Hey guys, I am relatively new to this forum and drive an 87 300d with the original #14 head. I know head issues have been beat to death on this forum so I apologize for making another post. We made a trip for Christmas and after the trip up I noticed a gurgling noise in the dash (air in the cooling system). It does have 270,000 miles so I wouldn't be shocked if I had a head issue. Anyhow, it has not shown any signs of wanting to overheat, but I noticed some fresh coolant sitting on the alternator bracket.

With that being said, the coolant may be coming out of the weep hole for the water pump (I don't think it has ever been replaced). I ordered a new water pump and hopefully I will be able to make the 3 hour trek home (watching the temp gauge like a hawk of course). Do you think a slightly leaky water pump would also introduce air into the cooling system?

I have previously noticed some signs of the head gasket weeping coolant at the back of the engine near cylinder 6 (only slightly), but again, the coolant does not seem to be pressurized, and I have not yet lost a discernable amount of coolant. After it sits overnight the hoses are still soft.

So, here is the reason for my post...I am definitely going to replace the water pump, but I am also tempted to change the head gasket too before I start having other cooling issues. I have not been able to source an updated head, and wish I could have one on hand in case I find a cracked head when I pull it off (even though I haven't seen any signs of it). At the local pick and pull before our trip I noticed they had a naturally aspirated 86 300d with the om603 engine. The casting number on the head is a #10. If I end up needing a head, do you know if the #10 head will work? I have never seen anything
about a #10 head so I have no idea if it will work or not!

Thanks for any help/advice you can offer! Also, are there any good links you know of for the head gasket change instructions (I have done heads on other cars but not on an MB before).