I Need Turbo Help 83 300d/80 300td

[bmitchell510]

Thanks for all the great post I love this bulletin board....

Here's a quick backgraound on my ride. It's an 80 300td (190k) with an 83 300d (120k motor. I have decent records on both cars. This wagon still has the non turbo gears so it hauls. I have owned 14 cars in my 26 years and this is by far the best one....so here's the problem....

While driving through SF this weekend I bottomed out pretty hard while mobbing over a hill. No initial problems and a quick visual inspection didn't reveal any significant impact points. I parked went about my bussiness, car started fine drove back through city with no problems, got on the freeway and about five minutes in I noticed a new wail coming from the turbo. It always had a cool sounding whine (although a little louder than my girlfriend's 83 300d sedan). This new sound came with a slight but noticeable decrease in power. (I should mention that the previous owner replaced the turbo with a new part from a reputeable dealer about 2 years ago, and I know that one of my air cleaner brackets is busted.) It still starts on the first try but now needs a couple of revs to maintain idle but idles smooth as always. There seems to be a tad of smoke coming from somewhere in the engine bay (i Just glanced under the hood). My gut tells me that the bearings in the turbo are calling it quits but these symptoms could also be consistent with a leak somewhere in the intake system??? any replies are appreciated...

[Ken300D]

Check for a loose or cracked intake/exhaust manifold. They are just under the air cleaner. Intake and exhaust manifolds are separate units, but mount together in a straight line along the passenger side of the engine head. The bolts holding these manifolds can come loose over time.

The other thing to check is the exhaust piping where it connects to the turbo.

For the most part you don't mention an increase in exhaust tone, so I'd guess the intake is the more likely place the turbo whine could increase. If the intake manifold is loose or cracked, that will also leak oil down the side of the engine (condensed from blowby) that might cause some smoke.


Ken300D

[bmitchell510]

How's this for a simple/ relieving (cheap)/ make ya feel like an idiot solution....

I got a chance to tear into it last night. I pulled the air cleaner, zip tied an oily rag over what was left of the intake so I could run her for a sec, started her up gave it a couple of revs and quickly discovered exhaust gas farting out of the union between the exhaust manifold and the turbo....yeah, It seems that 3 of the 4 nuts that hold these guys together are MIA. I can't believe that I needed to bottom out to bust this seal...I am picking up the nuts and a new gasket today. I am thinking that I should probably pull the turbo and get that mounting surfaced machined totally flat because it was obviously torqued wrong or is it possible to get away with just a new gasket???

[Ken300D]

My guess is that a new gasket will be sufficient.

Ken300D

[bmitchell510]

I feel like I Should bring this thread to a conclusion. I found a really cool forklift/container ship/industrial mechanic/ benz parts dealer 3 blocks from my house. I ordered a gasket kit that came with the exhaust manifold to turbo gasket, the 2 gaskets for the oil lines to the turbo (in and out), the O rings for the turbo compressor, and the ring for the oil return line. I pulled the whole turbo assembly off of the exhaust manifold with little fanfare. Cleaned up the gasket surfaces and popped it back together. I wound up shearing a bolt (right when I had victory in sight) on the the bracket that holds the flange at the turbo exhaust pipe junction to the block so this job took 2 evenings. But I was able to pull it off with only 3 bloody knuckles in my driveway and I got my baby back, runs real nice......