Keep the 300SDl and fix it up or look for a 123 for my daughter??

[dmorrison]

Let me put this out for you input.

We have a 1986 300SDL that has 275,000 miles. My daughter will need a car at school in the comming year for student teaching, shes a Elementary Education major. Here is a list of the "problems" with the SDL.

A note first. when we bought the car in 1995 we had a noisy injector, #1. A compression test revield 17 ATM of compression. We installed a new piston and rings ($2000 at the dealer) and the car was fine for the next 100,000 miles. I know the previous owner hit the oil pan, I think rather hard ( easy to do on the SDL, don't ask how I know)and may have bent the crank or lower end of the engine just enough to cause an elongation of the #1 cylinder. The old piston showed evidence of slapping against the cylinder walls. but the wear was on the piston not much on the cylinder wall. As I said the car ran great after the piston replacement.

1 #1 cylinder 17 atms of compression again. All other cylinders 20-21. were getting a lot of injector noise due to the compression. Had it tested 10,000 miles ago. I figure I'll put in a new cylinder and maybe it will go another 75,000 miles. Also new engine mounts and shocks are needed.

2. The tranny. I notice that when I first start it that when you put it into drive it takes a little longer then normal to engage ( been doing this since 1999). But once you allow it to "engage" it doesn't give us any problems. If you press the gas before it "engages" it reves then clunks the drive train. We have been babying it and not had any problems. The dealer looked at the tranny and recommended a rebuild due to the 250,000 miles. what else could it be. I have not tried to diagnose the problem. Any input?

3. Front suspension. The car wore out the inner tread on a set of new tires in 5000 miles. I checked and adjusted the toe in/ toe out. I know its a front end rebuild. Just did the 123 so I'm not shy about doing it. I figure $500 for parts.

4. Brakes I will check them and take care of them, right now no problems but I have not measured the rotors.

5. Tires It will need a new set.

6. AC the high pressure hose leaks. So I would replace it. all the other hoses seem fine. While we drove the car as a daily driver the AC was weak. Its probaply the expansion valve or the temp sensor. I have not diagnosed the system. R+R the expansion valve is a 12 hour charge at the Dealer. I have everthing to do all Ac service so again not a problem. It does cool but weakly, once I fix the high pressure hose.

7. Injection pump. Works but when you tap the gas pedal the idle goes up but then drops down to about 500RPM and then recovers. I was quoted $400 to fix the problem or $1200 for a complete rebuild.

I figure spending about ( if I'm way off on these estimates please speak up. I have not priced anything yet. All labor is mine)

Piston $400
Tranny Adjustments ($ 1-200 in parts) or a rebuild. $1500
Ac $200
Brakes $100
Tires $350
front end $500
Ipump $400
Total $ 1650-3000

So do we fix the car and it will probably last her through college, 3-4 more years, or do we look for a 123 deisel, either 240, 300NA or 300Turbo. I figure $4-5000 for a real nice one. But then she will have a car that will last a lot of years.

By the way she loves the car. Its "her' car that she has been driving for the last 3 years and she is one who, when she falls in love with something, loves it forever.
So she doesn't want to get rid of it. That's my dilema, $1-2000 and keep what I know or try to find a really nice 123 for $4000.
Our deal with the kids is that we will split the cost of a car but they must work on it, and she does.

Or I just do the suspension, tires and brakes and let her drive it until it quits. Now understand, I have been expecting this car to DIE since 1999 when we bought the 99 E300, 4.5 years. It just keeps going and going.

Let the comments begin!!!!!!!!

Dave

[MS Fowler]

Sounds like a dilema! I don't have an answer, but a question.... When the enigne was rebuilt, was the crank checked for alignment? Thats really SOP and if it was, you should be able to put that out of your mind--just one less thing to worry about.
BTW, a friend w/ an '85 300D has had transmission noises for the last 2, or 300,000 miles. He is appraoching 500,000. Sometimes these cars refuse to quit--but you never know.

[JimSmith]

dmorrison,

I would be inclined to fix what you have, and, if the body is in really good shape as well as the interior, I would do the brakes and tires (normal maintenance items), the a/c considering where you live, and the front end. I would try adjusting the tranny, but I would not invest in a rebuilt one until either the engine or the transmission really dies. At that point I would consider the purchase a certified rebuilt engine and transmission, installing them and then figure she had a safe, reliable car that would last until she has a family of her own and her kids start driving.

If you have a repeatable problem with the number one cylinder, I would not want to invest much in the rebuilding of that engine. Look for another when the time comes. I am also automatic transmission ignorant, and would like to stay that way although I now own a 1998 E300D TurboDiesel with an automatic and may have to learn something.

Fixing what you have gives you a well known and trusted end product. Buying another 20 plus year old car, no matter how clean and well taken care of it seems when you get it, means learning a new language to understand its noises and other signals. Not that this is necessarily bad, but your daughter may find a new machine a little stressing to get to know. I know mine does. She prefers the 1982 240D (312,000 miles) she has lived with for four years in college to a 1986 190E 2.3-16 we bought her with 145,000 miles just because she trusts the 240D more. It never failed to get her where she was going, even though it blew a water pump seal and she had to nurse it along filling it with water over and over and had a few other problems. The 190E just stranded her in Maine while skiing when the alternator suddenly failed. AAA and $600 later from the Portland MB dealer got it fixed, but it is not the same. Of course it starts at -20*F and Diesel won't.....

Interesting dilemma, but in the end you probably will do well considering the range of solutions you have identified. Good luck, Jim

[BIGRED]

Originally posted by dmorrison
By the way she loves the car. Its "her' car that she has been driving for the last 3 years and she is one who, when she falls in love with something, loves it forever. So she doesn't want to get rid of it.

More than anything, the above would be my reason for fixing it.

The only issue that would concern me on your list, is the engine and maybe the transmission. For that, if it were me, I would start with the possability of a different engine and transmission. What would it cost used? The reason, I would prepare the replacements for installation and either plan the swap or wait until that day of failure.

A dad of 3 girls (not yet ready to drive)
Don

[dmorrison]

MS Fowler
Thanks for the advise. I may consider researching here and other places the tranny problem. It may just be an adjustement.

JimSmith
Yes sound advise. Here is one problem. the body interior is also worn. The body waxes up but has its share of dents and dings, Neew healight doors. The interiors, a 2 inch rip in the pax leather and worn. Ok but worn. If the body/interior was pristene I woudl have dropped and a new engine and tranny and my wife and I would be driving it. I really do love the 300SDL. so it was delegated to the kids. and as I said I've expected it to die for the last 4.5 years.
A 123 diesel. I have owned 3 123 diesels. and am in the process of rebuilding the 82 300TD. So I will work on just about everything on a 123. Checking out another car, I'm not worried, finding one that could be the problem.

BIGRED
3 girls, not much testosterone in your house. I notice a lack of testosterone when my son is gone and its just me and the wife and daughter.
A use drivetrain might be doable.

Keep the ideas comming.

Dave

[dmorrison]

Well I have some additional questions.
I have considered keeping the SDL for me and if my daughter needs a car then I will let her drive the 82 300TD. By then the car will be rebuilt completely.
Now keeping the SDl for me. Under stand that now that we are empty nesters we drive the SL 90% of the time. So my need for a daily car is minimal. Teh rebuild on the fornt end will be about $300 in parts. Steering inkage is fine and It does not need it. New tire $300. Now what about the engine.
I have looked at what was done in 1994 when the piston was replaced. I am considering ding this again. All that was replaced was the piston/ring/connecting rod assembly and a new timing chain and tensoiner since he was there. He did not replace the cylinder sleeve. So here's a couple of questions.

1. When replacing the piston. The SM directs you to remove the cam. Is this really necessary. Or can I just place the engine at TDC and detach the timing chain/gear then remove the head with everything attached? cam, prechambers, injectors. Just make sure the cam does not rotate. Or the crankshaft.

2. Re-sleeving the cylinder. On the 603.961 engine the manual talkes about R+R a cylinder sleeve. The sleeve must be presed in and held for 9 seconds to seat. How is this pressing in done. Am I talking an engine removal, machine shop job. Or can it be done with the engine in the car?

So I may just let my daugher drive the 300TD and I'll drive the SDL until it dies. Possibly extending that point by a cylinder R+R, Tranny adjustment, a suspension rebuild, new tires and babying the car for a couple of years.

Your thoughts?

Dave

[engatwork]

place the engine at TDC and detach the timing chain/gear then remove the head with everything attached

That is how I do it. You don't really need to worry too much about the cam rotating because you can always put it back to the TDC mark.

I usually let the automotive machine shop remove/install the
sleeves.

[JHZR2]

I think that with these cars, even if you buy a really nice one for $5000, there are still going to be things that need to be replaced. That doesnt mean its not good practice to save another nice w123 from certain destruction by people of less knowledgable status, who will buy it for the three-pointed star.
But if your daughter loves the car, you have a pretty good maintenance history for it, and it is a known quantity... you know what it needs, what it has in it, I think the repair and continual driving is the way to go.

JMH