Sirs: have an '84 2.2L, that was rolled doing over 100mph. There is oil in the water jackets, including the coolant reservoir. There was no water in the oil. The motor has 36,000 miles.
No sign of tracking between adjacent passages upon inspection of the head gasket. The head is dead planar. The block is maybe .001" off, lengthwise. I can see no signs of cracking, but I do not have the pistons out. No external damage to the motor. Would this engine run if it came to rest upside down for a moment...or longer? Would it run on its side? These are questions beyond my experience...who does one ask?
Thinking of pressure testing the head and block, maybe magnafluxing the block. Is this ancient technology, i.e., is there a better way to go about this?
The motor in my '84 has self destructed, and so I am considering this as a replacement. The reason for the self-destruct is in my next thread.
Thanks.

Jon:

running upside down or on its side will trash the bearings -- no oil pressure as the pickup will be above the oil level. Idle for a very short period won't be too much damage, but more than a few seconds and the bearings will be shot. I don't know if there is a rollover switch on the deisels --there is on the gasoline cars.

Oil in the water jacket is most likely a defective head gasket, with oil leaking out from the passage seals. May not show much tracking on the gasket, but usually shows evidence of external leakage. Cracked head is also a possibility -- get the head checked for cracks, most certainly if the engine was rebuilt and the original head re-used. My 87 300D (the six cylinder 603) has oil in the coolant, but I'm not sure if it is residual from previous repairs or collecting now.

Both head and block can be magnifluxed, which I would do. Cheaper than replacements.

Peter

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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!

Peter,
Thanks for the reply.
Who could tell me if the engine would run upside down for any length of time...or on its side? I am guessing that as long as fuel is being delivered, the heart will beat? Yes, that would depress the bearings, wouldn't it? Literally.
I gave MB North America a call...the fellow I spoke to didn't know.
I'll call again, try again.

The prudent thing to do, I suppose is to tear-down the motor completely, pressure test it or magnaflux it, and go from there. To do otherwise may be inviting another breakdown some miles down the road.

I didn't know cars had rollover switches...I cannot recall reviewing a part on this motor/injection pump or anywhere else that has that function.

Roll-over switches are very common -- cut the ignition when the car is upsidedown to prevent fires. Notorious for being too sensitive on certain English sports cars, cutting the ignition if the driver's door was closed too hard.

Probably nothing in a diesel, though. The egine will run until the fuel runs out or it locks up from oil starvation -- I would guess several minutes for the fuel to run out with the tank on it's side or inverted.

I'd pull a main bearing and take a look before completely dismantling -- if the bearings are good, leave the bottom end alone. Once you pull the pistons, you might as well do the whole job since you will need new rings to put them back in.

Rebuild is EXPENSIVE on these engines, at least the turbo versions, anyway, and if there isn't anything serious wrong I'd personally leave well enough alone.

What happened to the other engine?

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!

YES, there is nothing to prevent the engine from stalling. it will continue running until it locks up from lack of lube, hydrolocks from the crankcase vent sucking oil into the intake, or runs out of fuel due to the fuel sitting on the top of the tank and the pickup running dry. which means unless it stalled in the crash or got shut off, it could have run for a few minutes before stalling out.

__________________
Matt
2003 Jetta Wagon TDI 145,000MI
1999.5 Jetta TDI 287,000MI
2001 Suzuki SV650S 26,000MI
2008 Yamaha Vino 125 11,000MI
http://www.crazymatt.org

I rolled a large crane truck on I-4. Was either put it in the median or run over a small Datsun pulling a boat that went sideways in front of me in the rain. Truck was a chevy 6000 series diesel and rolled 3/4 of the way ending up on the drivers side. Engine was dead as soon as it went over, instant lockup. Had to pull the injectors to get it to turn over. All cylinders were full of oil, but after changing all the fluids it started up and is still of the road today. Has a brand new crane, hood, doors, mirrors, fenders, but the engine is ok. I think as soon as a crankcase full of oil gets topside there is no way a motor will keep going. There was no water in the intake, and I don't see how there could be unless something else was broken.

Fascinating responses, thanks.
I spoke to three Mercedes experts today...opinions as varied as here. I can theoretically agree with all of the opinions voiced...and disagree...I think I'm one neuron short of a synapse.

As I stated, the car was traveling over 100mph when it flipped...are there enough weak links in the power train to protect the motor when wheels traveling consistent with that speed, suddenly hit terra firma? The wheels and rims were pretty chewed up.

Would these sudden jolts through the power train stall the motor? The rubber "plates" on the driveline appeared undamaged. The c-v joints were pretty chewed up. The torque converter appears ok, as does the trans and differential-on the outside! Hell, I appear normal on the outside. I digress.

The other engine self-destructed, another thread under the heading'85 2.2d, vacuum pump failure, will relate that tale.