190d smokes a lot!

[Langsmer]

Ok, I’m looking at a 1959 190d. Today we went to start it, and see how it runs. Apparently the guy who owns it let it idle for a few minutes without any coolant the other day, so we put some in today. When we started it, it smoked pretty bad, but it subsided, yet it was still pretty bad. Even after letting it run for about 5 or 10 minutes, it still smoked a lot. It smoked a lot worse at idle, than at higher rpm's. The smoke was pretty blue. Is that normal? Is the engine toast? Is there a way to cut down on the smoke? I would be worried about being pulled over by a cop when sitting at a light!

Also, how hard is it to find master cylinders, or rebuild kits for these? Thanks a lot!

[300SDog]

Do not panic..... blue smoke generally indicates unburnt fuel, can be caused by stretched timing chain hence injector pump timing is off. Scarce roundbody parts include clutch pressure plates and hydraulic brake components. Does the 190Db include a heat blower motor? That was a special order deluxe option back then. Also look for one speed windshield wipers and fixed position unreclinable seats.

[Langsmer]

It does have 1 speed windsheild wipers, and fixed seats. What does that mean?

It also has two little blowers comming off the two little grills on the front. Tey are in tubes on the engine compartment.

[t walgamuth]

you know, windshield wipers only go one speed. not two or three. fixed seat means no reclining.

the two blowers you describe sound like heater fans.

tom w

[300SDog]

Originally Posted by Langsmer

It also has two little blowers comming off the two little grills on the front. Tey are in tubes on the engine compartment.

The most primitive heat and ventilation system in the world. The baffle tubes always leak and hardly draw any air. Plus you've got heater boxes waay up in the engine bay, far from the interior compartment.

Other unique mechanical features include a hollow camshaft, oil squirts out back of the lobes. And the injector pump has it own sump independent of the engine, as I'm sure you know. Injectors and glow plugs are the same as later models.

It's a good thing the engine is being started occasionally, should probly be left running a few hours at a time. And the trick with diesels is they NEED to be driven hard. A several hundred mile 'italian tune-up' at top speed would work wonders for the car, cleaning out carbon deposits, injectors, etc. Otherwise this is probly the worst time of the year for diagnosing a diesel engine with cold temps, fuel and oil gelling being a factor.

Originally Posted by Langsmer

Ok, I’m looking at a 1959 190d. Today we went to start it, and see how it runs. Apparently the guy who owns it let it idle for a few minutes without any coolant the other day, so we put some in today. When we started it, it smoked pretty bad, but it subsided, yet it was still pretty bad. Even after letting it run for about 5 or 10 minutes, it still smoked a lot. It smoked a lot worse at idle, than at higher rpm's. The smoke was pretty blue. Is that normal? Is the engine toast? Is there a way to cut down on the smoke? I would be worried about being pulled over by a cop when sitting at a light!

Also, how hard is it to find master cylinders, or rebuild kits for these? Thanks a lot!

It's a cast iron motor, so unless he let it run for more than a few minutes, I doubt that did any damage, other than to the water pump seals running dry.

Low compression can cause the blue/white smoke, a valve adjustment might help. I think this model uses a vacuum pump, if the diaphram is torn, that would cause a large amout of blue smoke.

A master cylinder for this car is big $$$. The last time I checked they were close to $275 for a new one. White Post Restoration can sleeve your old one with stainless and rebuild it with a lifetime warranty for a little less. Aproper rebuild kit is probably $75 to $90 dollars, but if the bore is damaged it will still leak.