My SDL has been leaking a little fuel and oil from the injection pump for a while. It gets worse in the winter. It is mainly annoying. I had it looked at at the MB dealer and for no charge and a nice free loaner, they told me that the only way to fix the leak is to replace the pump for ~$3500. OUCH. It does not leak that much, I do not think. It fills up a little cavity around the motor mount about every three weeks (a table spoon, plus whatever collects on the walls and other crevices around the engine or drips to the ground?). I clean it about every two weeks.

The dealer mechanic was not too terribly concerned, but I would eventually want to replace it.

My questions are these:

1. How long can/should I wait to replace this?
2. I am far from an experienced mechanic, so is that something I can replace?
3. How difficult would that be to replace?
4. What specialized tools or training are required?
5. Would this be best done by the MB mechanic, or can I look for another diesel mechanic?
6. Any diesel mechanic recommendations in northern Colorado?

Thank you.

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Julio Garcia
1987 300 SDL (mine)
2006 Jeep Liberty CRD (mine/kids)
2008 Hyundai Sonata (wife)
2000 Saturn SL AKA "Gocart" (everyone)

Delivery valve seals can leak diesel at top connections of pump. Engine oil can leak out of cover plates. Simple repairs for a shop that works on Mercedes.

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Present
1987 300SDL
1991 300SL
1990 560SEL
2001 ML320

Past
1969 200D 1979-82
1983 300SD 1984-85
1972 250C 1982-02
1995 S350 2011
1997 S320 2012

Did they say where the pump was leaking and why the only solution was to replace the pump? I'll be interested to see what the more knowledgeable members of this forum have to say, but I think dealers tend not to want to mess with stuff on older vehicles that gets too involved. If you're intent on repairing it, you'd be better served by finding a good independent mechanic who really knows his way around these older diesels. Even a worst case scenario (i.e. replacing the pump) would be a lot cheaper than $3500.

But since it's leaking fairly minimally, maybe just save yourself some money and keep an eye on it.

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

How much fuel or oil are you willing to drip all over the pavement?

It probably needs delivery valve seals to stop the fuel leak and some o-rings to stop the oil leaks. You need a bit of knowledge and some skills to remove and reinstall the IP.


Difficult is relative to skill level. Removing the IP to replace the seals is not for the faint of heart. You do need some knowledge or you can get into trouble in a bit way.


The only specialized tool is the splined socket to remove the delivery valve holders.

Any mechanic who has M/B diesel experience can do it.

"Any mechanic who has M/B diesel experience can do it."
I'd take a step back, and say that any shop that works on Bosch injection could do it...

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All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing.

Too many people tip toe through life, never attempting or doing anything great, hoping to make it safely to death... Bob Proctor

'95 S320 LWB
'87 300SDL
'04 E500 wagon 4matic

The "stealership" is telling you they don't (and probably shouldn't) work on your inline injection pump. BUT they would be happy to sell you a new one.

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Chief

1991 350SD

Julio, one thing you might want to do is look under the Good MB Shops section on this site and see what you find....might direct you to a shop near you that could help you out.

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

If the oil is black then my experience with dripping onto the motor mount cavity is due to leaking at the bottom seal. I replaced the seals on 2 of my SDL. It is doable with the IP in the car. The seal is only $3 from MBZ stealership. There is write up on how to replace the seal.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/128556-300sdl-inj-pump-bottom-seal-leaking.html

If it is leaking from the top seal then you need a special 33 (?) teeth socket to remove the top. It is also a DIY job with info in this forum. Not sure where else it can leak.

Good luck.

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Not MBZ nor A/C trained professional but a die-hard DIY and green engineer. Use the info at your own peril. Picked up 2 Infractions because of disagreements. NOW reversed.

W124 Keyless remote, PM for details. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/334620-fs-w124-chasis-keyless-remote-%2450-shipped.html

1 X 2006 CDI
1 x 87 300SDL
1 x 87 300D
1 x 87 300TDT wagon
1 x 83 300D
1 x 84 190D ( 5 sp ) - All R134 converted + keyless entry.

How long can/should I wait to replace this?
I am far from an experienced mechanic, so is that something I can replace?
How difficult would that be to replace?
What specialized tools or training are required?

Answer: I had same (common) problem with my 87 300sdl and dealer wanted to replace. I am a "fair" shade tree mechanic, meaning I am not afraid to try a repair. Before you spend all that money, you should order the IP repair kit (special socket, O rings, etc.) from Mercedes Source or similar, and replace them yourself. I did it (instructions provided with kit) in about 2 hours. There is no need to remove the intake (a little tight but easily doable). This stopped the leaks ... and for a total cost, including special socket, of about $75. With the parts and the instructions, you should really give it a try .... easy breezy.

Are you sure it's leaking fuel? Do you smell the unmistakable smell?

If oil is pooling in the engine mount arm, my guess is you have a bad o-ring between the IP and block. This can be an unintended consequence of adjusting IP timing after 200K miles.

If you're set on doing something about it, an option is to have your IP rebuilt rather than simply resealed. Gus at Pacific Fuel Injection in South San Francisco, CA used to charge ~$900 plus shipping. That's probably as much as you should pay for a rebuild. Compare that cost to just resealing the IP.

This isn't the job to learn about working on cars. Even simple tasks like getting the throttle linkage ball and socket joints reattached can stump the uninitiated. You'll get your car to a point it doesn't run then get stuck. "Fix a leak" is a much more defined task than "get it running again," and it'll be easier for you to tell if a shop did the job right.

More than someone who just knows MBs and Bosch IPs, I'd take it to someone who works on this particular engine regularly. I'll bet the techs at most MB dealerships these days haven't touched a 603 in a while, if ever.

Sixto
87 300D

I had a local MB mechanic recommended to me by a friend that has 87 MB coupe. He works on MBs only and has diesel background and experience. He took a look at it knows the seals that need to be replaced. He definitely does not believe the IP needs to be replaced/rebuilt. I am going to have him repair it. I will keep you posted.

Thanks for the input and insight.

__________________
Julio Garcia
1987 300 SDL (mine)
2006 Jeep Liberty CRD (mine/kids)
2008 Hyundai Sonata (wife)
2000 Saturn SL AKA "Gocart" (everyone)

In case anyone cares, here is what was done to my car. The Injection pump gasket was replaced (PN 0010741180). I wanted to have the Seal Ring (0109975648) also replaced, but that required a whole lot more work than I was willing to pay for and the pump would have had to be rebuilt replaced. Instead, they used a sealant and it looks like I have no more leaks. I got on the HW yesterday for a couple of hours and some short stretches of 90 mph, with no apparent leaks. A few days ago, I would have definitely noticed a leak by now. Also, the seal leak was hardly noticeable before anyway, so I think I am OK now.

__________________
Julio Garcia
1987 300 SDL (mine)
2006 Jeep Liberty CRD (mine/kids)
2008 Hyundai Sonata (wife)
2000 Saturn SL AKA "Gocart" (everyone)