I just finished a dual timing chain conversion on my 83-380sel. It runs great but my oil pressure gauge is pegged all the way and my valves on the left bank are chattering a little. I used pennzoil platinum 10w-30 synthetic motor oil and new filter and was wondering if its the wrong oil viscosity? I did have the oil filter bracket off, maybe i did somthing wrong reinstalling it? If anybody has some useful information it would be deeply appreciated. it has 108k miles, new chain, gears,guides,water pump,plugs, wires,belts,hoses,filters,and about a dozen other new parts.

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There shouldn't be a problem, though I don't know what you mean by a dozen other repairs. Pegged oil pressure is good. It is time to worry when it is down on the gauge. You feel the lifters are clacking on one side of the engine. Well the oil system oils the whole engine, not one side or the other. What noise were the lifters making before this work. How many miles or minutes have you run (after this work) it to see if the lifters quiet down. Hopefully they will quiet down, if they don't you might have to replace the noisey ones. Check it out and report back to the Forum.

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the rockers were quiet before i did the work. I did not replace anything on the heads. i ran it about 20 min and both sides chatter now. It sounds like it has low oil preasure but as soon as i start it the gauge tops out.

well the gauge should top out at idle until it warms up, but I gather yoou mean when it is warm. There could be something blocking the oil path AFTER the sending unit (perhaps incorrect installation of something might knock stuff out of place??), so the unit reads high, yet whatever is blocking it will reduce the flow/pressure beyond it. Unfortunately I don't know enough about your engine to narrow it down beyond there - however I would advise not driving it until you are comfortable with the oil pressure.

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10W-30 is to thin for that V8 change it.

I would use a XW-40 diesel oil in that motor such as Mobil Delvac 15W-40. Or you could use Mobil 1 synthetic 5W-40 oil.

I think the 126 has a oil pressure sendor on the filter housing that can go bad. That motor isn't gonna produce 3 bars of oil pressure when hot at idle. I think your sendor is bad.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

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Is it possible to fit the gasket for the oil filter bracket reversed?
You should review your work before running the engine again because something's not right.

check if oil is dripping down from the oil rail for the cams at the top area.

diesel oil w10-40 works best in these 126 series. i had a start up clatter in my 103 engine.went away on using Delo 10-40.
mak

BTW, your valves are chattering because that 30W oil is way to thin.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

I would start by changing the oil, then go from there.

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Current cars:
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2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

Pegged oil gauge: It could be a simple electrical problem.

Does the gauge peg full scale as soon as you turn on the ignition?

If so check the wiring and the oil pressure sender. A open circuit (sensor to gauge) due to a broken wire or bad connector will peg the gauge. A bad oil pressure sender will do the same.

To test:

Unplug the wire from the pressure sender and touch it to ground. If the gauge "un-pegs" then the wiring is OK but the sender is bad.

If the gauge remains pegged its a wiring problem: look for a break in the wire or a bad wire-to-sender connector. The sender in this case is probably good.

Regards,
bobf.

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The gauge tops out only after you start it. The oil filter bracket gasket is definatly correct. I'll change the oil and check the sending unit, (maybe just get a new one) and go from there. Thanks for all the advise.

Changed oil 15w-40, tested sending unit, (its good)ran car about 25 min. when it warmed up the chatter went away and the oil pressure came down. Thanks for all the advice. Now i just need to find out the best way to clean the injectors.