Don't worry, just keep at it ~ I've had incredible fungus problems (the cause of your black fuel) and worn out under 200# compression issues and still was able to daily drive the car, you can too .

Sorry about the wisdom teeth, this too shall pass .

__________________
-Nate
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

Did she still smoke after the black fuel was cleaned out? What are normal compression #s? My #2 prechamber was chuffing and I replaced it. Now its time for the tank to be cleaned, and new fuel lines if necessary. Engine ran smoother with less smoke on diesel purge. But that was in warmer weather. It's been in single digits lately. Funny thing is If I glow it. She starts immediately as if nothing is wrong.

Not yet. But I did find a Merc shop about 35 minutes away who knows about the old girl. My turbo impeller is tight. Free but tight. oil is in the chamber too. I'm wondering if the turbo egr is causing other issues. 1 at a time. The 140 rolls on the highway though. 105 easy and still pulling. The tach shifted at around 4400 rpms every gear. I did not see heavy smoke then. Only sometimes. I'm thinking the head gasket is the culprit. Temp is normal and she has good heat as well as AC.

Well ;

After I got the tank cleaned, there was still some fungus somewhere under the hood, I added a clear plastic micronic paper element filter just after the 'cigar hose' and it would get a slight amount of fungus in it so I kept dosing and the lest three tankfulls (I run as close to empty as I can and occasionally run out of fuel) this filter has remained clean so mayhap I'm done with the fungus, certainly the exhaust smoke is gone 99 & 44/100's % of the time, once in a while after a long red light it will emit a small light grey cloud of smoke just as I begin to move, the rest of the time no smoke and the back of the car remains clean .

__________________
-Nate
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

Interesting. I fired her yesterday. It's around 18 degrees now. 1 glow fired up. No major smoke for 40 seconds then voila starts to smoke, chug and gallop. Smoke must be crappy fuel residue in the bottom. I let her get to temp. About 20 minutes then I raised idle and let her run at 3-4k rpms shes smooth there. under 2k there's a hiccup. Like a injector valve or timing? and she never stops smoking. Smells like raw diesel. Heat was hot. Oil pressure pinned at 3bar, once warm temp at 80+ c and pressure at idle is 1.5 to 2 bars. Time to check egr and get rid of **** fuel. She's still above 1/4 tank.

The 3.5L engines have an afterglow glow plug relay. The relatively decent running for the 30-45 seconds after you crank was because the glow plugs were still running. When they shut off, they stopped masking your mechanical problems.


You have injector, timing, or compression problems, or a combination of all 3. Even a non-afterglow 603 (pre-90s) will smooth out and cease smoking after a few seconds of running in cold weather. EGR is extremely unlikely to be your problem. If you want to test it, simply unplug the vacuum connector on the actuator and plug the line with a golf tee or something. More than likely the EGR port is sooted shut anyway.

__________________
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!)

I'm sure crap fuel is an issue i'll get back to it. Injectors are another she has 112k on em. I noticed #6 injector plastic collar looked melted. I changed #2 pc for leak. Installed a new injector and glow plug. Possibly the hg is leaking? But heat was hot. I've had many gas race cars and when setting timing if they are retarded the engine with pop through exhaust. I noticed this a bit. I wonder if a valve seal is gone?

Poor fuel is easily eliminated as a possible cause in under 10 minutes. Run lines to a Gerry-can and run from known good fuel. If your problems remain, the fuel isn't the issue. FWIW, diesels can run on some truly TERRIBLE fuel and still be just fine. Usually you just have issues with noise and potential clogging of the filters. Don't ignore the elephant in the room because there's a mouse you like better.

Valve guides are a source of problems in the 603, some have iron guides that wear out. When the valves get loose, you'll start having compression loss due to poor seating and tuliping of the valve heads. A leakdown test will tell you exactly what's going on and where any leaks are occurring.

Retarding injection timing on a diesel results in heavy white/grey smoke, high EGT's, and low power. It can also promote nailing. Easily checked by observing the cam timing vs crank timing, then checking the RIV tang on the side of the IP to make sure it's aligned with the degree marking specified by the sticker under the hood (usually 14-15˚ ATDC). If the timing is correct, it is unlikely to be your problem.

Familiarize yourself with the "rod bending" characteristics of the 3.5L 603. Do a compression test and/or a leakdown test to see if you have mechanical issues you need to worry about.

Injectors can certainly be a problem at 112K miles. If nothing else, they should be pop tested and checked for spray pattern. Not sure what "plastic collar" is melted, the injectors and holders are steel as are the lines. If you're referring to the clips that hold the lines, you should replace any that are broken or look like they're about to break, they keep the lines from vibrating and rubbing/fracturing.

__________________
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!)

It's the plastic cup around the injector? looked like it got hot and warped a bit. I guess its a factory item that keeps crap from getting near the injector portal?

Pics???There's no plastic around the injectors.


Well, as far as I'm aware.

__________________
1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.

I am so confused. Underneath the injector there is a heat shield that’s metal.

__________________
Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

60x with inclined injectors came with plastic inserts around the injectors, noise reduction. They crack with age and have not been available for a very long time. They do not affect operation.

__________________
92 e300d2.5t
01 e320
05 cdi
85 chev c10

That's the one.. A sign she's still possibly running original injectors...

Spring is coming

Looks like you haven't had the injectors tested yet? I think that would be a good start, pull them all and send them to Greazer, at a minimum they need to be cleaned and the pressures reset.

https://dieselfuelinjector.guru/

__________________
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