Folks, I'm using the site and searching for my answers, but I thought I'd ask teh STRATEGIC question:

Just brought home a 220k mile 95 E300. Great shape, except it has a terrible cold start racket going on. One heAvily metallic ping which doesnt go away with rpm, and only diminishes when warm. Reappears on heavy acceleration. I seem to haveleftthe service records at the dealer's 400 mile away!

No matter, I prefer to assume NOTHING and go bottom up on a diesel tune up, which it desparately needs ( and hopefully not a cylhead reman!).

This is a 606.910 enigne. Got decent mpg (35) tooling along at 80-85, so I'm hopful its nothing deeply mechanical ( valves,head leak etc.)

Please describe to me the proper cadence of service to get this engine in a proper state of tune. Only thing so far is to putfresh oil/filter in. I've ordered a deisel purge kit, but me thinks I should be pulling injectors and having them tested. ??? Havent bought the IP timing light yet either.

HELP! I'd like to minimize my learning curve so I can put this thing on the road soon! Could someoine give me the right sequence of "events" so I can get cracking on it. Looks like the intake comes off before anything, so I'll pull that off today ( and detail it with some stainless steel paint which looks jsut like nat alum!)

Without knowing anything about these motors, but being a "gearhead" I would guess I have a failing injectorin the mix.

Thank you in advance for any advice and helping with my "baptism by fire" on maitaining a MBz diesel