Hello, I have my first MB project, an 82 300SD, that has apparently not ran for 6 years. The PO had taken the starter, alternator, air cleaner, and fan off and put them in the trunk. The power steering was left hanging so I don't think he was stripping the engine. Should I be able to turn the crank by hand? The glow plugs are still installed. Should I remove them, and soak the cylinders with something? I am hesitant to even mount and use the starter until I know the rings are free or not. I know this is simple question, but I want to proceed carefully. Thanks, Bill

Yes, remove the glowplugs, squirt some oil in the cylinders, let it soak overnight, then use a deep 27mm socket on the crank nose to turn it by hand a few times. It couldn't hurt to take the valve cover off and make sure the chain is intact and the cam is not rusted first.

Brief rundown of how I resurrected my 1984 300SD after sitting almost two years:

1. Valve cover off to check chain and adjust valve clearances

2. Lower oil pan off to drain and check bottom end (was also dented)

3. Injectors out including heat shields

4. Marvel Mystery Oil in injector holes

5. Notice MMO leaking out the bottom for the first day

6. Adjust valves to spec, put new lower oil pan on, fill IP with MMO, forget which injector lines go where for an hour, charge battery, add engine oil, crank over until it fires. I turned it over once or twice without the injectors in to clear the cylinders.


Drove it back over 2,000 miles, stopping to top up the engine oil.

The one thing I would do in addition is drain the coolant to look for contamination. If the engine oil isn't getting water in it and vice versa, I'll bet you're good to go.

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1983 300SD 467,000 km - 473 champagnermetallic

location: 34°5' N 106°53' W (Socorro NM, USA)

Thanks guys, I thought of 2 more questions I should have asked. 1.Browsing thru threads I came across comments about never turning the crank the wrong way or else. What is that all about?
2.Need to confirm the correct direction is clockwise standing facing the front of the engine. Right? Thanks, Bill

Correct. Clockwise. (What about digital clocks?)

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

yes CW facing the engine. You may unwind (loosen) the drive train if you gronk on it CCW< that said I've turned them CCW but only to align timing marks or establish TDC, just a tad, not a full revolution CCW.

I echo the MMO, let it sit a day or two, then turn it over a few times by hand, with no glow plugs.
You could start it on WD40 if its hard to get fired up. Spray a mist into the intake while cranking on a fully charged battery and remove the air filter to get it in better.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Right, clockwise standing in front of the car facing the engine. It is said the timing chain CAN jump a tooth if the engine is turned backward. (CCW)

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

By turning backwards you are also reversing the movement of the IP.

There may be more danger involved with CCW rotation b/c of interference with valves and pistons now that the chain stretch is reversed and the slack is not taken up properly by the tensioner.


If you are really anal about gettingthat engine well-lubed before running it:
remove GP's
apply vacuum to the shut-off solenoid at the IP
crank by hand afew times paying attention to how 'free' the movement is
Then crank the engine on the starter for more than 5 seconds.

this will prime the oil supply to the entire engine much better than any speed you could accomplish by hand

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OK, will do. Thanks guys. Bill

If you are not in a panic let the marvel mystery oil have time. For example a week soaking is better than two days. Just keep adding a little more each day to replace what has gone past the rings.

The marvel stuff is cheap enough and seems to do better than straight oil. As mentioned just be sure to crank the engine over with the starter to get rid of any excess oil in there before you put the glow plugs back in. It is always desirable information to have the reason the car was parked five years ago. Sometimes you get it and sometimes not..

Hello, I haven't gotten very far. Pulling glow plugs 1,2,and 3 were straightforward. I broke them loose with an 8 mm box wrench and used the wrench to back the plug out about 1 turn. They were all easy to remove from then on with my fingers. Number 4 is a surprise, and mystery to me. After breaking it loose with the 8 mm wrench, it never loosened up to where I could turn it with my fingers. It has come out to where about 1.5 threads are showing past the block, and stopped! Not only does it not want to come out, but the last 1/4 inch of travel it has wiggled like the prechamber is loose. Does this make any sense? An observation: The first 3 plugs were brown and aged looking like I would expect anything that has been operated in a hot and greasy enviroment. Number 4 is shiny looking. Remember I know nothing about the history of this engine, plus this is my first diesel project. Thanks, Bill

There's carbon around the tip holding it in place. Just keep turning and pulling but don't break off the tip.

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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

Thanks Kerry, That makes sense (carbon ridge holding it in), but what about the prechamber moving, is that possible, normal, or just my imagination? Bill

Hopefully they are not "Champion" or "Autolight" GPs, the tips (loop) of the loop style plugs of those brands have been known to come adrift, dont know about the later style.

Its not uncommon for GPs to resist coming out due to carbon.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

Hey Bill,

I would not be concerned about that shaking plug until you have it out, just take it easy and don't force it too much. If it gets to the point you think it might break, screw it back in partially, squirt your favorite catalyst on there and back it out again.

They screw into the iron of the head, not the PC. And the PC's are really, really in there good. The damage necessary to make a prechamber wiggle in the head would be more than obvious.

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