OM603 head bought the farm - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mking · #1 03-28-2007, 12:55 AM

At 220K I've managed to crack my #14 head; erractic temps, upper rad hose holding pressure overnight, white smoke, rough idle, etc. the good news: I found a #17 head, overhauled from a 350 that threw a rod. Here's the question: are the 300 and 350 camshafts interchangable? Or would there be any advantage to the 350 cam? Both cams are in excellent condition.

cavaliers16 · #2 03-28-2007, 10:14 AM

Fastlane says that they have the same part numbers, and are therefore interchangeable. There really wouldn't be any advantage to having that camshaft if they are the same parts.

mking · #3 03-28-2007, 03:44 PM

thanks. I sometimes forgot my flair for the obvious.

dieseldiehard · #4 03-28-2007, 03:51 PM

woo ha!

how did you find a 350 head? (I need a turbo off a 350 in case you saw one there also)
The 350 uses angled injectors, doesn't it? IF so you need the lines that connect them to the IP, as bending the old style lines will result in an ugly mess and eventually cracked lines.

mking · #5 03-28-2007, 07:17 PM

the guy I bought the head from is very cool. He's including the injection lines. I'll see if he's got the turbo.

dieseldiehard · #6 03-28-2007, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mking

the guy I bought the head from is very cool. He's including the injection lines. I'll see if he's got the turbo.

OK! PM me if you find one, Thanks!

mking · #7 04-23-2007, 12:57 AM

finally got the time to tear into the 603: got the head off today and found cracks at #4 and #5. #4 and 5 cylinders were full of coolant (assume this leaked in as it sat in the garage for a month before I pulled the head).
The 350 head (#17 - just out of the machine shop) is ready. While I've got it apart I'm going to:

1. Replace vac pump w/new style Pierburg (I got the new .74 per the latest vac pump thread.)
2. Replace water pump (impeller looks like crap)
3. Replace front crank seal
4. New Radiator
5. Updated fan clutch with plastic fan, new expansion tank and cap and all hoses.
6. Replace delivery valve seals.

Oddly enough this car had the original vac pump, and a #14 head and if I belive the odometer, it held together for 220K miles (I've had it for two years but only put 15K on it thanks to trans failure). It has approx 1.5 degrees of chain stretch.

A couple of questions:

The water pump housing has a line that feeds the heater. It looks like it has an internal "o" ring or some exotic german method of puting a steel line into an aluminum housing. Any body know how to reseal this thing?

Same deal with the fuel pre heater manifold. How is that seal replaced? I pulled the retainer clip off during disasembly but the manifold doesn't want to come out of the fitting going into the head. Is there any value to the fuel heater? Possible to install a threaded plug in the head and eliminate it?

The information in this forum has been a life saver!