Found 1987 300D om603 for $360!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jonbobshinigin · #1 09-03-2010, 02:24 PM

Just picked this up cheap. I have been browsing for a good 3.0 603 to replace my dad's 3.5 rod bender. I figured I would find something one day cheap in a 124 body with other parts I could use too. Found this with 227,500 miles on it. Engine did not run when I got there. Glow plug relay fuse/strip was not connected so start up was not easy. Air was in the fuel system so I bleed it (although it is supposed to be be self bleeding). Also, the ELR (controls idle speed) was set at 2, instead of the default 5 (I think it is).

I got it to start up in 5-6 minutes after using my battery. It doesn't overheat and upper hose was not hard so head appears to be fine, even though it is a #14 head. It does have green coolant though. Transmission shifted ok, although there is a vacuum leak somewhere and the fluid needs to be changed. When I got it home, it sat overnight and I tried cranking it in the morning but it did not work. Checked fuel stuff with no luck, but then bridged the glow plug fuse strip and it cranked immediately. Engine has a slight tick, which is how my wagon was until I swapped to synthetic oil. My guess is the lifters.

The car was a Michigan car so it is a rust bucket. Interior is great though so it must have been mostly highway miles in it's early days. It is also the uncommon black interior. My plans is to get the engine and transmission up to snuff and then pull them and clean them and replace seals and have it sitting ready for an install somewhere else. And I MAY put this transmission in my wagon, while I save up to have my original rebuilt for my power. I will gut everything else and sell what I can. The interior should pay for the car!

Here is a video, let me know if you have any problems viewing. if so i can upload it to youtube:
http://www.godspeed22.com/benz/1987300d.mov

buffa98 · #2 09-03-2010, 06:28 PM

Would you want my wish list of wanted parts now or later?

Nice find.

dariod · #3 09-03-2010, 07:41 PM

You beat me I paid $450 for 1987 300D that needed new glow plugs and battery.

jonbobshinigin · #4 09-03-2010, 08:11 PM

Yeh, but my body is SHOT. I don't even want to know how bad the springs are rusted out on mine. Muffler is rotting away and it is totally not drivable.

vstech · #5 09-03-2010, 08:12 PM

ok. rub it in. my find is not so great... I do like the wheels that come with it though. 17" clk 7 holes look great!

jonbobshinigin · #6 09-03-2010, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

ok. rub it in. my find is not so great... I do like the wheels that come with it though. 17" clk 7 holes look great!

Haha, I knew you were gonna be jealous! Maybe I will be able to hook you up one day with something

Mmm...also, the oil pressure shows nothing until I step on the peddle. Any thoughts? I heard something with the oil filter O-rings.

vstech · #7 09-03-2010, 09:14 PM

it's worth a shot! pull the shaft, and replace em, drain the oil, and change it to rotella 5w40 then change the filter! if it's not up to 3 on cold idle, I'd pull the sender, and put a true gauge on there, and see what it's doing.

jonbobshinigin · #8 09-03-2010, 10:00 PM

Mmm...I suppose I will, although I am kind of a fan of Mobil 1 Synthetic...which will probably quiet down the lifters, but also leak out from wherever it already leaks. It is iffy though because it causes small leaks to become big leaks.

I figure I change fuel filters, oil and filter, trans and filter...and I will go from there.

vstech · #9 09-03-2010, 10:05 PM

good luck!

Brandon_SLC · #10 09-03-2010, 10:37 PM

Your interior looks great. I like the way the black interior looks in the earlier 124s.

Do you know if the head gasket has ever been replaced? I would contemplate replacing it before installing the engine.

vstech · #11 09-03-2010, 10:53 PM

you really think it's wise to disturb the HG in an aluminum head motor? I thought the issue with the 14 head was material design, and weakness of the casting. if you pull the head, it will have to be machined for flatness, further weakening the head. I'D NOT pull it if there weren't any signs...

sixto · #12 09-03-2010, 11:01 PM

If you pull the #14 and have the #17 head from the rod bender...

Sixto
87 300D

jonbobshinigin · #13 09-03-2010, 11:10 PM

Yeh, I have the #17 head that I could put on it...but I may want that for me. Haha! My dad's 140 boday has more sufficient cooling I'd imagine anyhow. And there are no signs of the head having issues at this point.

buffa98 · #14 09-04-2010, 10:19 AM

# 14 head seems to be the voo doo man around here. There are a lot of # 14 heads running around with 200-240-300 thousand miles on them that dont have problems........................................

If it aint broke dont fix it. Do a compression check and a leak down test before expending the time and money to fix things that are not broken.

sixto · #15 09-04-2010, 12:11 PM

Beyond compression and leakdown, check for signs of a head gasket leak under the #1 exhaust runner. Head cracks are an if but gasket leaks are a when.

Sixto
87 300D