About 2 years ago I had some oil weeping on my stock oil cooler lines. All the reading I did on line replacement seemed like another horror job so I too the easy root and cut rubber part of old lines off and replaced rubber hoses clamping each end with 2 heavy duty clamps. Well going to work today on the thruway traveling 75-80 mph the car started to slow down like it was running out of fuel next glance at oil pressure told me what was wrong no oil pressure. I had to work my way over 5 lanes to side of road where I could not keep it running and it died. I was able to put the oil hose back on again and put 6 qts. of oil back in again it would not start. While waiting for tow which came 2 hrs. later I was able to start it but it did not sound good. I got it towed home dropped it in the street and when I tried to drive it in the garage it only made it a couple of feet and had no power and stalled. Any suggestions as to what damage was probably done and what I need to get this car on the road again or is it the end of the road for this car? Any one know any good mechanics in the N.W. In. Area or someone who could help me fix this car. 85 300 SD showing 270,000 on odometer.

It's the end of the road for the engine. The rest of the car should have more miles. Trying to start it when the oil pressure gauge pegged low wasn't smart but given the circumstance the engine was a boat anchor the first time it lost power. Hopefully trying to restart it didn't send lower end debris into the IP.

Sixto
MB-less

I guess the first thing I would do is check the camshaft to see how worn it is.
Maybe do a compression test. I have no experience with running this engine out of oil though. Bad times. That sucks. Sorry for the bad luck.

__________________
1987 300E

From what you describe, it probably won't spin fast enough for a proper compression test. Drain the oil and see if a magnet picks up ferrous debris.

Sixto
MB-less

__________________
1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Local MB expert:

Werner's Garage
7804 Fritz Road
Fort Wayne, Indiana
260-489-8225

__________________
1981 300TD 310k miles
1970 280sel 172k miles
1966 230 Fintail 162k miles

"Where are we going? And why am I in this hand basket?"

I think she`s done.

Found this one, is this close to you?

MERCEDES BENZ 300D 1985 DIESEL 123 CHASSIS DIESEL ENGINE


Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Happened to me 7 years ago. I was very lucky to be watching the gauges checking my speed the moment I lost pressure. It was quite a mess.

__________________
1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Sounds like you either need another engine or another car. In general, with european cars it is not a good plan to be lazy and change things from the way they were made unless its very temporary and/or you are sure you know what you are doing. In that case, that engine could have lasted another 200k with the oil cooler lines repaied properly, but it either needs to be rebuilt or replaced now. If you aren't going to swap the engine yourself that probably means the car is off the road for good.

German cars do not like hack-job repair solutions, it will ALWAYS come back to haunt.

Its a shame, '85SD's are one of the best W126's....if the rest of the car is nice you should find another engine for it.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Where was your oil leak?

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-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991

same as OP... notice the hose clamp on the cooler line?

__________________
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!

So, the replacement hose (looks like you cut off the factory clamps and replaced the hose itself, keeping the original end-fittings, and clamped the new hose in place with hose clamps)... did it burst, or let go from one of the factory end-fittings?

Yup for the OM616/617 uninitiated:

The oil cooler on these cars is a tall skinny mini radiator just to the left of the main radiator.

The oil cooler lines on these run from the base of the oil filter tower to the oil cooler. They are a combination of hard line and rubber line.

One other thing to watch is that the lines run in close proximity to the drive belt and pulleys particularly for the power steering pump. If the engine mounts fail this can drive the pulley into the rubber oil line.

At normal operation, these lines circulate the entire oil capacity of the engine multiple times a minute. If the lines fail you will discharge all the oil in short order without warning.

Forum member mach4 has the best method out there for this repair short of using the official MB line set. He used -AN hose and fittings.

__________________
The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

I have always figured the clamped on hose installed by owners relaxes over time and gets blown off. I thought a long time ago if those same owners had inserted a safety wire under their clamps and also managed to either clamp it or anchor it to the remaining fitting that was exposed. It may have vastly increased the chances of it staying on. I also thought that the vast majority of the failures will occur on the highway as the oil cooler thermostat has opened. The original hose with it's compressed portion is anchored to the barb in a simular fashion by design.

As for your engine I might remove the lower oil pan and if no evidence of bearing material is present. Pull the first rods cap and have a look.Or remove and inspect the oil filter. Although the larger pieces of bearing babbit may not get past the oil pump screen.

I would also expect to have to replace the engine as the most likely economical approach and probability.Another consideration was also glueing new hose on the barb as well as clamping with a safety wire. I have had good luck glueing things over the years but there usually has been a lot of consderation given to the most effective glue to use. For a variety of reasons I have always suspected the oil cooler hose never self vulcanizes to the barb like a coolant hose does. Probably a little oil seepage prevents it.

Unfortunatly when one member has this happen I have noticed in the past we get a few of them usually all too soon after.