Rebuilding old diesel engines (e.g. 240D)
 

Dear friends and LarryBible (who rebuilt several diesel engines)

Is it true that rebuilding old diesel engines (e.g. a 240D engine)
is not possible because of very high cost for parts (e.g. piston rings etc.)? So rebuilding an old diesel engine these days means replacing it with a whole new one taken from another car (savaged)?

Is there a cheap way to cure an old diesel engine that smokes
without resorting to replacing it with another one?

Thank you very your information.

Best regards,

Eric

Assuming the engine core is rebuildable, there certainly is no reason why it can't be done. I believe one of the main obstacles is cost. Certain parts of a diesel engine, or any engine for that matter, should obviously be replaced during a rebuild. There is some work associated with a rebuild that may or may not be necessary on your particular engine so you may not know the exact cost until you're already into it. Of course, there are sources for diesel engines that have already been rebuilt. I've seen them selling for up to $4000, sometimes even more. If you've read somewhere that it's not possible, I believe they are most certainly referring to the cost. In the case of a 240D, you could probably seek out another 240D in good condition for the price of a rebuild and not be faced with the hassles. If you do happen to have a 240D that is in excellent shape or you are otherwise attached to it you can almost certainly get it rebuilt (for a price). You also have the option of getting an engine out of another vehicle, as you mentioned, which can be risky.

I wouldn't say that the cost of the parts would be a major problem.
a set of rings for a 240D ...$138.59
main bearing set $ 63.44
valve guides $ 13.63
gasket set $ 53.21
cylinder sleeves $32.00 each.

The labor would be the most costly element., I would think.

maybe I left something out.
These are Fast Lane's prices.

I'm pretty sure that parts for a humble Nissan would cost more than this.

They are pretty easy to rebuild and I would suggest $1k to do it. Most expensive part, if needed, is the pistons. Somewhere around $90/ea or so.

I can't add anything to these excellent replies about rebuilding these great engines.

The opinion or experience that I would offer is that a properly rebuilt engine is like a new engine. A used engine is a roll of the dice.

Good luck,