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  #1  
Old 12-18-2002, 02:55 AM
Larry D
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Unhappy Oil starved 240D -- any hope here?

Not this car's finest hour...

The hose to the oil cooler sprung a leak (looks like a puncture; how did this happen??) dumped all the oil, daughter continued to drive 65 mph until it quit running. Starter won't turn it over. I'm ready to call it a boat anchor. Am I giving up too soon? Anybody want parts from a '76 115 automatic 240D?


Last edited by Larry D; 12-18-2002 at 03:32 AM.
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  #2  
Old 12-18-2002, 07:48 AM
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There is a machine shop here in town that does diesels that has a 70's 240D engine - block, head and all parts that he has that a fella brought in, they tore it down and then the fella decided he did not want to spend the $$ to rebuild it. They want $150 for all of it - it does need rebuilding. Let me know and I can send you the contact information.
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  #3  
Old 12-18-2002, 08:12 AM
LarryBible
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Unless the crankshaft, or a rod broke, this is just an overhaul. In most complete overhauls of worn out engines, the cylinders are bored or resleeved, crankshaft turned, etc. There will most likely be no difference in this case. You never know until you tear it apart what you might find.

This situation is not as bad as a thrown rod or broken crankshaft.
In that case you would junk the entire engine and start over.

Good luck,
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  #4  
Old 12-18-2002, 09:46 AM
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Your engine is rebuildable if the crankshaft is regrindable to a bearing oversize. A new set of rings should suffice unless the cylinders are worn too bad. It costs less to replace the sleeves than to replace the pistons if they aren't damaged too bad.

P E H
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  #5  
Old 12-18-2002, 02:25 PM
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I suppose your daughter didn't notice if the oil pressure dropped before engine seized?
Iv'e often wondered if I lost oil that I would be able to catch it that way before losing the engine.
I hope you can get it up and running again. Not enough left to see another one go.

Josh
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  #6  
Old 12-18-2002, 02:46 PM
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To answer your question, yes you can catch a catastrophic failure before it ruins the engine.

When I lived in Chicago, a steel tow bar fell from a City of Chicago tow truck right in front of me, took out my oil pan (shattered), cracked the oil pump, bent the dipstick, broke a stabilizer bar mounting point. I had the car turned off within 10 sec of impact.

This was about 150-200 kmi ago or so (I'd have to look it up in my book to make sure, and it is outside in the car), I believe 1996 or 97.

BTW, it took me about 8 months to get the $ from the city of chicago (i.e., the city that works), but I finally won.
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  #7  
Old 12-18-2002, 02:52 PM
lrg lrg is offline
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In fairness to your daughter I think unless you notice the sudden drop in oil pressure as soon at it occurs you don't have much of a chance to shut things down fast enough not to have some damage. With all due respect to all the snake oil additives you see on infomercials that show engines running a week and a half with no oil, I suspect engines start to self distruct in a matter of a couple of minutes, especially when running at load at highway speeds. I'm guessing when the oil pressure needle drops to zero the clock starts ticking. If you don't notice it for a few minutes it's too late. Many of the screwball English cars I have owned have a red warning light in the gauge that lights if the pressure drops (of course they kinda expect that to happen at some point).
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  #8  
Old 12-18-2002, 03:28 PM
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In aircraft, on stuff that really matters... PULL UP, PULL UP, LANDING GEAR NOT DOWN AND LOCKED... the warnings are audible...either buzzers or (now) voices....
It would be very easy to install a tee with a small 12 volt buzzer from Radio Shack so that if the oil pressure went south it would buzz.. much better chance of being able to catch it in time to save what is still saveable....
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  #9  
Old 12-18-2002, 09:55 PM
Larry D
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Sad but true -- it was the engine noise, then final seizure that caught her attention, not the oil pressure gauge. A socket on the crankshaft bolt confirms it: stuck tight. No blame, though; I've caught myself wondering just how many dozens of miles I've just driven as I scan the gauges and realize it's the first time in too many minutes. Actually, I blame MB. They build in an annoying buzzer to tell you that you've left the key behind or not turned off the lights, but not a peep to tell you your engine's begun a self-destruct sequence. How hard could it be to protect against this?

Sadly, I have not enough motivation, garage space, tools, or hand soap to take on a complete tear-down of this motor. (Thanks for the encouragement though, Larry B. What's "just an overhaul" to you is a major undertaking to me.) And it just doesn't make sense to me to spend the entire worth of the car (back when it was running) to pay someone to overhaul it for me. Not to mention that it still needs new springs, shocks, suspension bushings, seat cushions, window seals, door lock diaphragms, a pinion seal, and power steering hoses. Oh yeah, and an oil cooler hose too!!

If anyone in the Portland Oregon area is looking for a good parts doner, make me an offer. I think this car and I must part ways.
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  #10  
Old 12-18-2002, 11:39 PM
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I think there ought to be an engineering rule: Whenever a hose is introduced into the oil system, an audible warning should be installed.
Could it be wired to activate if either the oil pressure dropped or the temperature got higher than a certain number.

Anyone know if a retrofit kit of some kind is available to do this? I know there are kits like this designed for sailboats.
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  #11  
Old 12-19-2002, 06:34 AM
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Well, there were switches placed on cars which , in an accident for instance, read a lack of oil pressure and shut off the electricity to the electric fuel pump...If you wired that to a system which had a 'normally on' switch being held 'off' with current... it should activate the buzzer at the right time....of course, without a manual override this will buzz when you turn on the car up until the oil pressure gets up... which is a good thing because that automatically tests the system everytime you start the car.. instead of needing a 'press to test' as in aircraft...

Kerry, in the SAILBOATS.... it automatically throws the anchor out when the wind stops ?
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  #12  
Old 12-19-2002, 09:50 AM
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Leathermang:
Ha Ha! I was thinking about the auxilliary motor. It is a Coast Guard requirement that if there is an electric fuel pump on the motor, it be wired into an oil pressure cut off switch so the pump will only operate while there is oil pressure. This avoid filling the bilge with fuel if there is a leak and the engine stops.
The problem I see is that most of these sensors (I think) are wired into pressure electric switches and the Mercedes oil pressure guage is purely mechanical (I think). Has anyone T'd into that pressure line and installed an electric pressure switch?

I think it is worth mentioning that when Mercedes put the 616 motor into their commercial vans, they did not include an oil cooler. I sometimes wonder if for just this reason of hose failure, it is worth plugging up the holes and bypassing the oil cooler.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #13  
Old 12-19-2002, 10:36 AM
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I agree that in an expensive car like MB, there should be an audible or at least an visual red light to notify the opeator of low oil pressure. American manufactures used "idiot" lights instead of oil pressure gages for many years to save money. But they are superior to a gauge that most drivers don't pay any attention to.

Its easy to explain to an inexperienced driver that if this red light go on, turn off the engine and call for help. I like an oil pressure gage to monitor the engine, but a combination of a visual or audible signal for low oil pressure would be an ideal combination with a oil pressure gage.

P E H
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  #14  
Old 12-19-2002, 02:37 PM
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Kerry, Since you own an " iceboat" ,whatever that is, you might get by without an oil cooler... but don't try that in Texas...LOL

I have never understood.... since the rubber hoses, including for the radiator , are the weakest point in any car... why more people don't use braided steel hoses ... they often put lots of money in other stuff on cars they love... but do not seem to be aware of the availability of this improvement in reliability....
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  #15  
Old 12-19-2002, 04:26 PM
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I believe they sell their commercial vans with the 616 around the world. I bet they don't put the oil cooler in any of them in any climate. I do agree that braided lines would be better.
You don't ice sail in Texas? Iceboats are sailboats on skates. If you know what a landsailer is, imagine it with skates instead of wheels. Triangular, usually one skate in front and two in the rear. Kind of like a catamaran on skates but a much bigger kick in the a**. My iceboat will easily sail at 55MPH and beat a diesel Mercedes hands down.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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