G'day Folks,

Due to a slight mishap that I'd rather forget I've got my engine in bits.

I was wondering what has caused the amazing rock hard coke-like build up of crud in this engine.

I think it is probably due to a life of just going to the shops but just in case I thought I'd ask you guys if you think there might be a fuel problem too.

The pistons are pretty grotty =>



(Oil on piston is actually ATF - I'm soaking the muck off)

Oil scraper ring is also pretty clogged up - holes / slots in the ring are totally full of rock hard gunk



But the cylinder bores are still in good condition

Attached Thumbnails

       

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

looks like sugar in the gas tank by a enemy

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt

The top end of the engine seems to have suffered from oil ingress via the inlet =>



^^^ cylinders #1 and #2



^^^ #3 and #4

So here's a picture of the combustion chamber recesses in the head



And the valves



Inlet valves looking quite clean actually despite evidence of crank case breather oil being sucked through.

But the exhaust valves - yuk!

Attached Thumbnails

         

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Are you sure? Most forum members can't reach me here!

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Seriously though - fuel problem as well as a crank case breather gunk related problem?

Or just crank case breather a life of short trips problem?

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

oh yes looks like it was sucking oil.

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt

I think you called it. Low maintenance, cheap oil and short trips. The engine gunk doesn't look bad, about what you'd expect.

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

Thanks Mike - really? That amount of gunk normal for about 100,000 miles?

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I wouldn't call that abnormal. Looks about average. In fact the head is a little above average. If you note the area of clean aluminum around the intake valve, in the chamber, tells me that it has been burning a decent grade gasoline.

__________________

90 300TE 4-M
Turbo 103, T3/T04E 50 trim
T04B cover .60 AR
Stage 3 turbine .63 AR
A2W I/C, 40 LB/HR
MS2E, 60-2 Direct Coil Control
3" Exh, AEM W/B O2
Underdrive Alt. and P/S Pulleys,
Vented Rear Discs, .034 Booster.
3.07 diffs 1st Gear Start

90 300CE 104.980
Milled & ported head, 10.3:1 compression
197° intake cam w/20° advancer
Tuned CIS ECU
4° ignition advance
PCS TCM2000, built 722.6
600W networked suction fan
Sportline sway bars
V8 rear subframe, Quaife ATB 3.06 diff

Normal on a properly maintained car? No. On a car using cheap oil, short trips, etc, yup, pretty common.

There used to be an oil (and it"s probably still around) by the trade name of "Pennz-oil". When it was used in a car which only went on short trips, it would build up a waxy residue. I have personally seen it so thick inside the valve covers it actually restricted the return flow of oil into the sump. Once a week drive on the highway kept it flowing but short trips, forget it.

I don't see much wear on the bores. How were the measurements? Out of taper?

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

I haven't got a bore micrometer yet. (In the post)


Thanks for the condition opinions - it is interesting to hear what everyone thinks - I just haven't seen enough of them to form an opinion. (I hope I don't get to see any more actually!)

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

coming from India, I have see that stale gas causes such deposits. Gas sitting idle in a tank allows the volatile portions to evoparate but on deposits such gunk in the cylinder head. I have seem premature failure of engine due to build up of such deposits. I would suggest that unless you propose use up the gas do'nt let it sit idle in your tank for over 30 days.