'82 300TD engine rebuild
 

It has been a while since I have posted anything here, so I figured I'd share this with the group. OM617T Engine rebuild. I am rebuilding an engine for my '82 300TD-


After getting the machine work done on the block and head, I assembled it with new pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets, seals, head bolts, chain guides, timing chain, spacer ring, glow plugs, flywheel bolts, and some fasteners (I like to use new fasteners wherever I can). Injectors have been rebuilt as well. Aluminum parts have been cleaned, and some painted. The upper pan was installed using the correct Anaerobic Sealant. I have a garden sprayer that I modified to pump the break-in oil into the oil system. In add a gallon this way, and the other gallon just gets poured in the normal way. This along with the assembly lube, assures good oiling upon first start. After assembly, I have it mounted on my engine run stand. I will be hooking up a radiator and exhaust when running it this time. I have found that a piece of 1 1/2" angle iron works perfectly for holding the flywheel when tightening the bolts (front crank bolt as well!).

More photos
 

Photos:

Pre-oiling and flywheel bolts
 

I am using Driven Diesel break-in oil, and pre-oiling the system. I like to mark the flywheel bolts after the initial torque with radial lines on the bolt heads, and after they are turned 90*, the marks line up in a circle. No need for special tools that measure 90*. I also use this method on the head bolts. I make marks parallel with the head, and the first 90* makes them perpendicular, (easy to tell which bolts have been done), and the second 90* makes them back parallel. I also use a piece of 1 1/2" angle iron to hold the flywheel.

Just beautiful; thx for the pics.

Good to see you back on the forum; you have been missed.

More photos
 

I have the engine almost ready to fire up. Please ignore the ugly valve cover, it is there only to keep the oil in the engine while I am waiting for my cover from the powder coating shop (chrome).
EDIT: I am having trouble loading photos, will try later.

Good to hear from y0u
rich! Your motor looks lovely!

Good job on rebuild.

Hi Richard, I had no idea you were "rollguy" - I never put two and two together on the last DV tour. Excited to see you fire up the rebuilt engine!

You always do very nice work. I don't even know a local, competent machine shop that I'd trust.

Where in the world did you find new pistons? I'm assuming you besleeved it during machine work?

Never seen this before
 

I got the engine all ready to start, and even got a radiator hooked up and filled with water. Once I got it running, I noticed a puddle of oil on the floor below the air cleaner drain tube nipple. I thought that maybe the check valve was bad, so I plugged the nipple with a rubber plug. I started it up again, and oil was streaming out next to the alternator bracket (exactly above the air cleaner drain). Upon further inspection, there is a hole in the cast iron, allowing oil to exit the oil galley. I have never heard of or seen this before. This block was from a running engine that had piston slap (replaced the engine in the "Service Wagon" that was on the latest "Death Valley Wagon Tour"). The only thing I can think of, is that the metal was very thin there or had a casting flaw, and the "hot tank" job reveled the hole. There is no way this engine would go more than a couple miles before pumping out two gallons of oil in this condition. I need to find a way to repair it, short of having another block machined, and moving all the parts over to it. Here are some photos:

Oh, and thank you all for your kind words:)

I have been hanging around here for nearly 20 years. This engine block was from the BNDVWT service wagon, and I know it did not leak any appreciable amount of oil on the trip. Whatever caused the leak must have happened after the engine was removed......Rich

A couple years ago I found two new sets on ebay for $500 each. I bought both sets. I am not sure where to get them nowadays. N/A pistons are available for a reasonable price, but not Turbo.

I'm wondering if oil is from a previously plugged oil galley port that got unplugged during its time at machine shop. See if you can tap it/plug it.