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  #1  
Old 12-17-2011, 01:33 PM
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1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running

I purchased a 1991 350SD from a fellow that stated he was driving it down the highway, and without warning, immediate plumes of smoke came from the car. He pulled over, and shut it off, and was able to restart it, but very rough running. I started it up yesterday to load it onto a trailer, and the smoke was immense. WAY more than I have experienced with any rod bending OM603. My plan is to swap a 3.0L into it. I didn't this earlier this year with a 350SDL, and it's worked out great with some extra work and swapping components over. But, I started thinking today. The rod bending symptoms tend to slowly manifest themselves over time. He said it wasn't smoking (not more than usual) and he wasn't having to add oil often before this suddenly happened. I had a couple other ideas. Let me know what you think about these possibilities...

Catastrophic Injector Failure - This could possibly cause fuel to be just dumped into the chamber, and produce the smoke I am seeing, and definitely cause the rough running condition.

Bad Modulator Valve - Pulling transmission fluid up and burning it.

Bad turbo seal - Not really sure here as they aren't liquid cooled, but not sure if this could be tied to a common failure of a turbo related component.

But anyway, the second the car starts, it plumes so much smoke, it's blinding. And it runs extremely rough.

I was first thinking of removing the injectors, and taking a compression test, and go from there.

I dont mind using the 3.0L OM603 I have and swapping it in, but if repairing this engine takes less time, I'd rather go that route, and put the 3.0L aside for a rainy day.

Any suggestions? Am I on the right track so far?

Also, no knocking sounds or anything like that.

And he is running Bio-Diesel in it, so I'm not sure if the injector is bad, what the fuel would smell like. It smells a bit like sulfur.

I turned it over without glowing it, and it sounds like one cylinder is missing. Would fuel washing the oil off the cylinder walls cause an irregular missing when turning it over?

Thanks!!

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1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D

Last edited by jusme; 12-20-2011 at 03:24 PM.
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  #2  
Old 12-17-2011, 01:47 PM
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Blueish or black smoke? Remove the first injector or glow plug and crank the engine over especially if bluish. Could be major failure of the head gasket in the region of the number one cylinder.

It should spit oil out when cranking or the appearance of the glow plug or injector being wet as well is a clue if the gasket has failed. Also a turbo seal might have let go but this should not make the engine run rough.
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  #3  
Old 12-17-2011, 02:15 PM
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Here's a short video of it. I'd say grey smoke if I had to choose. The PO put BioDiesel in it. So, I have no idea what the exhaust should smell or look like in any event.

Ol' Smoky vid
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1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D
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  #4  
Old 12-17-2011, 02:17 PM
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Also, when I rev it at the end, it sounds like it's got valvetrain noise of some type. And right after I shut it down, it had a quick bearing rattle sound.
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1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D
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  #5  
Old 12-18-2011, 10:58 PM
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Here's a few pics of it in the driveway. I'm looking for a known good running 3.0L OM603. I have 1 left, but unsure of the history. I know it ran, but outside of that, not much else. So, rather than have to go into this engine, if anyone here has a quicker option, I may be interested.

Thanks.
Attached Thumbnails
1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0011.jpg   1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0012.jpg   1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0013.jpg   1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0014.jpg   1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0015.jpg  

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1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D
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  #6  
Old 12-18-2011, 11:01 PM
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more...
Attached Thumbnails
1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0016.jpg   1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0017.jpg   1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0018.jpg   1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0019.jpg   1991 350SD - HUGE amount of Smoking, stumbling and rough running-imag0020.jpg  

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1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D
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  #7  
Old 12-20-2011, 02:31 PM
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Ok, well, I took a closer look, and I can see where oil is seeping where the head meets the block in the area of the front 2 cylinders. So, I'm assuming it's at least a head gasket, maybe a cracked head. I dont think it's a rod bender issue because it went from no smoke to plumes of smoke driving down the highway. Since it instantly came on without warning, I'm leaning toward head/headgasket. So, I will take a compression test to verify my suspicions. But does anyone have a printout from a FSM on the cylinder head R&R on a 1991 350SD?

Thanks!
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1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D
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  #8  
Old 12-20-2011, 03:14 PM
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Sure do the compression check but make sure to examine for the number one cylinder spitting oil out. Common failure that usually does not implicate a cracked head.

I would not play around much with this as an oil based hydrolock might occur. The oil passage that is implicated with this fault actually is located just ahead of the first cylinder.

There have been attempts to reduce the incidence of this failure by improving replacement head gaskets. So if you get into this and it is the fault. Make sure to purchase the most improved head gasket version.
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Old 12-20-2011, 03:27 PM
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Would an "improved" head gasket version be advertised as such? Or should I just look for a specific Supplier or Part Number?

Thanks for the tip about the different head gaskets...
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1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D
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Old 12-20-2011, 05:07 PM
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They usually specify it is an improved version. It is kind of up to you and a supplier to make sure it is the most improved variation.

This may mean you might have to buy an actual mercedes headgsket rather than an aftermarket.

Still have to get some proof The head gasket it the issue though.
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  #11  
Old 12-20-2011, 08:22 PM
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The original head gasket has been superseded several times, I don't think that the original design has been available for over 10years.

Could it be a bent rod? Certainly. The bent rod has been by many blamed on a head gasket failure causing hydrolock, which might have already occurred on your engine. Since the head is flat, and the piston protrudes above the block/deck at TDC, the head gasket provides all of the clearance for the piston at TDC, ... you can easily understand how little oil (or water) it takes to hydrolock the engine.
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Old 12-20-2011, 08:27 PM
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Do these cars have the same vacuum pumps as the older diesel benz's?

I would assume that a vacuum pump letting go would dump all kinds of oil into the system...?
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Old 12-20-2011, 08:42 PM
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The vacuum pump is similar on all 601/2/3 engines but a failure will not put oil into the intake.
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  #14  
Old 12-21-2011, 09:43 AM
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Yeah, I obviously need to verify it's in fact the head gasket, and that any rod damage has not occurred before proceeding. I noticed in this TSB from Mercedes that the symptoms match mine exactly. That's why I'm somewhat hopeful I wont have to swap yet another 3.5L for a 3.0L.

It appears under a group captioned
"Removal and Installation of Engine, Crankcase (block), Cylinder Head,
Crankcase Ventilation." It is numbered 01-93101 and captioned "Engine Smokes
Blue, Makes Knocking Noises, Runs Unevenly, Valve tappets are noisy with
engine at operating temperature." It relates to engines 602.96, 603.96, and
603.971 (produced up to April 1, 1994). This particular bulletin was revised
October 1996. It describes the cause of these problems as "Insufficient
sealing of cylinder head gasket in area of cylinder head lateral oil channel
near cylinder no. 1" and describes the remedy as "Inspect combustion chamber
to determine repair, using boroscope if necessary, and replace cylinder head
gasket." It cautions that prior to re-installing the cylinder head, there
should be a careful inspection of the cylinder head lateral oil channel, the
removal of any burrs, and the lightly camfering (sp?) of the edges from the
lateral oil channel to prevent splitting of the head gasket sealing edge.
__________________
1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D
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  #15  
Old 12-23-2011, 06:45 PM
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Anyone have any idea how to NOT disrupt the timing chain (tieing it out of the way...etc.) when removing the head to replace the gasket?

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1987 300SDL #1, 1987 300SDL #2, 1980 240D, 1982 300SD, 1994 S350, 1990 350SDL, 1991 350SD, 1985 300D, 2005 E320CDI

Gone, but not forgotten: 1981 300SD, 1982 300SD, 1987 300SDL, 1983 300TD, 1980 300CD, 1981 300SD #2, 1987 300D, 1987 300TDT, 1980 300D
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