MY new to me 300SDL went to the shop yesterday and I find that the blown turbo sent pieces into the #2 cylinder and the intake valve is stuck open!

I need to decide if he should pull the head to investigate further or find a used motor or do a top end overhaul!

It does have 235 on the clock and He agrees that it's been well taken care of!

It DID impress him that when he cranked it from the starter selenoid to show me that it wanted to start & run ~ LOL!

I said "IT HAS THE WILL TO LIVE"!!!!

Any and all advise would be greatly appreciated!

AlanT:
Mesa AZ

Sorry to hear about the engine! I never saw a turbo blow like that! (there's always a first time though!)

Worst case is the engine could be damaged badly on the bottom end, but at the very least it probably needs a rebuilt cylinder head, preferably new, not the serial #14 head. These are destruct type of engines so when the timing chain fails or small obstacles get "into the works" it usually takes out lots of moving parts and usually cracks the camshaft.
If the vac pump is the old style it was running on borrowed time so better to plan on one of them if you are going to repair it at all and that plus a new turbo your talking big bucks. I'd say $3000 based on my 603 rebuild
If your talking pistons etc. this can make repairs run in the $4000 to $5000 range or more.

An engine out of a wrecked car with normal (over 200K) mileage will run about $2K to $2.5K depending one where you find it (IF you can find one!) so that is often less costly but you wind up with all the potential problems associated with the donor engine.
Really fine SDL's are selling from $6K to $8K (and higher) so go figure the options and you may well concluded that a good used SDL might be the best avenue unless you are a good mechanic and have DIY skills, inclination and a place to work on the car.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

I agree with everything mentioned above by DDH.

However, I might take another tack:

If the damage is limited to the head, and the head is not cracked, the cost to have the existing head overhauled will be the least costly route. Naturally, it's a gamble because you don't know what you have until the head is removed.

And, you might find damage to the cylinder which puts you right back to the options that DDH recommended.

But, you also might get lucky and have no damage other than the valves on that one cylinder.

You mentioned that the engine is apparently a good running engine.

So, do you feel lucky?

My guy says...1000 just for the turbo replaced and he feels theres peices in the engine! He'd do a sawp for me for 1100.00
I found a used engine with 131 k for 1300.00 shipped and a 6month warentee!

the car is in GREAT shape and was cared for so after its all said and done I will have 3300 in it total!


Alan

Fantastic. That's the way to go.

Does the replacement engine has a newer head? Before putting in, check the turbo. I suggest you put in the newer vacuum pump too.

you could try removing foreign material from the cylinder by removing the injector and prechamber.this will give you a clear shot into the cylinder itself.try a magnetic pickup.while your there check the condition of the piston crown with a flashlight.as for the debris trapped in the intake valve,try compressed air after removing the intake manifold.once the cylinder is "clean" put it all back together and see how it runs.you maybe surprised.best of luck

I would at least pull the head and see what damage there is before doing a swap. You don't know what is damage or how much damage there is until you do that, you might have gotten lucky.

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1985 300D Turbo ~225k
2000 F350 (Powerstroke) 4X4, SWB, CC, SRW, 6spd ~148k
1999 International 4900, DT466e (250hp/660 ft/lbs), Allison MD3060 ~73k

Go online to Majestic turbo in Texas and check their prices for a turbo. Suspect could be replaced for less than $1k.

Whatever happened to borescopes? Any competent shop will (or SHOULD) at least have one of the cheap (+/-$300) flexible borscopes that allow easy internal inspection. Me--I got a 'used' but excellent condition high pixel count medical scope (50" depth) Olympus OSF-2 used for smidgeoscopy with its high powered medical light source for less than $300 on EBAY. This thing is +/-$15000 new, but once damaged in any its not usable for medical purposes without remanufacture by the factory and re certification.

However, with it one can EASILY read the numbers on top of the pistons, inspect for bore wear, etc. FAR easier that pulling things apart to look. Wana know what your turbo looks like inside? How bout the chain guides?

Yea, an exploding turbo is pretty rare, and I have not seen the damage caused by one. It will be to the benefit of owners of W603 engines to see the damages. Can you take some pictures and post?

Congrats to AlanTbird! that is a real deal, even if you need a few things and mark my words, get the late version Vac Pump if it has the old model. The new one has four torx head screws holding the cover on while the original is smooth. PLEASE do not come back in a few months or a year from now and tell us your "new" engine blew to bits because the vac pump let go!

I'd like to have a borescope someday. I wanted to see what the inside of the Trap Oxidizer looked like when my 603 engine refused to stay running. The dealer got the priviledge of seeing what it looked like when they replaced it. It was plugged-up BAD

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

I have a used Garrett for less than that...

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

the investigation of my own engine first. you know what it is. you dont know what the used engine is. and the warranty is only as good as the warrenter.

also typically, they only will give you another motor if it is bad. and you are out the labor. if i could drive the car with the replacement motor in it that is another matter.

perhaps you can scope it. i dont know about that.

tom w

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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.

My 86 SDL with the slightly used motor took us out to dinner last night!
my worry about the clogged exhaust was mistaken!
while the guys at my shop are fantastic mechanics, i discovered that the vacuum lines were re connected wrong! may be the diference btwn the 86 and 87 motor? a few changes and it flies like the wind!

My current and hopefully final list is,
#1 making sure my vac lines are right! (thanks for the diagrams!)
#2 related to #1 its clunking when it shifts unless I goose it and let it wind out the gears!....during avg accell it goes from 1to2 very quickly and then is in 4 by 30mph. while slowing to a stop and downshifting it clunks!
sounds like something in the rear or driveshaft!....seeking more diagrams!
#3 I have no heat!<<< #4 still need to get the old motor off my pickup!...lucky my nieghbor has a lift!

alant
mesa az
86 SDL~ 235k on the car 131k on the motor
too many other toys to list...gotta get out there and tinker!