I have a 1980 300sd.. On Saturday morning I went to drive the car. It took a few times to get it going.. Once going didnt have much power. Little sluggish Top speed on freeway was 70-75 . So I drove it a hundred miles one way.. At the end of the day went to start it.. Had some trouble finally fired up. Drove back home 100 miles. Pull in to the gas station for some diesel.. Wont start!
It some times starts for a few seconds when I spray wd-40 in to the air cleaner.. As it turns over at one point you can hear a grinding sound.. the starter stops at this point.. Then you wait and continue the starter pushes through that point..

Thanks

maybe a weak and grinding starter. It sounds like its getting stuck on the compression stroke

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1981 300SD 512k OM603

Does it make this noise when running or only when the starter is engaged?

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

It makes its when the starter is engaged.. After the engine turns over about two times it starts to make a grinding sound broken valve I was thinking..

Sounds to me like a chipped tooth on the flex plate or bad starter.

__________________
http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

Engine performance probs sound like classic valve adjust symptoms and probly fuel filters. Any diesel tech can set it right for about $150. Ye oughta be changing filters yerself its that easy.

Now tell us more about this grinding noise. Recent problem with starter or grinding with engine running? Worst case scenario you've got coupla chipped ring gear teeth on the flywheel where engine usually stops. Generally engines stop at/near same point of their cycle each time. Meanwhile operative engine grinding can often be traced to alternator bracket gone bad.

Check to make sure the starter mounting bolts are tight. Or at least not falling out. After the typical easy removal of the starter someone might have been reluctant to really tighten the bolts. Could be bad bearing in starter too. A little strange you get about two total engine rotations before the noise starts. To turn the engine over twice the starter has probably turned a couple of hundred times. I was also wondering about a broken or cracked flexplate.