I had a 91 SDL for a couple of years. When I got it it had some issues with the head IIRC. When tearing it down we found the intakes about 60% blocked with black gooey stuff which had hardened.

Before taking it apart I had noticed on occasion when driving down the highway big puffs of smoke occasionally which I took to be hunks of goo breaking off and going through the combustion chamber.

Mine had a leaky head gasket IRRC.

My favorite machinist and I pondered the problem with the rod benders a fair amount and we came up with a theory about it being caused by seeping head gaskets and partial hydro lock....or from large pieces of carbon goo getting in the very compact combustion chamber and bending the rod.....or gradual carbon build up inside the chamber until the rods were bent.

We could not imagine that MB would build rods so weak they could be bent from simply the combustion process.

As far as timing most that had the problem would have been running the timing set at the factory.

We felt the overbore to create the 350 engine weakened the block enough to let it twist and that along with the aluminum head was enough to compromise the head block seal enough to create the seeping.

There are a couple of long threads on the subject from when I first came on the forum looking for information about the 350 motor.

This the first I have heard they sold the 350 diesel motor anywhere beyond the US.

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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.