Love this forum

I have just finsihed fixing my 74 240d and have been driving it to work for a week. The knowledge shared by the members here was instrumental in my success.

The details are that I saw an add for this 240 and the guy said that i was no running for 3 years. I went to look at it anyway. The car was clean for its age, no rust, the interior intact no cracks in dash etc. I ended up buying the car, thinking the guy ran out of diesel and "air locked" it.

After having the car towed home I started tinkering with it and discovered that the timing chain was broke. That is when I tried to look up information on the web and discovered this forum.

Taking a chance based on the advice of an old diesel mechanic I replace the timing chain. Took the ip off to set the timing at 26 BTDC and with new oil (delvac 1300 15 - 40 ) oil filter and a sears battery it fired up at the first attempt, 30 - 40 sec cranking.

I have some minor issues like speedometer to take care of, just got the heater blower working last night.

Couple of things i want to share is that I have used the WURTH penetrating stuff, if you can get it use it in tricky situations, because it works so better than WD 40 IMHO. Also Power service dieselkleen cured the nasty smoke problem by cleaning the injectors, though I added a whole lot more that the recomended dose.

In time I will post pictures of the car, it is sort of cream/white with red interior four speed auto with shifter on the column.

Once again I thank all you good people, There was no way I could have set up the ip timing etc with out the "gems" that I found in "diesel discussion".

The car runs fine and is fun to drive, I havent had problems with the it being slow, I can keep up with normal trafic and take the little hills in our area. Its been quite cold in centtral Washington the last few days and she fires up easily every moring with out a block heater in 20 -30 degrees.

Aazer Ahmed

The timing chain broke, you put in a new one and it runs fine? ODD!

Tubodiesel

Yes, I thought that impossible my self, but most likely, it broke at very low rpm, also the chain had not cleared the cam yet. One interesting point is that I did get some maint records from PO. He had had the valves adjusted serveral times but the timing chain was not replaced. The chain had steel rollers and was put togeteher with a E type clip, like on bicycle chains. But thats that clip type link was not the one that broke.

And yes, knock on wood, the engine runs fine, not bent valves etc.

[bill threlkel]

Aazer
Welcome to the site. How many miles on the 240d?
You had geat luck with that engine. Enjoy the car they are a fun cars to drive. How is the interior? keep us informed.
Bill

[240 Ed]

Aazar

This is truly amazing that no damage occured!!!

I am not doubting you, just really amazed!!!

It must have broken as it sat, not running. It wouldn't even take one revolution to bend a valve...

What does anyone else think of this?

[240 Ed]

Aazar

Good point about Wurth Penetrating oil.

But WD40 was never intended to be a penetrating oil in the first place. It is a water displacer.

[leathermang]

I know farmers that make their own penetrating oil by mixing lacquer thinner and tranmission fluid...

Bill

As for the miles the odometer was at 95000, and the PO was not sure how many times had it turned over, so it could be 195000 - 395000 who knows. The interior is good, I dont see and rips or cracks, and the headliner is good and clean. I think the car had a loving owner in the early years.

I checked and the manufacture is 10/73. Over the weekend I replaced the speedo and fixed the turn signal switch so that it stays and returns to off like it should.

I will try to post some pictures of her pretty soon.

[Ken300D]

Makes you think the timing chain must have broken during a starting attempt. Then the starter wasn't strong enough to bend any valves. Pretty lucky.

Ken300D

I suggest that you take the cam cover off and check very, very carefully (with magnification) for cracks in the cam bearing towers. I have personally seen one case of a broken timing chain on a '69 220D on which the front and middle cam towers were the only parts damaged (but really busted up!), other than a crack in the cam cover itself. (But they must be replaced in complete sets if damaged.)