I FINALLY got done with the 300D engine.

I had run into some crazy SNAFU's along the way, but all's well with the engine now.

The biggest problem I ran into was mismatchec prechambers and pistons. When you replace pistons in one of these engines MAKE SURE you put in the right ones. If you have early pistons and late prechambers, they will contact. I ended up changing the prechambers because the cylinders had already been honed to fit the new pistons and the new rod bolts were already stretched, so I left the shortblock intact and went through all sorts of crazy gyrations getting everything I needed and getting the machine shop to get the prechambers in.

In the middle of the project I had to go to Europe on business for a couple of weeks which drug everything out even further.

Once I started up the fresh engine on Wednesday I had another scare, it had a dead miss on one cylinder. I checked the compression and found 370 PSI all the way across. What a relief that was. I found number one not hitting at all, tried a little of everything and thought I might have to replace/repair the expensive injection pump. I took everything I could out of number one hole of the pump this morning, cleaned everything and put it back together and VOILA!, the miss disappeared.

At that point the engine was not grabbing RPM's very fast and was smoking like a grassfire. Good fortune again, I ran it some and evidently finally burned the assembly oil out of the cylinders. It no longer smokes and runs really good.

Now to fix one last knucklehead problem. In the course of parts scattered out along the shop wall, I stepped on the vacuum line and broke the fitting for the transmission vacuum mechanism feed. So now the transmission won't shift past second. I will get a fitting, replace that, then run it a hundred miles or so and change oil.

I am very pleased with how it came out, and really glad to have that shop stall back.

I hope I don't hurt my arm while patting myself on the back.

Have a great day,

Good job Larry, you are a true DIY'er and I commend you for keeping such a fine example of German engineering on the road.

__________________
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel - 4x4, auto, 3.54 gears, long bed
-------------------------------------
'92 300D 2.5 Turbodiesel - sold
'83 300D Turbodiesel - 4 speed manual/2.88 diff - sold
'87 300D Turbodiesel - sold
'82 300D Turbodiesel - sold

.

Great job, Larry. But tell me, is it necessary to match the pistons and prechambers?

Sixto
91 300SE
81 300SD

It's a wonder you can juggle all your responsibilities and complete such projects..
and keep your sanity!!
Nice Going!
definitely a member of "Our Gang"

__________________
1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD

I'm disappointed Larry:

I thought all along that you were working on the 240D. I'm such a high mileage freak that I wanted to see the 533k number rise!
Half kidding you know, but what about "ole silver" as I think it is called?

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Isn't it a great day in the morning to get that hunk of cast iron rolling again? I went through the same thing with my daughters 80 300CD about four years ago. I didn't have anywhere near the problems that you did. Biggest set back was the first used crankshaft I received had severe scratches from mishandling.

Something strange happened during those many chilly nights in the garage. You know, just the two of us together. Me toiling, pondering, scraping knuckles, and him anxiously awaiting for the life to be breathed back into him. And it wasn't 'till he was back on the road that I found out that he wasn't a she. Maybe he was holding out, waiting to see if everything was going to turn out OK. Anyway we became great Buds. So great in fact that my daughter never did get him back. She wound up with the 190E 2.6. So while I was reading you screeches of great joy, I couldn't keep from wondering if your daughter may end up with another of your MB's? You probably wouldn't have to twist her arm to take that six speed!

Keep up the good work.
Ernie

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry to disappoint about my 240D. Although Ol' Silver is still in hibernation, she's next. I'm hesitant to roll her in right now with Winter coming, also that section of the shop is my wood shop. I've been without it for over a year with all my woodworking equipment pushed to the side. I am trying to sell my Corvette which will make some room, but this is not exactly the best time to be trying to sell anything.

No this car is safe from being my car. I am a manual transmission fanatic, and this 300D is the only automatic MB on the place.

I still have a little more to do to the 300D. The transmission is not kicking down properly, and after driving it some today I've found that it still runs rough for a while after you start it up. Also, while apart, I did part of the r134a conversion. I still have to get a filter-drier, flush the evaporator, H block and it's lines.

I'm curious if the injectors are the culprit of the rough running.

Have a great day,

You have one heck of a shop for being a EE Larry.

Have you thought about putting a Mercedes diesel into your Corvette?

Best of luck with finishing up your 300D.

__________________
Ray
1998 Mercedes E320, 200K Miles
2001 Acura 3.2TL, 178K Miles
1992 Chevy Astro, 205K Miles

Get that damn euro 240D out of the shed and get a camera already!

Put the 240D's motor in the 'vette and the 'vettes 350 motor in the 240D.. interesting to say the least!

240 D diesel in a Corvette? Well, that sure would be a head turner.

I'd put a OM 617 turbo into a Firebird. I'd bet I could be the only diesel Firebird owner in the world!!!!!!

Imagine showing off diesel sports cars next to big old V8s at a car show!!

Since this thread has gone off in the weird motor/car combination direction. I have thought that it would really be neat to build a street rod out of a 170 Mercedes using a 616, or better yet a 617 turbo if it would fit the engine compartment. Add air, a five speed and a independent rear. This would be neat. I doubt that I'll ever be able to do this in my lifetime, but I still think it would be neat.

I got a chuckle out of swapping the engines between the Vette and the 240D.

Have a great day and thanks for all the comments,

My daughter drove her car to school yesterday and was ecstatic. When she got home I asked her if she had checked the oil. She went out and came back in with astonishment because the oil was clean and at the full mark.

Before the boring and pistons, she was adding oil constantly, and the drip tube put a small puddle of oil under the car wherever she parked it. She was amazed, I think maybe she didn't have much confidence in the ol' man's ability to fix it. She was so used to it drinking oil and being hard to start, I guess she thought it would be that way forever.

Anyway, her being pleased makes me that much more pleased at the result.

Have a great day,

Great job Larry! Boy, that was a long ordeal.

I was hoping I could get mine back together this weekend, but I just realized that I'm waiting for the crimp tool from Performance Tools for the two chains! I guess I'll get everything else together but the timing chain covers.

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

Larry ,You must be very good at useing your time.
I am semi retired and have trouble keeping up with my many projects, sometimes I feel like a cat chasing it's tail. I hope your daughter gets many trouble free miles for your labors....
William Rogers....