Its Alive!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Johnhef · #1 08-17-2006, 11:15 PM

What a great day this tuned out to be!
My beloved 1987 300D finally rumbled to life tonight after having been disassembled and not run since January 2005! I managed to get as much of the needed parts back on as I could (untill the rest of the seals and stuff arrive tomorrow) and fired it up. What a sweet sound it was, I even took a short video! I can't wait to get this baby back on the road!

fastpakr · #2 08-17-2006, 11:30 PM

Congratulations, John! I just walked in from driving mine for the first time in a year. It's got some minor issues left to sort out, but we should be grinning in our '87's in a couple of weeks at the gathering. Looking forward to meeting you there.

snp8990 · #3 08-17-2006, 11:35 PM

What a great sound!I love the sound of Benz diesels,especially the W124 diesels.

dieseldiehard · #4 08-17-2006, 11:54 PM

Its just over a year after I got my "cheap" $450 '87 300D. You know what they say about a cheap Mercedes? Well this car taught me the lesson good.
I felt a lot of happiness (mixed with concern) when my '87 project car rumbled a bit, maybe half a minute, then it politely died and refused to start! Mind you this was a car that I had re-ringed my self and had great feelings of intrepidation when I went to start it, thinking that the rings would seize or something you know, despite all the assy lube and support from the mechanic who sort of apprenticed me thru it all. The car hadn't run for over 2 years, sat out with no head for the better part of one year (thru the rainy season) and showed some rust on one or two cylinders (aww just let the rings hone it off he said!)
Anyhow long story short - it was the Nasty Trap Oxidizer that was plugged! I mean it was plugged solid. I swapped one off a wrecking yard engine and that allowed me to run the car over to the dealer who did the replacement under the Open Campaign, and the car is a real strong runner now! I really like the project '87 300D, its my second one too! My wife got hold of my first one so I had to have my own!

Some of my experience is worth telling so anyone else planning a rebuild on a 603 will avoid the problems I had.
The sensors on the 603 are an experience, this isn't a simple engine like the 617. There are two timing sensors, the crank sensor up front on the timing cover is the one that is critical. Just scribe a mark that shows exactly where it is before you remove it to take off the front cover. The wiring to the three temp thermo switch is consiodered strange to some people too.

And take close up pictures if possible, there are lots of little things I had to run look at my running '87 to see where something went or what length of bolt goes where and so on. If I didn't have that luxury I would have my head buried in the manual (also a must-have!) even more than I did.
Be sure to install new engine mounts, too. The gel filled mounts have a fairly short life compared to solid rubber ones. What else? Oh just throw some $$ at it and get it running like a scalded cat, you'll appreciate all your work then!

Johnhef · #5 08-18-2006, 12:24 AM

I'm lucky enough to have two 300SDL's here at the house for me to look at for reference for when I put the rest of this stuff back together this weekend. I think I've found just about all the parts for it by now- considering i've done 4 or 5 other engines in the garage since I did this one, thats quite an accomplishment...

Now if I could only find Brian Carltons EGR plate kits I bought awhile back I wont have to buy a new gasket for the egr valve

Johnhef · #6 08-23-2006, 12:03 AM

can I get a HELL YEAH!?!

finished everything else up this evening and fired it up again. after running for a few minutes I revved it a little in the driveway (3000rpm maybe) and damned if it didnt start knocking its ass off! I'm thinking oh crap that I wasnt going to get away scott free after all, but recalled a 2.5 at work I had done injector lines on too and experienced the same "oh crap it sounds like its going to throw a rod" feeling and remembered the remedy, WOT for a minute and the knock went away! a little cam ticking showed up a little while after that but eventually went away too.

just some air in the new injector lines was all it was. sure scares the hell out of you to hear that.

Took it for a test drive around 10pm. a little disapointing at first, only about 3-4psi registering on the gauge. Thought I may have had the lines mized up for the ARV and now removed EGR so I swapped them. maybe 5psi now, ok, car still runs good though. took it down on the highway and gave it the good ol' italian tune up. damn smoke was so thick I couldnt see the cars headlights anymore behind me.

after 5 minutes of running it hard, the smoke cleared, each pass up and down the highway registered a little more boost on the gauge untill finaly it came back to the 11psi we all know and love!

THE ROCKET IS BACK!

yeah and I came back home to dog puke all over the rugs but you know what? I didnt care!!! I cleaned it, ate some dinner, wrote this nice little story and am now going to sleep!

pawoSD · #7 08-23-2006, 12:14 AM

Great to hear that!! Always good when a MB diesel is back on the roads!

Wes Bender · #8 08-23-2006, 11:30 AM

Good job!!!

Always refreshing to hear a success story rather than some of the pi$$ing and moaning that for some reason seems to be on the increase here.

Johnhef · #9 04-29-2009, 11:44 PM

ahh this thread brings back memories. I sure was excitable.

My 300D overheated back in Nov 07 and I sporadically drove it from time to time since it seemed ok after that but a year later it cooked again when the MB t-stat stuck shut and I didn't notice the gauge untill it was too late. It's been sitting waiting for disassembly over the winter but has had new life breathed into the project recently with the discovery of a 300SDL at the local yard that will be donating it's cylinder head to my car

leathermang · #10 04-29-2009, 11:58 PM

Gosh, given where it is sitting... I would be worried about ROCK SLIDES...
That is why I am for audible warnings instead of just gauges... way faster to notice...can save entire cars...

lietuviai · #11 04-30-2009, 12:14 AM

I wonder what malady caused that 300SDL to end up in that boneyard?

pawoSD · #12 04-30-2009, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lietuviai

I wonder what malady caused that 300SDL to end up in that boneyard?

Yeah it looks like it was a real nice car, too bad.

It doesn't even appear to have any rust or anything.

75Sv1 · #13 04-30-2009, 07:25 AM

I was going to open a new post, but it look like this topic is appropriate. I finally got my 240D back on the road. I bought it in November of '07. I drove it twice before purchasing it, and two or three time after that. Then I started in on it, replacing belts, hoses etc. Cleaning, timing chain, more cleaning, vaacuum pump rebuild, more cleaning, brakes, caliphers etc, etc. Oh yah, more cleaning. I took out the interior, all excecpt the headliner. I put in the sound deadening stuff. I took out the floor board liners , even to the fire wall. I mean every thing. Then I cleaned.
I have had it ready to run for about 6 months, but couldn't get the clutch to bleed or function. A recent thread talked about the ecentric and the different length rods. I went back in there and the rod was way to long. I couldn't find the other rod, so I shortened the rod from the old master clutch cylinder. It finally worked. I did have the engine running in November. I filled the radiator and added the citric acid on Saturday. I drove it awhile and felt confident enough to drive to a hobby shop, about an hour away. I drove that night to a dance in Indy. I had some problems with the alternator slipping. I pot in the baking soda to nutralize the citric acid.I then drove it the next day to Indy for another dance. I drove it to work on Monday. I had to get a jump start though.
I still have to install the speakers and some other work to do. The steering is a bit tight. I did get 28.5 MPG, with tires that had 25 psi. I could maintian highway speed and pass some. I did feel I required about twice the distance to pass comforably than with either of my Ford Contours. I did get some complements on how clean the engine compartment and interior was. Also, the engine barely moves when running.
I still have a lot of work to do on it. I bought it for $1600 and probably have $6K to $8K in it at this point. If it last 10 years, then I'll be happy. Maybe it will go another 25 years. I'll change the belts and hoses before then though. Seriously, they looked like some of the Chilton pictures.
Tom

leathermang · #14 04-30-2009, 09:07 AM

Please don't go to any gettogethers.... you will make the other cars look like pig sties.

75Sv1 · #15 04-30-2009, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathermang

Please don't go to any gettogethers.... you will make the other cars look like pig sties.

Hey, I'm just trying to help the Pres with this Swine Flu epidemic. Mine still needs a paint job, some suppesion work etc. I will say it shift good, being a manual and isn't as slow as other write about. I hope I've added to the knowlege on this board. I did learn a lot from hear, and still think there is more to learn. I might have to take some pictures. I don't think mine is the nicest here, but I'm happy.
Tom