1983 380 SEC w/603 ( 300 SDC )
When I acquired this car, a previous owner had already pulled the 3.8 gasser out and replaced it with a 603 out of a '86 SDL (deer slayer). He put all of this effort into installing an engine that sounded kinda sick once he got it installed and running. So he sold his dream (not all dreams are good dreams) to someone else telling them that it was just "old" diesel fuel that made it sound sick. All that needed to be done was install fresh fuel and change the filters then the sun would shine, the flowers would bloom, and the birds would sing. So it became the next person's dream. They installed fresh fuel and filters but the song remained the same. Neighbors wandered by, stood, stared, and pointed. New glow plugs, new injectors, new pre-chambers, the tune did not change. He finally pulled the head to find the tips of the pre-chambers on cylinders 1 & 2 had broken off and rattled around in the between the piston and valves until one got in just the right position and bent a valve. The dream was dead, no more money would be following that which had already disappeared down that cylinder shaped hole.

I bought the car with the engine's head sitting in the trunk. I in my dream, the engine that was in the car was no good and would need to be replaced. But, I had a rebuilt #17 head off my 350 rod bender lying around. So, I took the head down to the car in AZ and 5 hours and 45 minutes later fired up the engine. The person who sold their dream to me thought it sounded better then he had ever hear that engine before. I thought it was nailing pretty bad. I drove it to my folks house about an hour away. That drive convince me that I would not be driving it 1800 miles home. I returned a few weeks later and flat towed it home.

Before I pulled the engine I drove it a few times (< 100 miles). It was still nailing and not idling smoothly until completely warmed up. It seemed to have a miss. So, I cracked each injector line and it seemed like #1 & #2 were not pulling their weight at idle. I swapped injectors with #5 & #6. It seemed to help, but it still did not sound right. I visually checked the IP timing, with the timing mark at 15 degrees after TDC, I used a mirror to see the lobe on the IP cam lined up in the middle of the access hole where it should be. I pulled the engine out and replaced it with one that I have "freshened up" with a cylinder hone and set of rings.

I now have this lump sitting in my garage. This lump has a rebuilt #17 head. Rebuilt by a machine shop, not an amateur such as myself. The rebuild consisted of the following:
1 - set valve guide seals
1 - intake valve
2 - intake valve guides
3 - exhaust valves
6 - exhaust valve guides
Once rebuilt, this head was installed back on the 350 and driven about 10k miles before the "rod bending" disease struck. It was then installed on the SDC's motor and driven about 120 miles. It is still on that engine.

The engine is complete with both manifolds, turbo, & IP. Would I be better off to offer it as a whole hoping to get close to the value of the head, turbo, and IP. Or, should I part it out and sell just what people need. (btw, the "new" injector set was never installed and are not leaving my garage with that engine)

Before I pulled the engine out of the car I did a compression test. The test was done on a cold engine, dry cylinders:
1 - 375
2 - 380
3 - 360
4 - 400
5 - 425
6 - 410

Or, find someone with a dream of installing a 603 in their "insert your dream here" and fertilize their dream with BS like "it just needs a new fuel filter, injector service, and maybe new muffler bearings". Hey, it worked on the two previous owners.

__________________
Greg
2012 S350 BlueTEC 4Matic
2007 ML 320 CDI
2007 Leisure Travel Serenity
2006 Sprinter 432k
2005 E320 CDI
1998 SLK230 (teal)
1998 SLK230 (silver)
1996 E300D 99k, 30k on WVO
Previous:
1983 240D, on WVO
1982 300D, on WVO
1983 300CD, on WVO
1986 300SDL 237k, 25k on WVO (Deerslayer)
1991 350SDL 249k, 56k on WVO - Retired to a car spa in Phoenix
1983 380 SEC w/603 diesel, 8k on WVO
1996 E300D 351k, 177k on WVO

Offer it intact and note that you're willing to sell the head and block separately. The head should find a new home first depending on what you want for it. If you disclose what you've disclosed here, I wouldn't want the whole engine to install as is. I'd get what I need of the head (for a cracked #14) or the block (for a bent rods .97) or low ball you for the lump.

Does it have a 3.0/50 trim or 3.5/55 trim turbo?

Sixto
87 300D

I'm interested in the head. I have the original #14 on my 86 SDL that seems to be ok. But at 333,000 miles I some day I may need a #17 and would prefer to have one on hand when or if the #14 fails. Not one of these fellas that buy and sells parts.

So if the price is right I would by the head minus the injectors as you indicate. Probably would like it checked out by an independent to verify condition. Fee will be paid by me.

P.M. me if you would like to work something out! Rob

__________________

1986 300SDL 440,xxx