The loud metallic "banging" and the "squeaking" are pretty conclusive sounds that something important (and expensive) is NOT HAPPY.

The squeaking is a bearing getting REALLY HOT and seizing up on you. Camshaft, crankshaft, connecting rod, wrist-pin. Whatever it is, it isn't going to be a simple fix and it likely indicates further damage internally to the engine.

That banging noise... Let's be honest, that's something major. Piston slapping the head, bearing wallered out to the point you've got a knock, something is WAY out of its "Happy Place" at this point.

Stop trying to run this engine. At some point it's time to cut your losses and find a donor, now is a good time. You can throw time, effort, and money at it, but sometimes it isn't worth the struggle.

Sorry, I'm not one to sugar-coat things. Given the history with this engine and the rapid progressing of it's demise, stick a fork in it. 617's are easy enough to come by cheaply, very likely a heck of a lot cheaper than what you're gonna throw into that one to make it work again.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

While I agree that there is something major wrong with the engine, I'm not yet convinced it is fatal. More needs to be done to determine what exactly is wrong.

I've looked at a 617 timing chain so I didn't mean 'jumped a tooth' literally. I meant that it seems to me that something is wrong with the chain/timing system. Maybe the timing of the IP is way off or something. Isn't there a key in the IP timing gear which might have failed?

__________________
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 the squeaks only occur after the engine warms up and then engine stalls, and won't restart till the engine cools off....... that maybe due to increasing friction of rotating/ moving surfaces from thermo expansion. Maybe a piece of the rag got wrapped into a cam bearing journal? Maybe the chewed up rag is blocking the oil pump pick up screen causing oil starvation of the engine?

Have you removed the oil pan to inspect the oil pump pickup screen? That is worth doing if you have not done so already.

__________________
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 believe he described cleaning the pan oil pick up in the earlier thread. Could the squealing be the IP timing gear spinning on its shaft?

__________________
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

Maybe another rag got sucked down and is tangled around the IP timing gear?

__________________
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

Is there some distinct reason that the PO left a rag in the engine? Could it have been to hide something?

If the timing were off, you'd be having issues with all 5 of the cylinders. The noise being made in the video is clearly one cylinder having a very unhappy moment.

With all the carnage present from the rag in the valve train area, I'd be extremely surprised if the engine didn't suffer oil starvation issues. It doesn't take much, just enough restriction in the oil supply to let the bearings rub and it's game over. Get a hot or flat spot and it goes downhill fast, get them hot enough and they spin or come apart. Next stop - thrown rod.

You can pray and hope and wish that it's something simple like a timing chain guide or general timing, but that doesn't cause the symptoms, noises, or behavior present in this example.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

I think all cylinders are having problems. If they aren't why isn't it revving up?

__________________
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

Here's a possible scenerio: PO lost the oil filler cap, stuffed the hole with the rag and forgot about it and started the engine. The rag got ingested and he couldn't pull it out. Bought an oil cap and sold the car.

__________________
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

Thank you everyone for taking the time to address my issue.

The noise definitely seems to be coming from the top end, near the front of the valve cover. The rag was wrapped around the last 2 lobes of the cam. It was not wrapped up in the timing chain at all.


Yes I checked the oil pump pickup screen when I first found the rag. It was stuffed full of rag shards. I cleaned out as much as I could and replaced the pick up screen/rubber piece. Before yesterday, it was squeaking intermittently when cold sometimes, and not squeaking at all when hot sometimes.

I honestly don't know. I bought it sight unseen on ebay and got a good deal on it. The body is nearly perfect, so it was worth what I paid even with a blown engine. The PO was really responsive during the time after the auction until I got the car picked up and then just disappeared after I found the rag and tried to ask him about it. So......who knows.

You are correct that it is not revving up. It was before yesterday when I revved it in neutral. When I first bought the car it had normal power, but it has all been downhill since.

I've pretty much accepted the fact that this car is probably going to need a new engine, but I'm wondering if there is anything I can do (short of tearing down the engine) to show definitively that it is toast, before I begin considering a replacement engine.

Giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, this is what I think happened, too. Although he wouldn't respond to me when I tried to contact him about it, so maybe I'm giving him too much credit.

What is the oil pressure? If the oil pressure is OK, then you should be ok other than cleaning out the rag stuff.

I'd pull the valve cover and start it up and see if you can see anything odd happening.

__________________
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

When it was idling well, the oil pressure hovered just under 2 and would max out when I revved it. I didn't think to look yesterday when it was running so terribly in the video.

Do you have a pic of the stuffed pickup screen? Was it 100% blocked? Do you have a link to the ebay ad? Depending how it was worded, you may have a case to get some compensation for a replacement engine.

__________________
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