I will have to see today whether or not there is alot of smoke out the exhaust when the throttle is raised then released sharply. I did notice alot of white smoke when I was driving it down the driveway.

Can someone please tell me what 'nailing' is?

Thanks, Chris

Nailing sounds like Paul Bunyan driving a large spike into a piece of hardwood with a 4 pound maul.
I didn't hear any nailing in your first sound clip.
I did hear an unusual metallic sound. Don't know what it is but it didn't sound like a rod knock to me. Too tinny for a rod. Could be a valve problem or something else. I'd use a mechanics stethascope to try to narrow down the location of the sound.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

The '75 has a funky pre screen filter in the oil filter housing. Make sure it's there. If it was ever taken to one of those crappy 15 minute oil change places chances are they threw it out which would be a bad thing. Here's a link to the oil filter housing schematics (item 224 on top schematic).

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.asp?TP=1&F=115117&M=616%2E916&GA=722%2E108&GM=716%2E002003&L=760%2E101++++++++++++++765%2E700&CT=M&cat=004&SID=18&SGR=045&SGN=02

If it's not there you can pick one up at the following URL:

http://www.mercedes-benz-parts-direct.com/

OIL SCREEN
Top - Nylon Screen
000 184 57 25
Oil Filter
Top - Nylon Screen MBZ005209
Mahle
$19.96
EACH

Are you talking about the 20 dollar filter screen? Does that have to be changed every time the oil is changed? I haven't changed the filter yet so I am not sure if that screen is present or not. I did however, right after I purchased the car, drained the old engine oil and added 5 new quarts of cheap Walmart 10W-40 oil just as a temporary thing until I could get the motor running. Is that a bad thing??? Should I have added a oil designed for diesel engines or am I fine running this cheap oil just till I get it running right then drain and add the correct oil and new oil filter? Thanks again, Chris.

Maybe the clacking is easier to hear in this video. This was filmed just after taking the car for a 20 minute drive on the highway. First time. Drove it about 60 mph. The engine sounded too loud to my ears with a loud ticking. I wish I had someone nearby with another 240d so I could hear how it is supposed to sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lADRU10fsuM

Yes make sure the pancake filter screen is in there, without it oil does not circulate into the filter canister. As long as the mesh is not torn it can be reused. Just wash it with gasoline or carb. cleaner spray.

__________________
Over 21 years I owned several:
w108
w110
w111
w115
w116
w123
w124
w126
w212

You should put in the correct oil. Gasoline rated oil cannot stand up to the demands of a diesel engine.

__________________
RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

OK, but is using the cheap oil okay temporarily? Or can that contribute to the ticking sound? I guess I just need to check and adjust vavle clearances before I go much further. Chris

OK I will pick up the proper oil tonite. What type, brand etc. should I buy and how many quarts will I need for my 240d? Thanks

15w-40 Tection by Castrol, Rotella T, by Shell, Delvac by Chevron IIRC, all those are good choices. I have the 300D, so I do not know what the oil capacity of your 240 is. Body of it looks really nice though. That fuel leak will also cause rough running.

Yes, do check valave clearances also.

__________________
RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

Hey, American Flyer.
How does the oil pressure look? Both of my 240s peg the gage at 3 at anything over idle when hot, and peg the gauge at idle when cold.
If your bearings were trashed from lack of oil, you should see low oil pressure as a result.

Just my 2 cents, I hope she's ok!
Cheers, Chris

I just checked out the video, and it sounds pretty good to me. I don't hear anything like a rod knock, which would be the most likely really bad sound it could make. Tinker around with it, and keep us posted! Good Luck!

Cheers, Chris

Bio240d,
The oil gauge on my 240d is in increments of 0 - 15 - 30 -45. When I start the engine cold it pegs 45. After it is completely warmed and at lowest idle it read about 25. With a little throttle it goes just over the 30 even when the engine is hot and pegs again when revved up. Thanks, Chris.

Hi American Flyer,
That sounds pretty good on oil pressure. On my 240 the gauge is in bar. One bar is about 14.5 psi, so pegging a 3 bar gauge is pretty close to 45 psi. 25 psi is a hair under 2 bar which is what I get during hot idle, so your numbers are right on for a "good" engine (mines only got about 74 k on it). Now if hot idle was giving you 2 psi, I would recomend an immediate teardown before you hurt anything badly!

The white smoke bothers me though because it could be a blown headgasket, or worse, a cracked block or head.

Here's a cool little test: make sure the radiator is full of coolant, leave the radiator cap off and crank the engine. Don't let the GPs get hot, just turn the key and let it crank not start. If there is a head gasket(most likely) or block/ head crack (almost never) the coolant will spurt from the radiator when the affected cylinder comes up on compression. The spurts will be in time with the cranking of the engine. If this is the case, don't despair. Doing a head gasket is time consuming but not difficult, and would give you an excellent chance to check out the condition of the engine. Hope this helps!

Cheers, Chris

Thanks for the info. I will try that radiator test in the morning. From what I can tell there is no water in the oil and the radiator coolant is nice clear green without a hint of oil. One thing that i did notice though when the engine was running and i took the rad cap off, there didnt seem to be any circulation. I am going to adjust the valves in the morning too.

Also, I would describe the smoke as white with a hint of blue (or black). It really does not seem like steam or water. It seems more like unburnt fuel and poor combustion. Not sure if that has to do with 2 year old gas and leaky lines around the injectors.

Thanks for all the help though.