changed over the years. Once, I always wanted the best deal, always. In the past it seemed there were LOTS of competent business people vying for the same job. Now I struggle to find someone to
provide what I need, at ANY price. So I guess sometimes, if I can rely on
a vendor I'll pay a premium, but only IF they are consistently reliable on a long term basis,hehhe, i.e., once you are "in" I'll pay the price. I wonder if you had a problem, MM would really fix it no problem? If so, then perhaps
the price is fair. It's about 40% high imho. I never pay for an extra warranty
on anything. I guess MM includes it in the price. I'm not knocking their business model. If they are honest, I'd look into them, if I needed a motor,
however, since if they fail, I still have to take out and ship a whole motor, at my expense, and put another one back, I might as well just buy 3 junkyard
motors and take a chance,hehe.

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85 300TD FED-Daily
84 300SD-Wife's
86 XJS-Sunday
66 GMC-Work- Given to my stepson
83 BMW Airhead- Given to my stepson