As some of you may know I posted ealier this week asking questions about "Torque Sequence proceedure" as I planned to R&R.

Well, here is what I found: The source of the leaking oil was not a faulty head gasket, nor was faulty for the leaking water!

The head gasket was in excellant shape as was the head. No pits, no cracks (had it pressure tested) not warpped either.

On the back side of the 603 head there is an oil plug that is screwed in (hex) with an aluminum washer and it was halfway unscrewed! Ahaaaa!!!

Water was leaking from the temp sensor housing next to the forward driverside of head............needs new gasket............so I probably didn't need to pull the head at all.........but, well, I did and it's been a fun week...next time I'll look more carefully. Had a hell of a time getting the chain rail pins out and am waiting for the new one's to arrive Monday.

Thanks to all that helped, couldn't have done it without it!............Steve

Though it is too bad you had to go through what you did to find the cause was something less serious, sharing what you found will make people like me more careful. Thanks and happy motoring.

__________________
Steve
'87 300TD - 132K - Soon 4-Sale
'84 300D Turbo - 122K - Driving
'77 VW Type II - 77K - Restored
'08 250EX Ninja
English Bulldog (Brier) - My best friend. Passed away 12/02/04 while in my arms.

AH, the ignominity of a wrong diagnosis on a vehicle. Boy, I can feel for you.
I've stripped down engines thinking it was x and it was y. sigh, anybody who has wrenched has done it.

Sometimes the bear gets you, sometimes you get the bear: I was having trouble with my 300d being sluggish; changed the filters, still sluggish. talked to two other mb people, said it was the trans. ok, had a rebuild shipped in and changed (well, it was taking a substanial time to go from reverse to drive and that was another 'tell-tale" sign of a bad tranny.)

after the new trans, the car was STILL sluggish. tranny guy said, bad fuel.
drained the tank, yep, bad fuel, algae laden. fresh fuel + fresh filters + rebuild tranny=zoom

I feel for ya...

__________________
71 220D 169K wrecked
83 240D 118K sweet 4 speed
91 350SDL (one of the 60% good engines) 156K
84 300d (loaner to my sister) 189K
79 300SD (partswagen)
86 420SEL partswagen
70 220d (partswagen)
68 280s GASSER!!! under construction now
85 300sd 310K miles winter beater car retired
93 300d 2.5 turbo 168K wife's car
83 280SL euro 5 speed 155K
69 250S newest project 54K

Actually, I'm glad I did it! I learned that at least for the time being, there can be no doubt, or worry, about the good state of condition the head is in.

Call it pease of mind! Wouldn't have known otherwise, and I didn't know there was an oil plug back there as there is only about 3/4 of an inch between the firewall and the backside of the head.

If anyone starts noticing an oil leak at the backside of the head, start by looking there first!

FJ,

If you didn't use a biocide the kill the fungus in your tank, the fungus will be back. May take a year or more but it will reappear.

P E H