603 hydraulic lifter questions???

[Sooty Taillight]

I have not driven or listened to another OM603 (87 300SDL 170K) other than my own, now just on the road a couple of weeks. When I started it for the first time and after a few minutes running, it started to rap real hard then as quickly as it appeared, it went away. Last week, the no.5 injection connection at the IP failed and leaked leaving me to 5 cylinders for the rest of the trek home. After replacing the no.5 fuel tube no more leak but the engine began rapping loud and hard just as in the beginning. This time I nailed the pedal to the floor briefly, up to around six grand and the single rap dissapeared. The last couple of days the engine has clattered diesel clatter louder than normal and seems rough, then it'll run quiet and smooth for a short while before clattering again. It's clattering loudly more often than not now.

My guess is lifters, and if so, I would like to replace all of them if I can. I did this once a long time ago on an International pick-up and what a difference it made!

If this is my problem, can I replace lifters without removing the head, or is there something else that may be the issue at hand???


Sooty Taillight