Compression tester. Recommend one, please.
 

Doing some troubleshooting on my 126.125...something is amiss with No 4 among another issue. Can anyone recommend me a compression tester that will fit the 603 and the 617 turbo?

Thanks

Hello - check out the link below to our compression kits for diesels - these should work for your MBZ. If you have any further questions, give us a call at 888-280-7799 and one of our Mercedes parts specialists will be happy to help you out.

Compression Testers - PelicanParts.com


-Dmitry

I very much support Pelican but for rare home use the Harbor Freight one isn't a bad choice and WAY cheaper. I use mine maybe once every other year so it would be hard for me to justify $400. I have had excellent success from anything I've gotten from Pelican so I'm sure it's a very good tool.

Dan

US 617 and 603 with vertical injection use the same prechamber adapter. 603 inclined injection uses a different adapter. All use the same glow plug adapter.

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

Compression testers will be for diesel or gas. The diesel style will have adapters for multiple injection or glow plug holes.

I have the HF kit and it works just fine on my 603. Use the injector adapter (comes in the kit), glow plug adapter is a major PITA in the 603 since you have to get under the intake manifold.

Tools :
 

Dmitry :

Do you carry the Mityvac tool ? .

I tried searching and only found a replacement hose for one....

TIA,

HF for the 617

I use the HF for 617. Have only used the injector adapter. Be sure to install the spacer ring too, so the adapter displaces the same volume as the injector. I have only done this when pop-testing injectors (3 sets so far). It looks tedious to try to install the glow-plug adapter between the fuel tubes, but if replacing glow-plugs anyway, I would try that.

Re results, I measured >400 psig in all cyl of one engine that runs well w/ little blow-by and <300 psig in several cylinders of an engine that was hard to start on cold mornings and later failed (pistons chipped), so measurements seem to correlate to actual condition.

I usually use the HF glow plug adaptors and they seem to fit pretty easily. Mutt's engine is pretty stock in this area so I'd think my experience would be more or less typical for the 616/617 engine. Next time I pull the injectors I'll try it that way, too. Greazzer wants me to try some spiffy new injectors he has made up and when we get a track to run on I probably will.

Dan

Okay thanks gang. Off to HF I go.

Just to confirm, this is the kit - Diesel Compression Tester Set

That is a lot of kit for $160.

Yep. I happened to catch mine on sale and of course they ALWAYS have a (usually 20%) coupon which pays off on something like this.

Dan

Pretty sure that HF has a cheaper kit. Mine doesn't have the conical adapters shown in the link above. I recall paying ~$35 on sale. It does have the adapters you need for an OM617 engine, both injector holes and glow-plugs. Of course, being a cheap guy, I am sure I also used a 20% off coupon and such. But, hurry because the President's current deal-making w/ China may shut-down that cheap tools pipeline. U.S. manufacturers will love, but not so for us cheap shadetree guys that just need a tool that works OK the few times we'll use it.

The $30 kit I see on their website today has more fittings and a hard case compared with a similarly priced kit I got ages ago which came in a plastic sleeve. Sadly, I lent it out and it came back with only the inclined injector adapter :/

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon