OM617 Ran out of oil - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

tyl604 · #16 08-08-2015, 06:46 PM

Am more interested in how your motor is doing. Please keep us up to date.

97 SL320 · #17 08-08-2015, 08:09 PM

The OP still has not posted how much oil was left in the pan. My 2 ish quarts left = no engine damage still stands. Even below that would still be OK but getting edgy. ( hills or curves sloshing oil away from the pickup )

Regardless of any of this, the turbos life has been shortened.

leathermang · #18 08-08-2015, 08:30 PM

Yes, I say if he could still see pressure on the gauge he MAY be ok... and that new bearings in the turbo would be appropriate ' punishment' for this insult to the engine..
lol... really do a search.... not too bad and you can drive not wondering when those bearings are going to go south on you...

cfh · #19 08-09-2015, 04:40 PM

I drained about a quart and a half of oil that was remaining in the sump; put in a new filter and refilled with oil; car was a little slow to start but once it started it sounded fine. Maybe I've dodged a bullet - I had been running synthetic oil and it had a very recent oil change before this incident - hopefully maybe that helps. I have not driven it yet though so I am only cautiously optimistic.

Next steps will be to send a sample out for oil analysis, do a valve adjustment, inspect the cam, and do a compression check. I did not remove the oil pan. The oil filter looked normal from the outside - should I cut it open and look inside?

The turbo still spins freely but I wonder whether I should replace it to be on the safe side. I have not looked into what might happen if the turbo goes bad - is there any way the results could be catastrophic, similar to the vacuum pump situation?

Unfortunately I'm in a rush to get out of town to deal with a work situation and won't be able to get back to this project probably until next weekend.

Thanks to everyone who has posted to this thread - it has been a real help.

t walgamuth · #20 08-09-2015, 05:05 PM

I'd drive it on short trips to start with until I am sure its ok.

leathermang · #21 08-09-2015, 05:41 PM

I would replace the turbo on principal ....
or have the bearings replaced...

jt20 · #22 08-09-2015, 05:52 PM

"trying it out" can cause irreparable damage that you will not notice until it is too late.

The bearings on the crank / rods may be damaged at this point and further driving may not produce audible sounds for a long while.

Once you start to hear things ticking and knocking, you may have to have your rods reconditioned because they will be deformed.

Best procedure at this point, to ensure healthy engine life, open up the bottom end and inspect the rod bearings at the very least - they are the first to go.

jt20 · #23 08-09-2015, 05:54 PM

If any crank /rod bearings are lightly damaged, you will continue to see full oil pressure for a long time depending on driving habits and severity of damage.

cfh · #24 08-09-2015, 05:59 PM

It sounds like inspecting the rod bearings would be the prudent thing to do before I start driving it again - will have to read up on how to do that, what tools are needed, and what to look for.

jt20 · #25 08-09-2015, 06:11 PM

I don't mean to be an over reactive alarmist, its just in the best interest of the engine and your headache. I've been there.

A very regular oil analysis procedure may be another good option if you want to avoid the engine pulling.

leathermang · #26 08-09-2015, 06:15 PM

He has a good spare engine....
and it is really hard to do that measuring with any degree of accuracy.... how do you get to the top side of the crank throw ? ...and with what kind of measuring devices... hard enough to do correctly with it on an engine stand where you can turn it to your advantage...

Mike D · #27 08-09-2015, 06:15 PM

" Read, learn, think. It works for me and has helped keep all my cars working"

Hey, hey, hey! There's no room here on this board for that kind of thinking!

Mike D · #28 08-09-2015, 06:29 PM

Without pulling the cast aluminum oil pan (a major effort in itself while the engine is in the chassis) about all you could do, inspection-wise, would be to pull the lower pan, rotate the crank to where a rod (number two if memory serves me correctly) is at the lowest position, and pull the cap off for a visual inspection. You can Plasti-gauge (am I showing my age here?) the crank clearance. That would be checking ONE crank journal only and not exactly a thorough inspection.

I say, put some oil in the beast and give her a go.

jt20 · #29 08-09-2015, 06:38 PM

There is nothing to measure. You will see a bad bearing on these engines very easily if one has been compromised. The babbitt will be spread all over the running surface and some melted to the crank.

Unless it is run for an extended/ high load period, the crank will probably not be damaged and can be polished with no grinding.

Gambling is fine and I agree with SL320 - if there was still enough oil, chances are pretty good theres no bearing damage. It really depends on how you drove those "5 minutes".

leathermang · #30 08-09-2015, 06:59 PM

Perhaps someone has the specs the factory supplies concerning the Torque required to turn the engine over... a standard way to measure a newly rebuilt engine to see if the bearings were installed too tight....??????
He could get an idea just putting a torque wrench on the front crank nut...