Opinions?

https://austin.craigslist.org/pts/d/reduced-2-mercedes-benz-om/6385583446.html

Just contacted the seller and he said they are both from mid engine offshore boats. Would it be difficult to get one of these swapped in a car or do they have different configurations car vs boat?

The boat motors look good. I'd hook up a jumper battery and hear them run before buying.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I just asked the seller if he had started them since being rebuilt and said "no they don't even have oil in them". Red flag? Or do I see them in person, bring some oil and diesel and battery, and try to start it in person? Only issue is that it is a 3 hour drive there and a 3 hour drive back just to first see if they even start and run right. Only reason I am considering this option is due to the fact that I could get a $500 rebuilt motor vs a $1000 donor with 300k miles and maybe get back $600 from parting out and salvage.

Kind of in limbo currently

Get the seller to have that stuff there for you.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

He said he would rather not try and run the engine on the ground due to a high chance of it running away and that there isn't a good way to kill the engine without damaging it. He said we could crank it though.

Still appealing?

RED FLAG!!!!!! If a seller of an engine refuses to run it, RUN AWAY FAST. Don't make his problems into yours.

__________________
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!)

Good to know. If he changes his mind I'll reconsider but for now I will keep looking. Thinking about hunting down a "low milage" (less 150k miles) engine now rather than hunting down a high milage donor, feels safer.

I think this is the proper way to advertise an engine you are willing to sell:
https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/d/mercedes-benz-om617-a-diesel/6371626104.html

Plan to contact him and see if I might be able to get him to budge a little on the price, especially since it is not a turbo

All you have to do is deny it fuel.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

It sounds like he is afraid to start them because there is no load on them being out of the boat and all. He might think they could over-rev.

__________________
Brian
87 300Dturbo 180K #14 head still running R-12 SOLD 12/2017
02 F350 Powerstroke 180K
05 Chevy Express 1 ton w/Royal Utility box 120K
08 Infiniti FX-35 40K
15 Golf Sportwagen TDI 35K
10 Sprinter 3500 chassis with a Class A Winnebago on it. 56K

Are you thinking basically that he is being overcautious rather than tossing red flags?

Likely no experience with running an engine sitting on the ground. Actually you can tell a lot in just a few seconds of running. Are all cylinders firing, evenly? If so its probably a good engine.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

If there's a problem just use the emergency shut off button. Shouldn't over rev.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I am going to recontact him and see what I can do to convince him. Worse case scenario, he tells me no and blocks my number haha.

One thing I noticed however is that I don't see the emergency shutoff lever on his engine, maybe I am blind. I just fail to see it in any of his pictures.

Edit: I believe I see it now near the valve cover, its just set in a different position than normal

Success!

Euro motors have different looking shut offs too.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.