Quote:
Originally posted by LarryBible
To begin with VW engines are a dime a dozen. That approach is not practical on your car unless your engine is totally trashed.
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While I SHOULD be insulted by the VW engine comment,
it's actually a pretty accurate statement...the cost of a NEW MB head would pay for the parts to build a VW race motor! And While I have a decent VW motor right now, I have enough top end parts for a second one (just in case).
Quote:
Originally posted by md21722
Old VW's were air cooled & held in by 4 bolts. I'm told guys could pull the motor in about 20 minutes. Not so easy with a Mercedes.
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Actually, we had engine pull contests in VW shows and the last record I remember (two-man team pulling it out, rolling it a few yards from the car, putting it back in and getting it running) was like a minute and a half!
Anyway, I digress...
You have an 87...as others have posted, there are several places that can leak in that engine...I believe age is your worst enemy right now, second only to high mileage. So failing ancillary components, leaky vacuum hoses, and the like, will contribute to poor running performance.
What you need is a full-blown diagnosis performed on the engine by a competent MB tech. More than likely, you have a series of small ailments that combined, appear to create a larger issue.
I stress COMPETENT tech, because you don't want someone who just thows parts at it until it starts running properly. Replacing parts unnecessarily can get quite expensive, so you only want to pay for expert diagnosis, and then the associated repair of said component(s).
And I believe you'll STILL be ahead $$-wise than looking for a good boneyard counterpart...