OM603 Delivery Valve seals replaced, jury still out - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

renaissanceman · #16 10-03-2018, 08:10 PM

Ok, so I couldn't stop thinking about the potentially improper torque -- typical Mechanical Engineer, right? I took the afternoon off work and re-torqued the delivery valve holders straight on with only the 3/8 to 1/2 inch drive adapter and the socket.

All the valves were within a couple percent of correct, that said, I torqued them down to 26ft-lb and then took it up to 28ft-lb to make sure that it sealed against the copper washer (this did not acutally move the holder visibly). The engine fired right up after about 3-4 revolutions of the engine with the accelerator pegged. It immediately idled pretty smoothly, but I popped each line open at the injectors and was able to smooth it a little more still.

All in all, I'd say it was successful and it was quieter after the re-torque than before. We'll see if I still have the rhythmic "clack" on a cold engine (Before it was audible from about 1000-2500 rpm, and always went away after a long highway run). I still have that stupid flex pipe leak, so I'm not sure if the exhuast leak would make a sound like that. Or if it's piston slap or something more serious. I've been chasing it since I developed an "ear" for this engine after about a year of ownership. New hydraulic followers, rebuilt injectors, ect, etc. all with no change.

I ran an oil analysis on the engine back in 2014, but I had installed a new vacuum pump, and I think that skewed the wear metals (IIRC it had high Iron and Aluminum). This oil change has new lifters, so it's probably out for analysis, but I'll pull one next oil change. Probably 2 years from now at this rate (2500 miles per year...)

Once I get the flex coupler replaced, I'll probably start daily driving it just to get the cobwebs out of this engine. And that I-6 sounds sooooo goood.

renaissanceman · #17 10-03-2018, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

O.K. ~ that clear plastic intake screen is cheap and Pep Boys stocks them in Purolator brand for $4, O'Reillys has both Wix and cheap brands for about the same .

The Pep Boys ones don't have the tapered ends but that's not a big thing, -DO- use the proper #13 band typ hose clamps and carry a spare in the glove box ! .

The crud (if any) will settle on the underside, inside where you'll miss it unless you tilt it up to look every time you check the oil .

ANY coffee grounds looking stuff in there no matter how slight means FUNGUS IS GROWING so if you see any, immediately add some brand of Diesel fungus killer ~ not just Diesel Kleen etc.

I ordered another with the new line order I just put in from Pelican. I'll replace it and examine it, but it looks really clean and only has about ~5-10k miles on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

That engine sounds sweet to me but I'm old and like the rattle of vintage Diesel engines .

Thanks! I want it to sound better, haha.

vwnate1 · #18 10-03-2018, 08:59 PM

Try the Pep Boys ones, they're not tapered .

I've been chasing fuel fungus (it cannot be 'algae' because that requires SUNLIGHT to grow..

) for a long, long time now, I'm disabled so taking the fuel tank out for proper cleaning isn't going to happen, I got tired of buying 2 of these every 8 days (I drive 80 miles every 7 days, this equals 2 tanks equals 2 screens weekly) so I began trying to clean the sludgy fungus crap out of the clear plastic screens .

It turns out that purple cleaner stuff (I use and highly recommend Rich's Sam's Club degreaser !) works a treat ~ every time I see crud in the screen I replace it, blow it out backwards by mouth and take it home, spray it full of the purple stuff and go do something else, when I finish for the day and wash my hands I drain out the purple stuff and rinse it clean with the tap water, blow out whatever water I can and set it up to drip dry ~ here in So. Cal. it only takes a number of hours to be 100 % dry, in the morning I put the now clean screen in the glovebox and am ready for the next time I fill up and check it .

Using aerosol cleaners tended to makes the clear plastic hard to see through .

Be aware there are worthless translucent plastic fuel intake screens that hide the gathering of the fungus storm until it's causing you serious grief .

BTW : my Brother's nice 1987 300SDL has the excellent OM603 engine (new cylinder head) and he resists allowing me to remove the muffler ~ i6 engines sound *so* sweet and musical, not raspy and nasty, when run with full length exhausts and no mufflers .