i recently replaced the motor mounts in my 1983 240d that ran perfectly only had worn out collapsed mounts. In the process i dented my oil pan and i think it may have ruined the way my oil circulates because when i check the oil it sometimes says its empty other times shows its full. My oil pressure is also weird and sometimes won't hit "3" on the gauge when its in park like it used to. I am going to replace my oil pan 2maro does anyone have any insight as to what could also be making the oil circulate weird and also run rough as it does at idle?

oh, to add the dented oil pan is probably 3/4 of an inch in depth but its big like a third the pan and it also doesnt leak any oil.

You may have damaged your oil pump pickup. You will find out when the pan is off.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

is that a tough job should i tackle it myself or just take it to a mechanic? is the car safe to drive?

A little more information would be helpful here. How exactly did you damage the oil pan? Were you jacking it up on the pan, or how did it get bent over that large an area? As already stated, maybe the flow has been restricted to the oil pick up.

Take some picture and post them. Take some of the pan before you remove it and then take some after you pull the pan.

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'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
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"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

Could be that the steel-pan has been pressed up against the oil-pump inlet and restricting its flow somewhat, so the pressure will be lower than it should...

Only way to see is drop the pan and see whats happening

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Alastair AKA H.C.II South Wales, U.K. based member

W123, 1985 300TD Wagon, 256K,
-Most recent M.B. purchase, Cost-a-plenty, Gulps BioDiesel extravagantly, and I love it like an old dog.

W114, 1975 280E Custard Yellow,
-Great above decks needs chassis welding--Really will do it this year....

Pulling the Oil Pan off is not a hard job. However, on mine there was small tubular spacers in a few places were things like the Tubing from the Transmission to the Transmission Cooler were mounted. If I remember the ones with the Spacers also had Nuts on them and the Allen/Socket Head Bolts were longer.
You can also draw a picture of where these go to be sure they go back in the same Place.

I also had a dented Oil Pan; a gift from the prior owner. You can see it in the first part of the thread.
Turbo Drain and Blow-by Drain Seal Replacement; Mein Kampf

A 240D may have a different Oil Pump set up but it is clear that the prior owner Jacked the Car all the way up to the bottom of the Oil Pickup but apparently did not crack anything.
I was able to knock the dent out of my Pan to my satisfaction by putting the bottom of the Pan over a Sandy area in my yard and using part of a 4x4 Fench post beat on with a Hammer to knock out the dents.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I once bought a 240D with a dented oil pan and when I got it home a pulled the lower pan found the bottom half of the oil pump hanging by a 'thread". It was still picking up oil but it wouldn't have if the oil level had been lower. Installing a new oil pump on a 240D engine was not a hard job, it doesn't use a "chain" drive. Pull that lower pan off and have a look. you'll need a new gasket a least.

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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"

What *does* it use? I always thought all of them were a pump driven off the timing gears/chains.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

The 616 oil pump just "plugs" into the intermediate gears and the 617 pump has a chain drive so the pump on a 240D is easy to change.

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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"