My heart is breaking! My beloved '85 300 TD (Ben) is making a fatal engine noise and blowing clouds of white smoke (unburned fuel) and engine oil from exhaust pipe.
My first thought was "Damn engine replacement!" Then my old hot rodding instinct kicked in with "I can fix that, probably a cracked piston." If the cyl. wall isn't badly scored or crank journal isn't spun, I could use ridge reamer and hone cyl, install new piston and ring set and go!
But then I thought finding a new piston and ring set and installing it might be more difficult and expensive than replacing engine!
Any body been there and done that or any other thoughts that might help?
I appreciate any help, I love this car.
Thanks

What is the "fatal engine noise" and what incident led up to this?

Finding a donor engine would be much less expensive.

__________________
Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Are you certain that it isn't a blown head gasket? Would be prudent to pull the head and find out what failed, it could be something easily replaceable.

__________________
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!)

The fatal engine noise my car experienced was a clickety clackiety noise.
I had just installed a reworked injection pump and when I started the car it immediately started this sound and smokey oil came out the exhaust.
I replaced another injection pump in my other car without issue.

Oh, so it could all be poor timing or poor tolerances in the IP and nothing to do with the bottom end. There is no place for a heart ( emotion) in this process, get rational and think it through. The IP is fried. A compression test would show that I think.

So let's back up......you replaced the IP. Why? What was wrong with the old one?

If the noise started immediately after replacing the IP, look at the IP or an injector as the likely problem. Perhaps you're having diesel coming out the exhaust and not lube oil.

One thing at a time...

__________________
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!)

Bad turbo can also dump oil out the exhaust. Bad headgasket can dump oil and coolant (smoke). How does / did the exhaust smell? Can you rotate the engine by hand?

__________________
Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC