Right now the more the Engine is run the more damage would be caused.

If you find Metal in the Oill Filter a suggested or in the Oil Pan you know you have at least lost some Bearings.

If while you while the Oil Pan is removed you can see any of the Cylinders and they are scored it is real likely the Piston Skirts are damaged. That would bump the expense of rebuilding the Engine up.

But, in the End you will not know for sure until the Engine is out of the Car and apart for a complete inspection if it can be fixed at a resonable cost.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Does anyone know, does an oil cooler line show any signs before it blows? Not talking about wetness as that is more a sign that they are old. Does the line swell before it burst, does it crack really bad...leak bad? Before I go on and longer around town rides, I always inspect everything under my hood and look at my lines....wondering if there are any bigger signs of a blow out that would have prevented this....

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If the oil cooler lines on an aquired example are suspected to be really old they should probably be changed out as a maintenance item. I would not expect any early warning signs particularily as being a certainty. Although them seeping or whatever and not changing them out seems like just asking for it.

Seems correct.

I lucked out when I first bought my 84SD. The engine mounts had been oil and fuel drenched so many time they became the consistancy of marshmellows. When the engine tilted to the left so far from a soft mount one of the pulleys wore a groove in the oil cooling line. I was lucky the leak developed during a warmup.

I was standing outside the car when I noticed the right wheel was splattered with oil. I ran (10 feet) and shut down the engine. I'd lost almost a quart of oil so I felt thankful that I wasn't blasting down the highway.

I'm sorry the OP lost his engine. I had some trouble with my oil pressure guage and you guys worked through the problem with me. I didn't drive my car without that guage working though I expect a guage wouldn't have helped the OP. A critical amount of oil would be lost in just a few seconds with the engine at high RPM.

The guages are not measuring the maxium pressure when the engine is full blast, I don't think. We might be getting much more than three bars of pressure. I know mine pegs out (3 bars) at about 1000 RPM.

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84 300SD
85 380SE
83 528e
95 318ic

Oil seeping out from under the Collar is a common sign. But, there is at least one person who said there was no Oil seepage and the Hose just burst.

No way to tell what is going on inside of the Hose.

You would think that any 25+ year old Hose on a car would be suspect.

Then there is other issues where Rust eats through the Steel part of the Hose.

I also think if you just purchase the Car and the Engine shakes a lot that is going to be exercising the old Hoses a lot.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

First, everyone is jumping to conclusions that his engine is bad. This happened to my 84 300D and my son is still driving it. In my case, it appears the R4 compressor seized, breaking the belt, which caused the power steering belt to flip over, and its "teeth" sawed thru an oil cooler line like a chainsaw. Not sure when it happened, but maybe 1 mile from our house (after a 500 mi drive) since it sprayed oil everywhere and he soon saw fumes and it coated the windshield. I recall ~4 qts to bring it back to full, and I recall ~6 qts each oil change.

This also happened to my 82 Aries long ago. The German tourist the "drive-away" delivery company got to drive the car from CA to GA never checked the oil even though he was supposed to every 100 miles ("I don't know cars"). The company had changed the oil (my expense) and the mechanic hadn't tightened the oil plug fully. When it arrived, the oil light was on and it was making a ticking noise up top. It had <1 qt in the pan. The camshaft was ruined, which I repaired, and the engine ran fine and quiet after that.

I don't think you have bad bearings. That makes a deep thudding sound and varies with load. It sounds like you have a tingy sound, and it probably doesn't vary in intensity with load. You probably have worn cam lobes. The cam is the first to go since up high. I had the cam in my Aries reground and installed new followers. I don't know if that is easy or cheap in a 300D. If not, you should be able to get used parts cheap, and shipping shouldn't be bad. I think you can change the camshaft without messing up the timing chain settings, if you read up and are careful. If you are worried about your rings or holes in the pistons, a compression check will ascertain all.

Those cases are different. One just involves an inadequate amount of oil--the Aries. The pressure would have remained high. In the other case, the car was (luckily) only driven a mile. In the OP's case, the car was driven long enough without oil pressure for the coolant to register an overheat condition and during that time the pressure was extremely low or non-existent.

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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

If you wait to hear the ruined Bearings causing a thumping sound I think it is too late.

My though is that if you plan to limit further damage after there is catastrophic Oil loss the Car should not be driven until the Oil is drained and the Oil; and, the Pan removed and checked for Metal Particles.
If no evidence of destroyed Bearings is found there is a much better chance no damage will be done if you replace the Oil and drive off.

My other though is you should be a Member of someplace that gives free towing so you are not faced with that choice of dumping in more Oil and having to drive the Car.

Also a problem with the Older Diesels is that a loss of Oil Pressure could also result in a loss of pressere in the Timing Chain Tensioner and resulting timing issues if the Chain should Jump a tooth.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

OK, first, you need to include vehicle data in any post asking for assistance with a particular problem.

for instance an 86SDL would act differently than an 84SD... totally different valvetrain etc...

so, put that in please.

next, if you only needed 4 quarts to bring the level up to the top mark, you did not run out of oil, it's unlikely damage was done unless you were REALLY moving on the highway when the hose broke. 3ish quarts of oil is enough to prevent damage... of the engine. as for the tapping noise, take off the valve cover and figure out what it is. still needing 4 quarts should not have overheated the engine either... 4 quarts to make the stick mark, before you started the engine or cold? 4 quarts with an empty cooler and oil filter is VERY low...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!