A buddy of mine has a 1987 w126 300sdl with the om603 engine, it the original engine with the original #14 head. he was on the highway and all of a suddn the car just started heavily smoking. i went over to check a few basic thing and i found;

No coolant consumption, no oil in coolant. no coolant in oil. SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF OIL ( low level) , pressure good , drove it around the block, good power. Thought it might be the turbo seal so I took off the cross over pipe, but no smoke either way. pulled the oil filler cap and no smoke( no blow by )

Im a little stumped. What could it be? Hes loosing a lot of oil and its out the tail pipe, white in color. if the turbo seal goes bad can it go out the turbine side? Is it the head? or gasket ? in a spot where oil just doesnt mix with coolant?

please help

Head gasket maybe leaking oil into #1 cylinder. Had it happen twice.

Might be able to see oil/smoke by removing the forward plug on the exhaust manifold. I never removed it to see.

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Present
1987 300SDL
1991 300SL
1990 560SEL
2001 ML320

Past
1969 200D 1979-82
1983 300SD 1984-85
1972 250C 1982-02
1995 S350 2011
1997 S320 2012

did you fix it yourself or had a shop do it? what did it run you?

I want to help my buddy out but dont really have the time to do a headgasket job.

What I was thinking too.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

300K on car + engine . it a better 300K car but its still a 300K car.

What would you guys do? Is it worth saving?

How involved is a head-gasket job on the om 603 ? years ago I had done a head-gasket on a 87 bmw m20 325i .wasnt too bad. took me all day.

anyone on the board willing to do this job? how much?

Last time I checked headgasket replacement at an indie was $1200.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Did them myself. First one had 320,00 miles on it, had head surfaced and valves done (for no good reason). Used dealer supplied gaskets. Surfacing required the reshiming of precombusion chambers. Which added hours to the job.

Second car failed at 160,000 miles. Did not do head. Used aftermarket gasket from a Mercedes supplier.

Nothing difficult about the job. Head bolts were reusable both times, but bought new ones. Items to review ahead of time: head bolt bit, pin removal for chain guide, cam location and unbolting pattern. Remove vac pump to make job easier.

__________________

Present
1987 300SDL
1991 300SL
1990 560SEL
2001 ML320

Past
1969 200D 1979-82
1983 300SD 1984-85
1972 250C 1982-02
1995 S350 2011
1997 S320 2012

head gasket....mine did that...talked to an local MB indy shop...603 classic head gasket blow out...oil passage thru head gasket at #1 is weak...when it blows it sucks oil thru #1 and you get super smoke....

mine happened at a fill up stop...sucked like 2-3 quarts per mile...towed home and pulled head...#1 ring blew out...

new head gasket and runnning again...

but it is a PITA job...

Kerry...if you got it done for $1200 u got a deal...I would have gladly paid that after it was all said and done.

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1987 300TDT
1981 VW MKI Caddy 1.6 diesel, waiting on engine swap
1983 D-50 Power Ram 4x4 "Mitsubishi" 2.3 turbo diesel
assorted gas powered crap and motorcycles

RIP: 1984 300TDT, 1982 300TDT, 1984 190D 2.2, 1992 300D 2.5, 1987 300TDT, 1982 Maxima LD28, 1983 Maxima LD28, Isuzu C223 P'ups X3, 1983 Holiday Rambler 6.2 Banks turbo diesel, 1984 Winnebago LeSharo 2.1 TD, 1985 Allegro 6.5