Rod Bender
 

I have a 91 350 sdl that I bought from a guy about 2 years ago. I have never driven the car I think it has the head gasket oil passage problem. I have started the car once to move it 4 ft. and after shut down I get oil spewing out the tail pipe. Has Mercedes perfected the head gasket to replace it or could it be stretched head bolts. I have never seen a real good explanation of why this happens. The car has 190,000 miles on it and is in very good condition other than this problem. anyone have any info?

Thanks

"Google" (on ANY MB Forum) "Rod Bender"
 

Enough info to keep you busy reading until May Day.

ASSUMING:
head gasket problems without compression/leak down testing does WHAT?
(Answer: Mis-Informs)

'Could be a HG,Or could be "Wallered Out" Cylinder(S). Etc.,Etc.,Etc.

KNOW what's wrong with this 3.5 before trying to Kiss Pandora!

Smartest Plan would be to have a 3 Liter OM603 Lower End of Good Provenance
Waiting in the Wings,In Case Bad goes Worse.
(It Plugs Right In to the Old Head of the 3.5 liter)

If there's oil coming out of the tailpipe it probably has a blown turbo...

-J

I'm gonna say ditto on the turbo being a problem. If it was oil consumption into the engine the thing would have run away on you but you were able to shut it off normally so I see no reason to assume the worst yet. It's more likely the oil is going to the turbo and out the tail pipe.

Pull the number one injector or glow plug. Disable the injector by using the hard line nut if removing the glow plug. Crank the engine. If oil is blown out of the cylinder it is the oil passage.

If the glow plug looks dry it probably is the turbo as mentioned. Another test is to remove the boot between the tubo and the engine intake. It may be a metal crossover pipe on your model. Lots of oil present of course it is the turbo.

Good advice, but know that if the cross over pipe is full of black tarry goo that is a normal byproduct of a properly functioning evil EGR valve. Don't confuse that with oil from a blown turbo.

Wear gloves, that black snot is the worst to get off your fingers. Even with GoJo, it barely makes a dent in it.

When my turbo went south the 2nd time I could take that pipe off and literally pour oil out of it.

-J

To clarify,

the EGR goo is more like a clogged drain pipe or arteries.

turbo blowout, the oil is liquid and it pours out.

Yup. The EGR goop is about the consistency of peanut butter.

-J

Peanut butter that has sat out for a month.....!

Thanks for the imput I will try the test mentioned.