Greetings,

Unless you're looking to be the speed racer of MB diesels, I'd run the engine as it is. I would look to see if your vacuum line coming off of the vacuum pump going to the filter housing has oil dripping from it while it's running though, could be a vacuum pump seal gone bad pumping oil into your intake. As mentioned before, if it starts and gives reliable performance, why sink money into parts that won't cause any irreversable damage to the engine. If you rebuild now or later, you will still, at the least end up resleeving with new cylinder liners, new pistons, rings, bearings, and probably have the head redone. You can't do any harm to a running diesel engine unless something disconnects like a connecting rod that makes contact with another part other than the liner, those will be replaced in a rebuild anyway, and they're cheap to buy at any rate. Get your money's worth out of what you have, and watch the oil level.


Charles

[Edited by can-do on 06-10-2001 at 11:00 AM]