Hey all, my first post!! I'm new ther the benz scene but been working on the landy diesels for sometime. anyway.

Picked up a 74 240d with I believe the w115 for 400$ today (i think it was a steal). according to the previous owner she stopped running two weeks ago and before that was losing power.
towed her home, fixed a vaccum leak, changed the pre and canister filter and with some serious white smoke started running but very poorly.

Where do you guys think I should go next? I'm assuming the injectors are gunked because the fuel filter was a mess. I don't want to put very much money in this car I just want to get her running on bio for my town car. Any thoughts?
How much do injectors cost for one of these?
anywhere else I should be looking?
Where is the best place to get a CD manuall?
Should I adjust the valve clearence, any place online with insructions?
Also what needs to be changed for bio?
Thanks for helping the newb guys... I love the diesels, and a 72' 220d was my first car so I have a special place in my heart for these babies.
I run my 110 300tdi on bio. @30mpg you can't beat the small turbo diesels!!

Thanks
Steve

Check out dieselgiant.com there are a lot of pictorial how to's there.

Definitely change all the filters, oil, and so forth. Do the valve adjusment, and diesel purge it until it runs smooth again. When you introduce the B100 it will de-sludge the tank and then all your filters will clog up again so have extras ready.

Nothing needs to be changed for bio. If the hoses are weak to begin with then change them but otherwise you're fine they're not going to melt overnight. I have run WVO/SVO/Biodiesel through sections of very poor rubber near the tank and it holds up fine.

Was the white smoke fuel or coolant?

Injector prices vary but the important thing is to have balanced injectors. I had all of mine rebuilt with the bosch nozzles and despite their unknown manufacture origin they run great.

Oh and by the way welcome to the forum

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

thanks for the input I'll check out that web site.

I think/hope the white smoke was fuel from the clogged injectors, and not coolant but no way to tell for sure untill I run it more.

Thanks again

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74'240d, defender tdi

the injectors are the last place i would look.

i would start by checking the fuel. most diesel problems begin and end there.

the injectors and pump are usually the last thing that will cause a problem on a benz.

good luck.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I get my CDs from MBUSA. They are $20. Click on Classic Center then Technical literature.

Michael

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Usta haves '69 250/8, '76 280C, 1971 250C 114.023, 1976 450SEL 116.033
Current have, 1983 300SD 126.120

Timing chain stretch and injector pump timing can make a difference effecting smoke. And like Tom says dont worry about injector tips. First thing you want to do is get it operating and run a fresh tank of fuel through. How many miles? IP timing is the sort of thing you do each 75 or 100k and chains stretch beyond 8 degrees usually at about 200.

Before doing anything else, you need to go through a quick inspection 10-point checklist. Here goes:

1. Check for excess oil in the air filter housing. Remove the filter housing and check for oil on the filter and in the bottom of the housing. It is common to see some oil in these older engines, but it is not good if the filter is drenched in oil and/or you see standing oil puddles in the bottom of the housing. That would be a sign that the engine has excessive "blow-by".

2. Blow-by test A. This is a followup to the preceding visual test. Start the engine and let it idle. Loosen up the oil filler cap on top the valve cover and let it just rest over the hole. Observe what it is doing. If it is hardly moving, that is a good sign. If it is "jumping" all over trying to fly off, that indicates lots of blow-by.

3. Blow-by test B. This one is not particularly grounded in science but it can provide another "reading" on your engine health. You will want to put some gloves on for this one. Sit can be a little messy. Unhook the breather tube where it attaches to the top of the valve cover. Start the engine and observe. Do you see lots of fumes blowing out the hole? After a minute or so, do you see an oil film start to form on your finger? Now take your thumb and plug the hole. Start counting seconds to see how long it takes before the engine shuts off. If it shuts of in six to ten seconds that is the "normal" range. I have seen really good engines to 20 to 30 seconds before quitting and "bad" engines quit in 2 to 3 seconds.

4. Check the condition of the camshaft. With the oil filler cap off, you can look down on the camshaft. I use a flashlight and also put my finger in the hole to "feel" the camshaft. If the lobes are smooth, that's great, but if they are scored or rough feeling in any way, that most likely means the maintenance has been neglected. Lack of frequent oil changes will show up here.

5. Oil pressure at hot engine idle. SYou have to make sure the engine is really hot to get an adequate reading. don't just start and run it. Take it out on the road for a 10 minute test drive. Now, observe the oil pressure gauge. There are two things you are looking for. How low does the reading get? How quick does it peg-out when engine rpm is increased? Your oil gauge will either read 1 - 2 - 3 milibars or 15 - 30 - 45 pounds. Although I would not like personally to see my pressure go below 1 milibar or 15 pounds, Mercedes says acceptable low readings can be .5 milibars or 7 pounds. (Remember, this would be at hot engine idle with the transmission in gear and the vehicle stopped). Now, push lightly on the throttle pedal and as engine speed increases, watch the oil pressure gauge reading.

by the tie engine speed reaches 1000 to 1200 rmp, the oil pressure gauge should "peg-out" at 3 milibars or 45 pounds. If you get to 1500 rpm and the oil pressure is still not pegged, you probably have a serious problem. It most likely would mean one or more of the engine's connecting rod bearings are badly worn or scored. There is always the possibility you could have a faulty oil pressure gauge but that is very unlikely.

6. Fluid leaks: If there are a lot of oil leaks "all over the place," it is a sign the engine has not been cared for. Of course, there is really no quick way to check for the leaks. In order to track down the leaks, you will need to do a thorough cleaning of your engine (front and bottom) with gunk and a trip to the local car wash. Most older diesel do drip a little bit of oil here and there, but it should not be a major concern. If your oil drip spot (s) dte beigger than 6" in diameter on the ground, then you should probably go after the source of the leak.

7. Visusal check of injectors: take the "number 1" injector out of the engine for a good visual inspection. Look down into the pre-chamber. There should be a light, brown color. If there is a lot of black oil in there, you have oil pumping by the rings. If it is full of black soot, you are not getting a good burn on the fuel and this can be caused by incorrect injection pump timing or worn out injectors themselves. Now clean off the bottom of the injector with a brass wire brush. Take a close look at the area right around the needle. If it is perfectly flat and smooth, then your injectors may be ok. If there is a dished-in area around the tip of the needle, your injectors are worn-out and they are leaking at the tip and causing excess heat burn in that area.

8. starting sequence hot or cold: This is the one I like. It takes a little experience but when you have been around Mercedes diesels a while, you can tell a lot about their health by the way they start. How fast does it fire-off when cold? If the glow circuit seems to be working properly, it should fire right off and run smoothly. If it coughs and sputters and you have to crank for a while, there is a very good chance the compressiion is weak. If it starts right away but runs a little rought for a while, it just may be one or two bad or tired glow plugs. Also, how does it start when hot? You should not even have to wait to "glow" the engine when hot. If you get in the car and just start immediately cranking and the engine fires right off, that is a good sign.

9. Visual look and smell of fuel: You can not believe that number of diesels being dumped because they have been diagnosed termilly ill by some mechanics. Only to be discovered by new owners to have bad or incorrect fuel in the tanks. With bad fuel, ykou get all the signs of a worn out engine, like hard starting, rough idling, smoking, poor fuel economy, and lack of power. When you have bought a mercedes diesel that you know nothing about, I suggest you drain the tank, change the pre-filter and the main filter. Then go by the local truck stop and get yourself five gallons of fresh fuel, put it in your tank, purge the air out and drive back to the truck stoop and filler up. Always buy your fuel from truck stops if possible. they get fresh fuel daily.

10. Engine shut down: The way a diesel engine shuts off can also be another test for its condition. If it shuts off abrubtly, that is good. It means the vacuum system is working properly, the motor mounts are intack and it has good, strong compression. If it shuts off slowly and does not stop with a good "kick", it may mean problems with the vacuum shut-off and possibly poor compression. You will also want to listen closely when you shut it off. If you hear any clunking noises, your motor mounts are most likely bad and need replacing.

Another thing about shuting off. If your engine does not shut off at all. you should chect the vacuum shut-off valve before condemning it. Look on the rear of the injection pump near the fire-wall end of it. You will see a brown hard vacuum line coming from the firewall and going down to the shut-off valve. Disconnect the line and connect a hand-held vacuum pump to it. Next, start the engine and then go give the vacuum pump a couple of trigger-pulls. If the engine shuts off, you know that the shut-off valve is ok and you have a vacuum problem somewhere.

Well, thats it for now. If you have any additional questions, give me a hollow at my email address.

alfredburn@hotmail.com

Peace out.

www.**************.com has some guides and manuals that might be of interest.

Look for the 75 MPH Guide for Diesels.

I have one for seats and it did a pretty good job of explaining repairing seats.

Michael

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Usta haves '69 250/8, '76 280C, 1971 250C 114.023, 1976 450SEL 116.033
Current have, 1983 300SD 126.120

Thanks Guys!!!
This is going to be a great help. All the blow by tests will be a huge help and thanks for that.

The clock reads 140k I have old matinence records I found in the trunk untill 120k in the shop book. So that sounds great right?? But who knows what happened in the last couple years.


I havn't had much time to work on her lately but yesterday I did spend a couple hours...Granted I did not drain the tank (it full PITA) but I got her started and it was really rough.. like horrible... there is quite a lot of valve noise like a sticky valve/ bad clearence/timing or worse... and there is a wicked knock. The sound is so bad I don't think I'm going to try to start her again untill I take a look around and sorted out that the timing is not way off and all the valves are intact. So I think I'm going to start in this order. I already changed the filters.

1. Drain oil check for metal bits.
2.Make my own small fuel tank and run her off that untill I decide the engine is good to avoid the draining process if she is a no runner.
3. Adjust valve clearence and check timing chain ( any advise on diagnosis of timing chain issues becides the obvious) I should probably replace the chain.
4. If that gets her running decent, I'll do the blow by tests.

What should I look for to see if the engine is terminal? Thanks again for all your help guys, I hope she gets going.

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74'240d, defender tdi

It's also possible that the tank has grown algae while it sat for 2 yrs. If you drain the tank, you'll want to unscrew the tank screen, remove it and clean or replace it ... reinstall with a new gasket, of course. It's possible that this screen is gunked up to the point where not enough fuel gets through to let the engine run smoothly. You can also treat the tank with Biobor (marine supply), which will kill the algae, though not particularly clean it out. I treat my tank every few months as a preventitive measure. I can't let the tank get to the last few gallons or it will cease to run, or run with very little power. I haven't changed my screen yet because it runs OK as long as I keep the level up (and I have other things that need doing more).

Very few owners know that the valves are supposed to be adjusted every 15,000 miles ... the POs may have just run it until it quit, and decided that the engine was shot. The result will poor combustion.

Diesel fuel doesn't go stale like gasoline --- if the fuel in your tank is clean, you can run it OK.

Diesel Giant has a nice DIY section, or choose Diesel Forum on this site and do a search -- there's a wealth of knowledge here (from much better mechanics than me).

1. Your car has an oil bath air cleaner. It better have about an inch of oil in the bottom of it. Take out the element, soak it in solvent, and air dry. Muck out the bottom of the filter cannister. Put fresh oil in up to the arrow mark, and re-install the element.

3. Your injection pump has a pneumatic governor. It don't work this way. Don't try this!

10. Your engine has a mechanical shutoff, not vacuum shutoff. All references to vacuum shutoff are incorrect for your car.

Several other minor mistakes in there. Basically, the writer (Alfredo) does not realize that yours is a 115 car, not a 123. If you had a 220D, you probably already know how it all works.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

i have a 300d w115. im pretty sure that the engine cut off is vacuum (thought the tranny is not vacuum), a lot of things are similar between the 115 and 123

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76 300D 108,110 miles
99 Saturn sl1 80,000 miles - moms
91 Grand Marquis 45,000 miles - Grandparents
97 Ford F150 - 16,000 miles - Grandparents
73 Ford Monarch (parked 65,000 miles - Grandparents

You might find some handy DIY diesel maintenance tips at this site:

http://dieselgiant.com/mercedes_diesel_maintenance_tips.htm

230/8

300D shutoff is by vacuum, 115 240D shutoff is by gorilla knob.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

yes that is right, i had forgotton

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76 300D 108,110 miles
99 Saturn sl1 80,000 miles - moms
91 Grand Marquis 45,000 miles - Grandparents
97 Ford F150 - 16,000 miles - Grandparents
73 Ford Monarch (parked 65,000 miles - Grandparents