Car sat for two years - starting precautions as a prospective buyer? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dieseldan44 · #1 07-31-2008, 11:57 PM

Good evening,
Tomorrow morning I am going to look at two W123's that have been sitting for two years. An 85 300D with 130k and a 83 240D with 240k. I want to start these babies up and see if and how they run. The PO seems to be a fairly knowledgeable guy. An older fellow who just doesnt need the cars anymore. They are short money and one of them I hope to make my winter ride.

Cars ran when parked, and he filled the tanks with diesel, and anti-fungi additive. No rotten smell coming from the tanks. I don't know if he turned the motors over at all. Im assuming he did not.

Can I start them up for evaluation without changing oil, using 2 year old fuel etc? Am I going to kill anything just to idle them like this or drive them around the block?

What should I do before turning them over - keeping in mind that I don't own the car?

Obviously if I buy them my first move before driving them 30 miles home would be to change oil, oil filter, fuel filters, air filter etc. - but I dont want to dump $16 worth of rotella and a filter in to find out the engine is no good or smokes like a steam train etc.

Thanks as always,
dd

vstech · #2 08-01-2008, 12:02 AM

if he changed the oil before he parked them, you are golden. start them and drive it.
if not, just drive it as much as it takes to decide if you are going to keep the car.
and you have no reason to change fuel filters.

dieseldan44 · #3 08-01-2008, 12:27 AM

cool, thanks vstech. just wanted to make sure i wasnt violating some golden rule.

i know with cars sitting longer than a couple years folks tend to squirt oil in the cylinders etc.

these bad boys are rusty, its not like they are time capsule showpieces.

vstech · #4 08-01-2008, 12:34 AM

you May want to pull the oil fill cap and look and see if there is any rust visible on the cam lobe.

charmalu · #5 08-01-2008, 01:01 AM

here is a similar thread from a couple days ago
www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=229044

Charlie

kerry · #6 08-01-2008, 01:13 AM

Sit in driver's seat, insert key, glow, start.

bgkast · #7 08-01-2008, 01:19 AM

I would crank it several revolutions with somebody holding down the "stop" lever just to build oil pressure before you fire it off.

Beagle · #8 08-01-2008, 02:49 AM

Quote:

you May want to pull the oil fill cap and look and see if there is any rust visible on the cam lobe.

Yes, I second that, I recently checked a 300d that had stood for 18 months and found thick flaking rust on 3.4 and 5, 1 and 2 strangely had very light trace of rust. For what it takes I suggest you pull the valve cover for thorough check. Take out all injectors and compare - they will give you a clue as to how the engine was last running. Turn the engine over carefully by hand and if you find sudden resistance this could indicate rust on cyl sleeves too. Rust after standing so long is almost a given particularly if standing outside in Boston!

dieseldan44 · #9 08-01-2008, 07:55 AM

thanks guys!

ill pull the VC then - thats less than 5 minutes. ill also do the build oil pressure thing. just to be safe.

off i go, i want my winter car!! i cant wait to have a beater!

Ara T. · #10 08-01-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

if he changed the oil before he parked them, you are golden. start them and drive it.
if not, just drive it as much as it takes to decide if you are going to keep the car.
and you have no reason to change fuel filters.

Really? I'd change the oil first, note that manufacturers usually give you a mileage limit or a time limit for their oil change intervals. I think the helpful additives break down.

But I guess that is the seller's problem isnt it

daw_two · #11 08-01-2008, 08:05 AM

IF you can get them cheap and have a place to park them once you get them home.......agree on a price and trailer\tow them home.

1983/300CD · #12 08-01-2008, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ara T.

Really? I'd change the oil first, note that manufacturers usually give you a mileage limit or a time limit for their oil change intervals. I think the helpful additives break down.

Then they would have to put a date stamp on the bottles like milk.
I don't remember exactly, but I think it has to do with idling or water, or some other issue. I think it's mainly so you buy more oil.

rs899 · #13 08-01-2008, 11:42 AM

I second the idea of removing the valve cover for a looksee. Then I would squirt some oil on the cam lobes, turn the crank by hand to see if anything is frozen, then turn the key.

dannym · #14 08-01-2008, 11:56 AM

I would pull the injectors and pour some oil into the cylinders before trying to start it.

seo · #15 08-01-2008, 01:18 PM

I'd strongly second the advice above about having it crank until it build oil pressure.
And add these two comments:
1) If it's a manual transmission, tow the vehicle in 2nd gear for a few hundred yards with the injection first on for a few revolutions (inject lubricating fuel into the cylinders), and then with the injection off so it can't start. Doing this will prevent damp windings in the starter motor from overheating and causing trouble. Cranking the dead engine will get lubrication up to the cam before the engine starts running under combustion pressure.
2) Another approach is to open the air filter and plug the intake. I use the palm of my hand on little engines, and on big engines use a piece of plywood cut to fit over the intake. This impromptu throttle prevents air from getting into the cylinders, and removes much of the resistance to cranking. This keeps there from being much pressure on the connecting rods and wrist pin bearings until the pump has had time to push oil up to them. This is my work-around to get back to the recommended practice in the good old days, when before starting, an engine would be rolled over with the valves jacked open (compression release lever). Preventing air from getting in (blocking the intake) works much the same as allowing it to get out easily (compression release).
I suppose that it's possible to suck the seals off a turbo shaft, but I have never had this happen.
The advantages of this approach are that it allows you to roll the engine without bearing pressure until all bearings are lubricated. It's easier on the electric starter motor.
As an aside, in the really good old days, before rolling over the decompressed engine the engineer would use a lube oil priming pump to lubricate the bearings before rolling the engine. On medium engines (say, a Cleveland V16 X 278 engine) the pump would be a hand lever. On bigger engines like an Alco or a Fairbanks-Morse, the lube primer pump would be an electric pump. This may seem like a lot of trouble, but on the other hand I've worked on quite a few tugs that were powered by WWII-era Fairbanks engines, sixty years old and still running...