I think the valve seals on my 300D have just about had it and I was wondering how much of an undertaking this is in the old garage and how much a stealership gets to replace them. I have heard it can be done without removing the head (preferable). What do you guys think and what tools are needed? The reason I suspect this, is on start ups, it will smoke EXCESSIVELY some times it isn't as bad, but for the most part I control the mosquito population on my block. It is usually worse after an oil change when i add oil to the filler, again why I am thinking valve seals.

Thanks

Kurt Kiefer

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2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - Georend fully built trans, Banks Big Hoss Bundle, Smarty Tuner, 5" turbo back exhaust. 500 HP and 1100 ft/lbs to the ground.
1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD - Lost to a four car pile up on 275, Thank You Michigan Drivers.
1986 Mercedes-Benz 300D - Sold, Euro non-turbo car.

How much oil are you using, how many miles on the engine?

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

220K miles on the clock and it seems to work properly, suprisingly I really cant measure much oil loss during an oil change interval I am going to guess maybe a half a quart, maybe.

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2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - Georend fully built trans, Banks Big Hoss Bundle, Smarty Tuner, 5" turbo back exhaust. 500 HP and 1100 ft/lbs to the ground.
1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD - Lost to a four car pile up on 275, Thank You Michigan Drivers.
1986 Mercedes-Benz 300D - Sold, Euro non-turbo car.

Dave M/gsxr has all the pictures you need to evaluate how big a job this is. Good info in this thread -

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=213988

The cam has to come off so you can remove the lifters to expose the tops of the valve stems. The springs are entirely contained in wells cast into the head making it a tedious job. The best and some would say only tool for the job is the MB tool which consists of a rail that bolts to the head with a lever to compress the spring and a magnetic tip to collect the keepers. The valves have a hair's width to fall onto the piston at TDC so that's not an issue.

If there's oil collecting on the #1 exhaust runner and dripping down the chain tensioner, consider a new head gasket. It's common in these engines for the head gasket to fail between the high pressure oil feed to the head and the #1 combustion chamber. The external leak is probably a fraction of what's leaking into #1.

Sixto
87 300D

I haven't followed your postings to know what you've done and checked on the car, but with 1/2quart at an oil change, they can't be passing enough for smokey startups. I'd look elsewhere: nozzles, glow-plugs, ... start out by glowing longer, you're in Michigan!

Mine'll smoke too if I crank before a full glow cycle in the cold.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Dave used a different tool than I've seen. I'm more familiar with the rail used on watercooled VW heads.

Sixto
87 300D

You may want to do the glow plug mod suggested here. It will probable clear it up. Next time it does it go back to the tailpipe and smell it. See if it is just unburnt diesel and the gp mod with do the trick.

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-disav

99 E300 TURBODIESEL Astral Silver 282K - AMG brakes, suspension, monoblocks, speedo & interior - Full Load Maxed on IP by custom Speed Tuning USA Chip - T3/T4 Garrett - EGR/MAF delete
98 E300 TURBODIESEL Alexandrite Green on black leather 289K
95 E300 DIESEL Green Queen 267K SOLD
84 300D 216k SOLD
87 300D 299K #22 head - intercooler - full load adj. - 8sec 0-60mph - SOLD
76 300D 214K SOLD

I am waiting one full cycle (until i hear the relay click off under the hood) is this not long enough? What glow plug mod is there for the 603? The only one that comes to mind is the one I did on my coupe with series glow plugs.

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2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - Georend fully built trans, Banks Big Hoss Bundle, Smarty Tuner, 5" turbo back exhaust. 500 HP and 1100 ft/lbs to the ground.
1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD - Lost to a four car pile up on 275, Thank You Michigan Drivers.
1986 Mercedes-Benz 300D - Sold, Euro non-turbo car.

I have checked out all the glow plugs and the resistance is good on all of them. I cleaned the injectors by taking them all the way apart and polishing the tips ultrasonic wash yadda yadda yadda, but i didn't have them pop tested.....

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2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - Georend fully built trans, Banks Big Hoss Bundle, Smarty Tuner, 5" turbo back exhaust. 500 HP and 1100 ft/lbs to the ground.
1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD - Lost to a four car pile up on 275, Thank You Michigan Drivers.
1986 Mercedes-Benz 300D - Sold, Euro non-turbo car.

On the 61x engines it was the 'purple wire mod' and both engines have "afterglow" mods. Basically, the glow plugs keep running for a little bit after the engine has started. This helps that 30 seconds or so where you get smoke on startup.

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John Robbins
'05 E320 CDI - 240k
'87 300TD - 318k

If you did not assemble the injectors exactly the same after cleaning then there may be an injector or two leaking down. If that is so your engine is going to smoke on startup to some extent. Best to pop test the injectors and check for leakage first. If they check out then move on.
Just manually cleaning the internal injector parts and putting them back together is not really checking them for problems. The parts you cleaned could have been worn beyond service limits before you started. Again this can only be verified after working on them with testing. The parts at the nozzle form wear patterns with age. The chances of you rematching the parts wearing locations exactly even with the parts from the same injector are probably small.

I've had three 60x engines here in Michigan, some start cleaner than others. For cold starts below ~25degrees, if you want a really clean start, try "double-plugging" it: Run the full glow cycle, key off/on again and glow it another 10sec or so, then start. If this helps, your car is one of the cars that likes more glow time. My 602 would smoke some anytime below about 40degrees unless I over-glow the engine (and the 602 had "afterglow").

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I am familiar with the ignition on the car, as i had to replace it when i bought it, what of the purple wire needs to be done to allow for "afterglow"?

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2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - Georend fully built trans, Banks Big Hoss Bundle, Smarty Tuner, 5" turbo back exhaust. 500 HP and 1100 ft/lbs to the ground.
1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD - Lost to a four car pile up on 275, Thank You Michigan Drivers.
1986 Mercedes-Benz 300D - Sold, Euro non-turbo car.

The purple wire signals the relay that the engine is running and shuts down the glow-plug relay. Cutting it (apparently) disables that signal and lets it continue.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

The violet wire carries +12V when the key is in the start position. I don't know if the +12V signal cuts the glow system immediately or when you release the key. My guess is the relay will glow the plugs for a full count if there is no starter signal.

Does the temp sensor in the relay influence glow time or only glow light time?

Sixto
87 300D