Chances are whatever water happeed to get in there probably has drained past the rings by now. Did you ever get that inspection camera? If so you can stick it in the runner to see if the valves are open or closed.

If they are closed, then you may be able to see coolant pooled in the runner, or at least dampness. If they are open, you may be able to get a glimpse into the cylinder through the valve.

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RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Would you feel ok with cranking the starter after removing the one injector with the 5 empty glow plug holes?

Probably should drain the water out of the sump before cranking?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

You guys have completely lost me. I thought we were onto something here. I was going to get a few more item specifics and minor details on patching this up and get rolling. Now we are hand cranking engines, removing injectors, draining sumps, replacing heat shields, snaking inspection cameras (which by the way doesn't fit in the hole).

I have fuel lines disconnected, coolant lines disconnected, ziplocks full of bolts and fasteners labeled with where they go back, no glow plugs in any of the other 5 ports. Now I am to remove an injector. Open up yet more passages and then actually turn the key? And this is supposed to be a good thing?

I am clearly way over my head here. Perhaps my original idea of just getting rid of this as a "project car" to someone is the right call.

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Mike Mass
Freehold, NJ

1999 E300 TD 178,000 miles
2007 E320 Bluetec - Sold

1998 E300 TD - R.I.P.

Did you see my edit in post #209 copied below? Does it make sense? This is all prep work before plugging it up and is important. You want to drain the coolant before cranking so you don't mix the oil and coolant and circulate it. You probably want to vacuum out the aluminum shavings that is also in the intake runner. If you crank the engine and if some of that shaving get stuck between an intake valve and valve seat, the compression in that cylinder will suffer.

I still have to make the drawing of my new ideas on plugging. It's less work and than before.

"Picture this:

After you drilled through and into a coolant jacket with the 13/64 drill, coolant flows out and rise up and drains into the large gaping intake runner breach. Because the expansion tank cap was on, it took days for the coolant in the expansion tank and head (up to the level of the breached coolant jacket) to completely drain into the intake runner."

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

I did miss that edit. Yes, that makes perfect sense about the slow draining of the coolant.

__________________
Mike Mass
Freehold, NJ

1999 E300 TD 178,000 miles
2007 E320 Bluetec - Sold

1998 E300 TD - R.I.P.

If there is an opening into all cylinders that may have coolant in them (whether gp hole or injector hole) then crank away.

The camera would be put into the intake runners (where you had the rags) -- it should easily fit. Then you can see if the valves are closed. If they are closed, I think you could risk just buttoning it up and running it.

Unless this car is a complete POS, pull the head and repair or replace. If a POS, sell it as parts / project, someone will buy your pain.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Mike,

Looking at this pic closely to try to get more details. Can you tell what my 3 hand drawn arrows are pointing at?

If the tip of your blue arrow is pointing to the center of the glow plug, is the partial dark circular line that arrow 1 is pointing at the outer circumference of the glow plug tip?

Is the larger partial dark circular line that arrow 2 is pointing at the outer circumference of the glow plug body?

Is arrow 3 pointing at the center of the 1/2 drilled hole?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

funola - I would say that is pretty accurate with regard to 1 & 2. At least that was my assumption. As for #3, I am not sure if that is dead center of the 1/2" hole. But probably pretty close. I just went through all the photos I took and this one below with the 13/64 drill bit inserted is probably the most "straight on" shot. So looking at that, I think you are quite accurate in saying that #3 is dead center.



Curious as to what you are getting at here? I think I have an idea, and now I am concerned.

__________________
Mike Mass
Freehold, NJ

1999 E300 TD 178,000 miles
2007 E320 Bluetec - Sold

1998 E300 TD - R.I.P.

It's hard to see depth and details from non ideal photos, that's why I am asking questions on new things I notice in your photos. Your answers will allow me to determine if my "plugging" ideas will be feasible or even worth trying.

Can you tell me where the large gaping hole starts and how wide and far it goes? In the photo with my hand drawn arrows, the dark gaping hole seems to extend all the way to the red arrow and beyond. Is that true or an optical thing due to shading?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Optical. It is not as deep as where the red hole is. Recall from an earlier measurement of mine, the 13/64" hole is about 7/8" in deeper than where the 1/2" bit bottomed out. Being that drill bits are conical at the tip and a 1/2" bit is relatively large, the red hole is probably 1" deeper than the deepest part of the large gaping hole.

Hope that make sense.

__________________
Mike Mass
Freehold, NJ

1999 E300 TD 178,000 miles
2007 E320 Bluetec - Sold

1998 E300 TD - R.I.P.

OK. At what depth does the gaping hole start and end in the 1/2" hole? Is there solid aluminum in 360 degree of the 1/2" hole circumference before and after the gaping hole for a tap to run through?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

I'd have to get the exact measurements. But I do know for sure that there is not solid aluminum after the gaping hole.

__________________
Mike Mass
Freehold, NJ

1999 E300 TD 178,000 miles
2007 E320 Bluetec - Sold

1998 E300 TD - R.I.P.

Did you get to it?

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

It runs the whole length of the 1/2" bit depth, less the concave of the bit tip.

__________________
Mike Mass
Freehold, NJ

1999 E300 TD 178,000 miles
2007 E320 Bluetec - Sold

1998 E300 TD - R.I.P.