if it's paid for I refit, with a better diesel engine

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt

It is paid for. What would be a better engine to throw in it?

A 617 in a GL350 would be fun to look at

It's a fairly new Mercedes, not a Hyundai. I would think if you could afford to buy the vehicle, you could at least afford a proper diagnosis unless you just consider it to be a disposable piece of junk that gets tossed out when something goes boom. I would still pay a good indy to do it at their shop rate, not the dealer. Otherwise, someone else like rollguy is going to get a really good deal. I would also argue without the diagnosis, you don't really know if the replacement/repair cost is a fair price and you don't know what caused it. Perhaps if it is a design problem you might want to just junk the vehicle. Or if it was oil related or something like that, you would want to adjust your maintenance procedure. It would really suck to have it happen again after spending the $15K.

Dkr.

I wasn't suggesting he junk it. I suggested he think twice before paying an Indy who doesn't seem to know what he is doing $1500 just to take the oil pan off. Get it to someone who could fix it once the diagnosis is done. Probably a dealer. And get MBUSA involved.

.

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

Looking at it would be all you could do since it would be too slow to safely drive it.

A GL weighs 5,550lbs+

I am glad I went with the OM651 as my modern diesel ownership experiment. Engine has been flawless, a few emission system issues (exhaust) but overall good experience so far 2 years/21k miles into it. And double the MPG my 420SEL used to get, can't compain!

When you think of how many OM642s are out there roaring around all day these failures amount to a fraction of a percent of total engines in operation....you never hear about all the ones running just fine.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Let's see

240D: 3250lb / 68hp = ~48 pounds per horsepower

617 turbo swapped GL350: 5467lb / 125hp = ~44 pounds per horsepower

It should accelerate slightly faster than a 240D which in my opinion is fast enough

Although because of a 3.27 axle ratio and taller tires in the GL you would have to stay in 3rd gear to get any acceleration on the highway

The OM616 was installed in a number of vans, delivery vehicles and motorhomes, some of them up to 8,000 pounds or so and they could all slowly reach 55mph. I don't see why the OM617 would be a problem.

My last motorhome was powered by a 4-cylinder Isuzu turbodiesel which is only slightly more power than a OM617 at 12,000+ pounds (140hp and 240 ft-pounds of torque). I had no problem keeping up with street traffic or freeway traffic. It may have even been able to beat a 240D in a race.

Dkr.

on a more serious note: If the engine is really damaged then your best bet is to find the same engine in a good used condition and have someone put it in or do it yourself.

or

If MBUSA steps up and helps with the cost of a new one then go that route

Yep I own 4 of them all doing fine, one of them up to 210k

Every day the FedEx and Amazon vans come through my neighborhood, a good many of them are Mercedes Sprinters and guess what's under the hood. Yep an OM642.

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The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

They used OM 616, 602 and 617 in these:


About same weight as a GL350?

With the 87 bhp OM617 non-turbo, it could do 79mph and 0-100kph in 27sec! The most recent G400 provided 326 BHP out of same displacement engine and could do 0-100kph in 6.4 sec! Some of them had Bluetec engines, which I think was a big mistake for a vehicle that needed to be 100% reliable.

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

I was thinking OM616, but only if backed up with an automatic.