I have a 82 SD. Pulled the head because I thought it needed a new gasket or had a cracked head. The head was really easy to lift off. Did not need to whack it once...is this normal??? Did not see crack in head or could not see problems with gasket. Had coolant in the middle three cylinders and carbon on the end two. What do you guys think? Please see pic.
Thanks
T

It looks like you didn't completely drain the coolant first and it emptied out of the head and block down into the cylinders. I guess you drained it out of the radiator and not the block?

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Seth

1984 300D 225K
1985 300D Donor body
1985 300D Turbo 165K. Totaled. Donor Engine. It runs!!!
1980 300SD 311K My New Baby.
1979 BMW 633csi 62K+++? Dead odo

think you are right on that one. is that going to be a problem?
thanks
t

It's not an issue. Some coolant will end up in the oil, but, you'll do an oil change anyway.

Unless you've got some keen eyes, you won't see a crack in a cast iron head. I'd strongly urge you to have it pressure tested to ensure that it's OK for use.

When you put the head back on make sure to blow out all the water out of the bolt holes. If there is any water in there you can risk a crack when the engine gets hot.

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thanks, i will get it pressure tested and will blow out them holes!

While you have that head off, why don't you take it to a machine shop and have it checked out? You have already done the expensive and hard part, removing it. If it needs anything like new valve guides or a valve job and pressure testing, now is the time!!!! DO NOT use the same head bolts!!! These are stretch bolts that should be replaced everytime!

For what it's worth- a reputable machine shop will magnaflux the head. It really does a good job revealing cracks. By the way, what made you think you had a bad head gasket in the first place? Paul.

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1984 300CD red/blk 290,000 partial resto
1980 240D 4 sp Brn/palomino gone
1997 Mazda Miata STO edition wife's baby
1988 Lincoln Mark VII LSC next resto
1986 Subaru GL wagon daily
1993 Isuzu pickup field beater
2008 Honda Civic EX-L 5sp wife's new car
1978 Honda XL350
1974 Honda XL70 my Calif. ride in HS

Examine the head gasket if it didn't get damaged in the removal process. Look for any signs of leakage between any of the cylinders and near the water passages.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

They can be reused provided that they are within spec. I think the Haynes manual states what the specs are.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

To me it seems very odd that you don't have a uniform layer of carbon across all five cylinders. Instead, you have two that seem to have a little more than the usual carbon, and the inner three are clean.

What led you to suspect either a cracked head or bad head gasket? White smoke?

If so I think your three inner cylinders may have been getting coolant from a bad head gasket. But just because the coolant is there when you pull off the head doesn't mean anything - as someone mentioned it will flow in there from the amount already in the head coolant passages.

Ken300D

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

People have been known to dribble water into gas engines to blow out carbon. I wonder if coolant was getting into the middle three cylinders and blowing out the carbon.

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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

Yes, but to find out if they are within spec properly, you would need to magnaflux them in order to determine their strength. This would almost cost the same as a new set of head bolts and they are not that costly! It's cheap insurance and I know someone who's bolts were in spec, right up to the point one broke off in the motor case! Oh, discouraging word! At least there was enough of it sticking up to grab onto and twist it out!

Magnafluxing is only a method to check for cracks. What you're referring to is to test their tensile strength. It's not really possible to test their tensile strength without breaking them. Measuring them for elongation as the FSM suggests is really the only way to check if they're still serviceable. Your poor acquaintance must have not measured one properly or had a torque wrench that was off.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I too say that the middle three cylinders were getting water in them with engine running... NO WAY that they could be THAT clean otherwise....... Not in a diesel.........

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-Matt

EPA Section 609 Certified MVAC Technician
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Oil Burner Kartel Member #10

Ahh the smell of Diesel Fuel, it's like coffee in the morning!

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