Hey all,

I just test drove a 87 300 SDL with some symptoms. Very rough idle when cold (had been sitting outside overnight at 30 degrees, glowed it about 4 times). Once warmed up, a single louder tick then the regular engine noise that goes away at about 2000 rpm. Car runs, accelerates, shifts, perfectly, turbo is good, maybe needs some cleaning.

The car has 232k on it and they want $3000 rock bottom price. Driver's rear door has decent sized rust on it, rest of the car is ok. Interior just needs seat springs and some Leatherique love, but otherwise everything work on it (has heated seats too!).

What do you guys think about this car? What's the average cost of a lifter replacement and/or valve job? I'd certainly be up for doing the diesel purge and running synthetic, etc, if it might help.

Thanks for any info!

-m

__________________
Now:
2018 Tesla Model X
1999 S500 Grand Edition 164k
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo 287k
2005 E320 4MATIC wagon
1991 Alfa Romeo 164L 99k (sleeping for a while)

Then: 96 Lincoln TC, 93 Lincoln TC, 87 560 SEL, 87 300 SDL, 80 300D, 89 560 SEC

The tick could be lifter noise or injector knock (#4 clacks pretty bad at idle on my 87 300D) -- one cause of lifter noise is dead o-rings on the center bolt on the oil filter cap. They aren't in the filter box, so no one replaces them and the oil leaks down from the lifter gallery overnight, takes forever to pump back up.

Head gaskets are a problem, too -- and I get the feeling that a bad one can cause low compression on some cylinders, causing injector knock.

Mine is supposedly low on compression, especially #4, leaking down the rings, but I don't have any oil consumption, it gets 36 mpg on the highway, and no smoke.

I do have a brand new rad and some black oil collecting in the coolant tank, though ---- suspect I'll be doing a head gasket soon!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

36mpg? Oh my god. Granted my car is a little bigger and a little heavier, and I do have my foot on the floor all the time, and for the past 30K miles i've always been getting 22mpg out of it. Mostly highway.

Turbo:

33.7 on the last tank, including 100 miles or so of interstate at 70 mph and the rest winding round the hills of Western Tennessee and in town! 29-30 round town.

Previous owner got 36 on the way back from Florida, and that was with leaking pressure valve holders!

Granted, I usually get better milage than most drivers -- I'm pokey -- but you should be in the 29-30 range. Mind you, I've never floored the accelerator -- no need in this car!

Check for dragging brakes on the rear axle -- will kill your milage and you won't be able to tell except for jerky stops!

My brother is getting 29 on the highway in his 87 300SDL (with plugged trap oxidizer). Don't know the in town milage, his wife usually won't let him drive the good car!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

So, we're in agreement it's probably not a huge problem on this car I looked at? I really like the car, but can't afford to do a valve job on it.

Someone posted that the lifters are like $40 each--how many would you need to do the whole engine? (Is it one per cylinder?)

Thanks, just trying to make an informed decision on this one. I really like the car, and would like to get it running well, if it won't cost me an arm and a leg!

-m

__________________
Now:
2018 Tesla Model X
1999 S500 Grand Edition 164k
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo 287k
2005 E320 4MATIC wagon
1991 Alfa Romeo 164L 99k (sleeping for a while)

Then: 96 Lincoln TC, 93 Lincoln TC, 87 560 SEL, 87 300 SDL, 80 300D, 89 560 SEC

Cam followers (tappets) $29.50 each from my local indy and parts source -- there are 12, so total would be $354. The cam has to come out to replace them -- a pain with these cars, you really need the special holddown tool. I'd figure a couple hours labor all told, plus the parts.

I'd go for it -- I paid $5000 for my 300d and don't feel terribly raped -- had to fix the sunroof, it has a crap paint job, and I have a bad feeling about the head gasket, but otherwise not bad.

Tappet problems are very common on this head -- my mechanic says run it until it really gets loud or give performance trouble, then replace them all. The gas engines use the same ones, but it is possible to replace them individually, so that is what he does.

Rough initial idle cold is often a glow plug problem -- the resistance element in the pencil plugs can short to the side near the tip, and cause the tip to be cold -- draws the correct current, but won't fire the fuel since the hot spot is about a quarter inch up the plug. You can tell when you take them out because there will be a blister on the plug where the element shorted. The Volvo does this all the time -- about half will be toast whenever I look at them! Speaking of which, I need to check them again -- getting hard to start cold (again!!).

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Hey,

I actually think the glow plugs are ok. That was a reasonable start for the temperature and the salesperson who started it differently then I would have. But I'd probably check them anyway...

I was thinking I'd have a compression test dne on it. If it shows in the good range, then buy it. So that brings my next question, what's the acceptable psi range for that engine? 300psi?

Also, if the compression test ends up good, is there any other test that can be done to tell if it's an actual valve problem? I looked on the back of the oil cap and there wasn't any white stuff. I forgot to look in the coolant resivoir for oil.

Thanks for the info on the lifters. That's exactally what I was looking for.

-m
All fingers crossed!

PS: This car as automatic valve adjusters, right?

__________________
Now:
2018 Tesla Model X
1999 S500 Grand Edition 164k
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo 287k
2005 E320 4MATIC wagon
1991 Alfa Romeo 164L 99k (sleeping for a while)

Then: 96 Lincoln TC, 93 Lincoln TC, 87 560 SEL, 87 300 SDL, 80 300D, 89 560 SEC

I think 320 is the low service limit -- the 603 is a 22:1 engine, not 21:1.

Tappets are hydraulic, fit under the cam on top of the valve.

A leakdown test will show if valves are bad.

Check the coolant tank for black oil -- sign of a leaking head gasket (pretty common on the original head). Head has been redesigned, fixed the warping problem and some of the cracking problem.

A shorted glow plug will test OK, but not fire the cylinder properly for a couple revolutions since the part the goes into the spray isn't white hot. Poopy injectors will do the same, wouldn't be surprised if they were "tired" at 200,000 plus miles.

And sometimes they run rough when they first start!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!