Since the injectors were tested they have not been put back into the engine. All are marked so I know were they go back.

I use Ratella 15W40 oil with Lucas oil stabilized. Fram oil filter.

Right now all that I've done is pull the injectors, valve cover and radiator so I can get to things to check timing chain stretch. I can put it all back together in short order. I'll try installing the suspect lifter in another cylinder and see what happens.

How does one tell an update air pump form an original? I can't find any info doing a search.

Vacuum pump: original has crimped on cover, updated version had screws around front perimeter. Both can go bad. The difference: original version would dump parts into the timing chain cover, and there is great risk that a part will get between chain and sprocket and break the chain, destroying the engine.

Lifter tick: Very common on OM60x engines, especially when using non-synthetic oil. Switch to Mobil 1, which has gentle cleaning properties and VERY good lubricating properties (especially the cold-start protection). If you have a weak lifter, M1 may reduce the noise or clear it completely, but can take thousands of miles of driving.

__________________
Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

My parts were in the mail when I got back home yesterday. Got up bright and early this morning and debated what to do. Said screw it and did not pull the cam. I cleaned the seats and installed new heat shields and put the injectors in and buttoned up the engine.

No joy, the noise is still there. Got the stethoscope out and the noise is loadest at the area of #3 & #4 on the left side of the car, behind the injector pump. The cross over pipe had been leaking at the intake manifold flange gasket so that side of the engine is covered in oil. I crawled under the car and I'm getting oil and coolant leaking down the left side of the pan from behind the injector pump. Also the #2 injector has oil around the base and small bubbles are coming up around the base.

When I put the injectors in I first torqued them first to 55 FT/# then 60 FT/# with clean seats and new heat shields. So based on all of this I leaning real heavy towards either a blown head gasket at best or a cracked head at worst. The bubbles around #2 are making me think cracked head. It could be a bad pre-chamber seat, but that would not explain the coolant leak, I don't think so anyway. There is no water in the oil and no air bubbles coming out of the coolant over flow tank.

So far my only real expense is the heat shields, the cross over pipe gasket and Sea Foam to purge the injectors. So now I have exhausted the easy possibilities and will press on and pull the head unless someone has another suggestion. The engine does not run hot and holds 1.5 BAR oil pressure @700 rpm.

Just for my info, where are the head casting numbers located?

Behind the #2 injector, the head casting number is in this format: 603-016-xx-01. The "xx" is the number you are looking for, on your car it is probably a #17 or higher, up to 22.

I would not pull the head due to a ticking noise. My next move would be an oil change to Mobil 1 synthetic, 5W-40 or 15W-50, and drive that for at least a thousand miles to see if the noise clears up.

If you spilled any diesel fuel around an injector, it will appear to "bubble up" until that fuel evaporates or you clean it off. Make sure the return lines are not leaking.

__________________
Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC