Finally got the engine out and everything is apart now. Seems the only problem is the #2 cylinder and piston. Still can't tell what caused it. I will try to get a pic of the piston on here over the next day or so. The crank brgs look good as does the crank. I am planning on replacing the #2 cyl. piston/sleeve and then just the rings and rod bearings on the other cylinders. Will more than likely replace the chain guides while it is apart. Plan on taking the block to Cassidy Automotive Machine shop in Macon first of next week to start on replacing the sleeve and will have them check/hone the other cylinders. We use these guys for all of our automotive (big diesels) work at the plant and in talking with the service guy there he indicated to me that they had replaced MB diesel sleeves before. Cost is $140 with me supplying the parts - I felt like this price was pretty much in line.
I will keep ya'll posted.

Jim,

$140 sounds high for only the machine work for replacing one sleeve. Will the cylinder clean up with overboring? If so, you might be better off to bore that cylinder. You have to buy a piston either way. I expect that the cylinder is damaged to a point of needing a sleeve though.

Also, don't just assume the crank is okay and slam new bearings in there. If you don't have a mic, take it to the machine shop. They usually mic a crank for free.

Also for the other three cylinders. If your replacement rings are cast iron, there's no need to hone the cylinders. If they are steel or chrome you will have to hone. It's against conventional wisdom, but cast iron rings will seat on a glazed bore. Ryder truck rental labs did research on this in the seventies. I have rerung several engines with cylinders in spec, but glazed, using cast iron rings with great success. If you hone, you're just wearing away your cylinder wall.

Ryder did preventive maintenance overhauls in those days using cast iron rings and requiring the cylinders not be honed. They have the second largest fleet of vehicles in the world, second only to the US Government. They do lots of research and analysis. This was a result of same.

Larry - how will I know whether they are cast iron or not?
There are only two choices of auto machine shops in town that I know of that have experience re-sleeving this engine. I will call the other on Monday and get a price from them.

Jim,

The resleeving of these blocks is one thing about the engines that is a basic automotive machine shop operation. On virtually any cast iron block, you can bore it to a certain diameter and drive in the sleeve. These sleeves are a little different because there is a step at the top to index them flush with the block surface.

I believe it was psfred, but it may have been someone else who replied with a fabulous description of how to replace a sleeve. He said that a weld bead down one side would release the sleeve for removal. Then with the cylinder absolutely squeeky clean, pack the sleeve in dry ice until cold, then push it down from the top until it is flush with the deck surface. After the sleeve is in place it must be bored and honed to fit the piston.

You might want to do a search for his explanation. I'm pretty sure it's in one of my long babbling threads about my daughter's car, but it may be in another thread.

You can tell a cast iron ring by it's gray color. I was told by a picky auto machinist that has built quite a number of 616/617 diesels that Goetz is the best brand ring for reringing. I don't know if they're cast iron or not, I haven't gotten them yet.

To find out if they are cast iron, you could get your Goetz rings and take them to an auto supply that carries Continental rings. The standard Continental rings are cast iron. Ask to see a box of them, it doesn't matter what engine they fit. Then compare the color of your rings to that of Continental standard rings.

Steel or chrome rings will look more blue or black.

Good luck,

TXBill,

I think that Jim is infected with the same disease as myself. He's not happy unless he has something torn apart in little pieces so he can put it back together again.

We have been infected with this disease by opening our mail, not the mail with powder from New Jersey, but the mail from mercedesshop with all these pictures and description of engines torn apart and scattered everywhere.:)

Have a great day,

Larry is right
 

I'm not happy unless I have something torn apart. Bill - I am still supposed to go look at the 300SD - hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday. The guy only wants $1800 for it and wants to get rid of it pretty badly. The odo is only showing 85k miles and it does run.

The fella that wanted to purchase the 240D is still there if I decide to give up on it and cut it loose. Hopefully, I will make a decision on which way to go with the 240D when I put a micrometer to some of these parts to see what I have. Some of the cross hatching is visible. I suspect it is just one resleeve and a hone job which, if that is the case, I will probably get it back on the road.

One thing about it - this 240D has left it's mark - the wife was not impressed with the black spots on the concrete driveway :). I told her they would fade over time - like 20 years LOL.

Tell the wife that in some parts of the country, the whole purpose behind an engine stand is to be able to roll the engine into the living room/den - so as to be able to watch TV while working on the engine.

The unlucky ones have to work on the engine on the shop floor.

:)

Ken300D

Jim,

No this engine won't go in your 124 car, no matter how fast your pushing the engine stand when it hits.

Ken,

You mean your wife doesn't let you do carburetor and engine overhauls on the coffee table. I guess I've lived a sheltered life, I thought everybody did.:)

Have a great day,

The block, crank, pistons, connecting rods and cylinder head are at the most reputable automotive machine shop in the area. I had a long discussion with the guy that runs the shop and came away with that "warm fuzzy feeling" that my engine is now in good hands. This particular machine shop does all of the engine rebuilds on the "mobile equipment" at the mill where I work and they have a very good reputation. Anyway, it was quite impressive walking through the shop - there were cranks, cams and blocks of all assortments in various stages of inspection and repair. In addition, there was a newly rebuild V8 Cat engine waiting for the customer to come pick it up. One of the most interesting things I saw was a cylinder head from a flathead Ford V8 being machined. They are going to clean everything up real good and let me know which way to go with it over the next week or so. The guy (Gary) that runs the facility told me that 90% of the engines they do are diesels and they have been in business at the same place for over 30 years. I will keep ya'll posted.

If you have the time, and the head is still in the condition it was when pulled, I'd like to see a picture of what it looks like on the bad cylinder. Considering how the piston looks, I wonder if the head would lead one to believe it was a foreign object or not?

Also, I have a question about cylinder sleeves. From my research on the later diesels (like the OM603) it doesn't appear that Mercedes used sleeves at all - they just bored out the block like the typical American car.

So what is the point of sleeves at all? Is the idea to allow maintenance (essentially "starting over" with the original cylinder bore) with the least amount of metal used? I can see that an engine without sleeves would eventually wear the block out, even with overboring. But these sleeved engines could be repaired forever.

So, after the Apocolypse when we're driving around like Mad Max, I guess they'll all be W123s.

Ken300D

Ken:

The original use for the MB diesel was taxicabs, not private driving, hence the eternal rebuild factor.

Besides which, cars in Germany have never been the consumer item they are in the US -- people tend to hold on to them much, much longer, and if you've ever been on the autobahn, you will understand that German's ALWAYS drive the crap out of their cars. Not at all unusual to do an engine rebuild on a regular basis -- every one of the "big" cars I saw on the autobahn was trailing blue smoke from the exhaust and black smoke from the tires as they downshifted again going past us (we were in my sister's Toyota Corolla!)

Much cheaper to put new sleeves in than buy a new engine.

And the 601/2/3 engines do have sleeves, I've priced them! As far as I know, all current MB engines still do, too.

Peter

Back from the Thanksgiving "rod" run
 

and I am going to post some info in "open desicussion" but will give ya'll a hint. It was NOS (new old stock) MB diesel engine. Anyway, I will get feedback from the shop this week. Yes, the cylinder head was boogered up some but the valves did not look too bad. I think the cyl head come clean up. The guy at the machine shop said that it looked like an "injector" problem caused it? Hopefully, will post some good news concerning the engine later this week.

Last rites for this beautiful baby
 

Called the machine shop today. They have not cleaned up the block yet but they did polish the crank and it spec'd out good - it will be going on ebay. The cylinder head is cracked so I have decided to "part it out" and not put anymore $$ into it. I already have a buyer that wants to purchase what is left at an agreed upon price. I swapped the seats out of it with the 300D which are the parts that I wanted all along. I hate to see something like this parted out - 119k miles and EVERTHING works except the engine. Even the a/c knobs/switches still have that "new" tight feel.
I like the area of the country where I live but sometimes wish there were a Mercedes dismantler nearby.

change of heart
 

after finding a guaranteed cylinder head for $300 and in talking with the wife I have decided to proceed with putting the 240D back right. Looks like I can "make this car" right for around $1000. Everytime I go out there and look at it I can't bring myself to take it apart. The other thing that swayed my thinking was the fact that in looking at some of the 240D automatics for sale - I am not going to find another one in this good of a condition, with this milage for this cheap.

status update
 

Went by the machine shop today after work. They had already finished replacing all of the sleeves. When it is finished I will end up with four new sleeves, pistons, bearings, etc...
The head work is under way. I ended up purchasing a used engine just to get the head (high milage engine - the block is shot). The head is in good condition but is in need of being reconditioned. I used the valves, spring, clips, etc.. out of the original head (it was cracked) and needed one new intake valve, four exhaust valve guides and all new seals. I plan on going ahead and replacing the chain guides and timing chain during assembly.
Hopefully, if all the parts get here on time (thanks for the help Phil) I can start re-assembly over the Christmas Holidays - it is going to be close.
I'm trying to make this a two year project. Once it is running I will start going through the rest of the car and plan on eventually getting it painted because it is pretty faded.