Finally had to break down and replace the head on my 87 300D. I suspect it's been weak for a long time (always had some oil in the coolant tank), but this winter it suddenly got really smoky on starting and left a white trail until it warmed up a couple times.

I pulled the head of the off-chance it was just a gasket (it was also leaking oil at the front below the chain tensioner), and the head gasket was indeed bad -- blown between #3 and #4, blown out the back right side on #6, and leaking both oil and coolant around. Broke a head bolt (the hole was full of carbon from the blown gasket), bent the oil feed line to to the turbo all to h... and back, found a broken exhaust stud late on a Sunday afternoon, all in all quite a project.

Ran a lot better, much less vibration, but clattered a lot more than I wanted, and got pressure in the cooling system too fast. Yup, sure enough, cold pressure and white smoke...

I did do a visual inspection of the head and didn't see anything, but I didn't have it tested, I was in a hurry to get the car back on the road (the 280 SE gets 14 mpg....). Went back on OK, but its either badly warped or cracked (I vote for cracked...).

I got a replacement head with valves, nothing else except the cam bearings, so tomorrow I have to go out and see if the shop that did the valves screwed up the guide clearance -- no springs, and the valves are taped in, making be think they are WAY too loose. Probably end up having new guides put in before I install. Valves are new, but I'm afraid someone put them in with "Chevy" clearance and they will allow oil into the combustion chambers. Not the first time I've seen this, by the way.

So in the next couple of weeks I get to do the job again. Should have followed my initial instincts and snagged that head off eBay I saw while I was in the middle of the job last time, I'd be done by now and it was a bit less, although I'd probably have bought new valves rather than use the ones with 260,000 miles on them!

A nice project for my vacation!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!