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  #181  
Old 04-24-2018, 03:26 PM
Diesel Preferred
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Charleston SC
Posts: 2,788
Here's a used head not too far from your neck of the woods. Buy it, rebuild it at the shop you found, pay a garage to R&R the head.

Cylinder Head Assembly
Mercedes 300 D CD/TD; NO CAM
Stock # A3736
$75
Petrillo's Used Auto Parts, Inc. USA-CT(New-Haven)
1-800-922-8002

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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
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  #182  
Old 04-27-2018, 10:31 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 233
thanks,
but why do you say to refurbish that head instead of mine?
just to save time?
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w123
1985 300D turbo sept 2015 - present
1985 300TD turbo oct 2023 - present
looking for biodiesel in nyc
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  #183  
Old 04-27-2018, 11:38 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 538
If you take your own head off and find it's cracked, you're back to square one trying to find a good one. You'd still be able to sell your head if it was good, so you have nothing really to lose buying a known good head to get rebuilt
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1978 300D, 373,000km 617.912, 711.113 5 speed, 7.5mm superpump, HX30W turbo...many, many years in the making....
1977 280> 300D - 500,000km+ (to be sold...)
1984 240TD>300TD 121,000 miles, *gone*
1977 250 parts car
1988 Toyota Corona 2.0D *gone*
1975 FJ45>HJ45
1981 200>240D (to be sold...)
1999 Hyundai Lantra 1.6 *gone*
1980s Lansing Bagnall FOER 5.2 Forklift (the Mk2 engine hoist)
2001 Holden Rodeo 4JB1T 2WD

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  #184  
Old 04-28-2018, 12:03 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 233
oh i wasnt aware the used head from petrillo's would be considered known to be good...
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w123
1985 300D turbo sept 2015 - present
1985 300TD turbo oct 2023 - present
looking for biodiesel in nyc
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  #185  
Old 05-03-2018, 03:32 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 233
ok i made some calls to a few shops in and neighboring nyc.

rheinland claims it is not so simple to swap a used remanufactured head, and could not work and open up a can of worms.

the machine shops i called, and everyone here on the forums, thinks there's no problem with swapping in a remanufactured head from another engine, sound about right?

i mean would remanufacturing my head really be different than rebuilding a donor head or buying an already rebuilt head?

my options at the moment are:

1) $550 for a head that’s remanufactured w/ receipt. have it swapped in for about $1000 + $125 for timing chain by willy’s in great neck, long island. willy’s is a shop that other forum members have said they trust, but magnum automotive engine shop said willy was kind of crazy… but knows his ****… i also haven’t found another recommended affordable shop to do a head swap.

2)
a) $400 for a head that was running well but not compression tested
b) $300 for a head that was running well but not compression tested - 4 hrs away...
c) $75 for a head that is guaranteed not to be cracked, but not tested and they recommend getting checked out.

if going through the trouble to swap a head, can you just trust that it was running well w/o testing? so i called and it’s $100 to get a head tested at magnum automotive engine rebuilder. but then if it doesn’t test well, it’s $400 + parts to rebuild.

magnum also said if my head was cracked i'd be having way more symptoms, like leaking coolant or other fluids, if i recall, so that’s reassuring. i’m referencing them because they were helpful and willing to discuss my options when i explained i had low compression cyl 1 and exhaust valve leak symptoms, and made some shop suggestions they trust.

$400 + parts is also their price for rebuildling my head, which i will do if that seems best, but if it’s no difference, logistically it’s more practical to drive to pick up a head, and drive it to the shop that will swap it, instead of trying to transport my head back and forth w/o a car.

i’m considering buying one of the not tested heads and getting it tested… but maybe safer to just buy the remanufactured head.

-

other options and findings if anyone is interested:

paul’s auto repair in great neck said me $2000 for head swap, $2500-$3000 to do full head job. magnum recommended this shop over willy’s, but it’s also $1000 more…

willy’s initially said would do the full job for $2500, which is funny since none of the machine shops quoted close to $1500 for rebuilding a head.

rheinland won’t swap head.
kraft will only do it if he gets the full job with his machine shop ($3-$4000 as he said before)
a1 german auto (recommended by magnum) would not give me a quote over the phone, claiming he doesn't take shortcuts, when i was asking how much for a head job or to swap w/ a rebuilt head.


engine machine shops quotes to rebuild head:
abc engines - $350 (2 yelp reviews both really bad)
magnum automotive - $400
B&B - $400
new york engine & machine - $550
S & A Engine Rebuilders Inc - $575
Clayton Cylinder Head - $750


to buy a rebuilt head from metric motors - $1050 + $600 core deposit, + $110 to ship each way
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w123
1985 300D turbo sept 2015 - present
1985 300TD turbo oct 2023 - present
looking for biodiesel in nyc
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  #186  
Old 05-03-2018, 08:02 PM
vwnate1's Avatar
Diesel Dandy
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
Posts: 7,717
None of this sounds promising .
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1982 240D 408,XXX miles
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  #187  
Old 05-03-2018, 09:15 PM
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oh, no? i thought a remanufactured head sounded promising
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w123
1985 300D turbo sept 2015 - present
1985 300TD turbo oct 2023 - present
looking for biodiesel in nyc
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  #188  
Old 05-03-2018, 10:33 PM
vwnate1's Avatar
Diesel Dandy
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
Posts: 7,717
Post Cylinder Head Work

Oh yes ~ getting another cylinder head on there sounds very promising indeed .

I meant how expen$ive it's going to be......

I had to do this to my brother's 300SDL and IIRC with the purchase of a junk yard head, rebuilding it properly (new valves, guides, seals and cam followers) plus having someone else install it, we were in $1,400 all told IIRC .

You're going to LOVE it once it's done, just wait .
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1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better
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  #189  
Old 05-04-2018, 11:22 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,115
Sorry, I didn't read all 13 pages, but sounds like mostly speculations.
Post 1 starts:

"hi, my engine is running rough, with intermittent kicks, and smoking, seems like oil burning.
...
compression tests and leak down tests have been done."

Did you ever state the compression test results? If all cylinders show >300 psig, the engine is capable of running fine and your only symptom due to compression would be "harder to start on winter mornings". If <300 psig, a cylinder may be near its demise. My 1985 300D showed 250 psig in a few cylinders, was needing a block heater to start in the winter, seized a few years later w/ several pistons w/ chunks missing around the ring glands and scored cylinder walls. Until then, it ran normal once warm.

"Oil burning" is normal and how a diesel works. Smoke coming out the tail-pipe can be from bad sprays or incorrect injector timing. White "smoke" can be coolant vapor from a cracked head, and you would slowly lose coolant. Rough running can simply be bad glow plug(s) (until warm) or bad motor mounts.
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  #190  
Old 05-04-2018, 02:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillGrissom View Post
Sorry, I didn't read all 13 pages, but sounds like mostly speculations.
Sometimes it pays to read a thread before replying. The OP's car has been gone through and has markedly low compression on Cyl 1 in addition to the inability to adjust the valves to spec. The primary issue is in the head and he's working on getting it resolved. There could always be other issues, but the head has to come off anyway at this point to diagnose further.
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  #191  
Old 05-04-2018, 05:06 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 233
i know it's annoying that this got to 13 pages long.
getting a head and swap done for $1600 is much better than the $3-$4000 previously quoted to have a shop do the full job.
if someone knows a shop or person that can swap the head for cheaper than $1000 within 4 hrs of nyc, please let me know!

yes i have lower compression on cyl 1 than other cylinders, injectors have been tested.

i'm pretty sure a lot of the smoke is incomplete combustion, in addition to some oil.
after a cold start, when i try to accelerate, there is very little power for 1s, then suddenly power kicks in, engine revs, dark smoke is kicked out the exhaust, and there is a spurt of injector nailing, then once up to speed, it's much closer to normal operation. when fully warm, i don't get the noticeable lack of power followed by sudden spurt of nailing and smoke. but even when fully warm, there is smoke at low speeds and idle.

anyway, from the beginning of this post, i was pretty sure a valve head job was needed, and i was asking what people were paying, and now thanks to the responses i've been able to figure out places to call and find out how much to rebuild or buy a rebuilt head.

the $75 head seems questionable, and the $300 and $400 heads haven't been rebuilt... so it seems like i may as well go for the $550 rebuilt head, the shop selling it is going to take a look at it before i commit to it.

sorry to string everyone along.
i'll post any bigger updates, like when it's all done.

thanks.
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1985 300D turbo sept 2015 - present
1985 300TD turbo oct 2023 - present
looking for biodiesel in nyc
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  #192  
Old 05-05-2018, 11:22 AM
funola's Avatar
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Quote:
Originally Posted by allenying View Post
i....................................................................................
after a cold start, when i try to accelerate, there is very little power for 1s, then suddenly power kicks in, engine revs, dark smoke is kicked out the exhaust, and there is a spurt of injector nailing, then once up to speed, it's much closer to normal operation. when fully warm, i don't get the noticeable lack of power followed by sudden spurt of nailing and smoke. ......................

...........................
This caught my eyes. When did this behavior start? I don't think low compression in cyl #1 would cause this. I would suggest diagnosing it before pulling the head. It seems like a fueling issue to me. Opinions?
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  #193  
Old 05-05-2018, 07:02 PM
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Funola, I reckon it could be his injectors or his injection pump elements. Just a shot in the dark
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  #194  
Old 05-05-2018, 10:21 PM
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i noticed it this winter, i hope i explained it accurately,
in the winters before this, it would take a bit to get power as well, but i didn't have the nailing, maybe there was some smoke but not as much as now.
i thought it seemed like low compression would lead to delayed reaction when cold,
we already put a new injector in #1, then took it out and tested it, as well as injector #2, and then swapped their positions when putting them back in.

maybe we should test the IP pressure
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w123
1985 300D turbo sept 2015 - present
1985 300TD turbo oct 2023 - present
looking for biodiesel in nyc
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  #195  
Old 05-06-2018, 01:13 AM
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Location: Newport News, Virginia
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IP pressure is nothing to worry about...if it was failing your car would be gutless even fullly warm. Or barely even run.

Check throttle linkages, oil em up.
Check fuel filter, air filter,
Rather unlikely but ALDA may need to be checked out.

Personally, when my car was painfully sluggish, a diesel purge and new filters solved that issue

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