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  #1  
Old 05-03-2013, 11:31 AM
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rod bender gurus!

My friend that owns local shop has another friend I know bringing in a 1991 350sdl I believe, he said he thinks OM603 engine, one owner, regularly serviced. If it doesn't have the 3.5L, should I jump on for 4k or so?

I also can buy my old 83 sd back for about the same money.

The 350 appeals to me, it's the turquoise and I need to verify the power to see if it's the bad one, anything else.

Thanks

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  #2  
Old 05-03-2013, 12:18 PM
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Rod bender is a rod bender.

It is your money and you take your chance, $4K is a lot of money to take a chance. My comments are:

1) If the engine had been replaced by MBZ or rod beefed up then it could be a buy.
2) If the car already has 200K+ and is going OK then may be but at moderate risk. I have been told that once it reaches 200K+ then it may be OK. However, rod bender is a random problem and is unpredictable.
3) The problem is that the engine kind of self-destruct over time because the cylinder is oval-ized. If $4k is money you could afford to lose then ...

Personally I would not touch them unless I have a spare 3.0 engine lying around.
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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.
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  #3  
Old 05-03-2013, 12:37 PM
pawoSD's Avatar
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
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You'd have to buy it with the expectation that the engine may need to be swapped or replaced at some point, but it would be far from a 4k loss....swap in a new engine for under 1k if it were to die...and its right back on the road.

The 350SDL's are very nice. I'd buy one if I got the chance
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'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
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  #4  
Old 05-03-2013, 12:43 PM
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He said he thought it was OM 603, which is the old 87 sdl motor, I thought there were early 350's with these. Not sure, will know this afternoon.

I can't find source to see what engines were installed, still looking.
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  #5  
Old 05-03-2013, 12:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pawoSD View Post
but it would be far from a 4k loss....swap in a new engine for under 1k if it were to die...and its right back on the road.
Your view on engine swap is too simple. You are assuming you can get a reasonable priced used OM603 3.0L engine for < $1k PLUS wrenching it yourself for free, plus down time is minimal. I wish life is so simple.
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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.
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  #6  
Old 05-03-2013, 12:53 PM
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This info may help.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SHARK1007 View Post
He said he thought it was OM 603, which is the old 87 sdl motor, I thought there were early 350's with these. Not sure, will know this afternoon.

I can't find source to see what engines were installed, still looking.
86-87 engine is OM603.961

90 or later is 3.5L. I think it is OM603.97x

Mercedes-Benz OM603 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
__________________
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.
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  #7  
Old 05-03-2013, 01:02 PM
compu_85's Avatar
Cruisin on Electric Ave.
 
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Look for a remanufactured tag on the engine bellhousing, on the passenger side.

-J
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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.
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  #8  
Old 05-03-2013, 01:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ah-kay View Post
86-87 engine is OM603.961

90 or later is 3.5L. I think it is OM603.97x

Mercedes-Benz OM603 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What he said. The 3.0 and the 3.5 are both 603 engines.

Jim
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  #9  
Old 05-03-2013, 04:13 PM
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My benz buddy with the machine shop told me to run, am running as we speak. If it has reman engine, I may be back.
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  #10  
Old 05-03-2013, 04:16 PM
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As long as you're past the no-man's-land of 60k to 150k miles and there's no oil usage, IMHO you're fine.

-J
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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.
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  #11  
Old 05-03-2013, 04:23 PM
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159k last service
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  #12  
Old 05-03-2013, 05:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pawoSD View Post

The 350SDL's are very nice. I'd buy one if I got the chance
*daw scribbles a note to himself*
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Past:
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  #13  
Old 05-03-2013, 09:16 PM
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Rod Bender Ownership is not for everybody.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SHARK1007 View Post
My friend that owns local shop has another friend I know bringing in a 1991 350sdl I believe, he said he thinks OM603 engine, one owner, regularly serviced. If it doesn't have the 3.5L, should I jump on for 4k or so?

I also can buy my old 83 sd back for about the same money.

The 350 appeals to me, it's the turquoise and I need to verify the power to see if it's the bad one, anything else.

Thanks
If you have a need to know and control your car from the bottom up and from top down, then the Rod Bender is not for you. You are better off driving a diesel Lexus or getting a Chevy pickup or even buying a Cadillac. Ask me how I know? Well, I am a control type guy as far as things that I own. Doctors and God are the only entities that I want to allow to have control over my life. Therefore, I was a fool to buy a Rod Bender. But at the time I didn’t know that trying to figure the car out would become an addiction, but it did.

The fact that you are running away from that Rod Bender is testament that you got some great advice from your mechanic friend at the machine shop. He just saved you about $20,000.00, easily. By the time I figure up all of my failures to learn the car, to avoid all of Mercedes pit falls and traps and incompetence of engineers and women designing major components on Mercedes Benz cars, I figure I have spent over $70,000.00.

You have to learn engines, fuel pumps, electricity, car alignment, know good information from bad information when you see it, invent tools, learn how to laugh when Mercedes is obviously screwing you when they use bubble gum to hold the cars together, but the bubble gum never breaks unless you attempt to learn the car and on and on.

But, I am an American and just driving a car and have to defer to somebody else to solve your car problem and you are basically an idiot with a pocket full of money, but know nothing about your car except how to pay for it is not kosher with me.

Long story short, the Rod Bender can be conquered, but it won’t be cheap nor done overnight, not like working and knowing how to fix a Chevy 350.

I wished I could have run away from my first Mercedes Diesel, but the diesel technology intrigued me too much and I had to try to learn it. Looking back, it took just 10 years out of my life to master the Rod Bender. If I could have just bought a motor and paid the mechanic to play around with my Mercedes diesel, there is no telling what I would have used knowledge for. As it is, I am just a Master Mercedes Rod Bender guy.

Oh, I even learned how to use bubble gum on my Mercedes, but I never use it in critical places and always remove it where I find it. Also, a Master knows that he doesn’t know everything, but Masters know we can figure it out in time.

Anyway, driving Mercedes is not for everybody.

BenzDiesel
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  #14  
Old 05-04-2013, 12:52 AM
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Well, as I happen to have a good 3.0L engine out of my wife's '87 recently T-boned (I've swapped the trans into MY '87 already) I would be very interested in the car, regardless of what engine it has, whether running or not.
So if you decide not to buy it please let me know, if its really a nice car I might have a reward for info leading to -- you know $$. PM me
I posted a want last month here and got one lead on a dead S350D in Florida, too costly to ship.
Reid in Northern Calif
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  #15  
Old 05-04-2013, 11:34 PM
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Thanks for all the great advice. I've decided I'm going to probably buy my old 1983 300SD back for 3500.00. It has less than 200k, everything except the clock works.

I had the car for years, gave it to little brother, he drove it for years, I got it back when little brother died and sold to friend (half price and I got right of first refusal if he got tired) on the condition that he fix everything, he did. New mb tex seat covers front, ac cold, smoke silver, new tires, valves just adjusted, etc.

I'll put some miles on her tomorrow and see what the wife says, then buy it anyway.

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