We went to an office party Saturday morning with my family - there was a face-painter there. My youngest son, JJ and I got our faces done (he was Peter Criss, I was Paul Stanley). It was a lot of fun.



Anyway, we drove home and I needed to get started on pulling the old IP out of my wife's 300TD (named Spouse). I knew I'd get greasy and dirty, but I still had all this makeup on. Decided to just work on the car and take one big shower at the end of the day. Sorry, I don't have any photos of me working on the car (but here's one of me all dirty right before I quit for the day;



Anyway - now for something completely different. Last weekend I replaced the IP in Klaus, and it went well, been driving him all week with no problems really. This time, it was a lot easier and faster. Only took about 3 hours to get the old IP out. I still have some parts coming in the mail from Pelican Parts to finish this job. Am going to replace the vacuum pump since it is out (and of an unknown age). Also going to send off the injectors to Grezzar to be rebuilt. Here are some photos of the aftermath;



I'm taking all of this pile to the Quantico Auto Hobby Shop to be washed in the parts washer. There are two IP's there (one from each car) - I want to clean them both off really well before I sell them as core's.



The hole where the IP used to be. The side of the engine was really clean, I was surprised. Also, when I removed the valve cover the cam was gorgeous! I've spent a lot of time lately looking at the cam's in all my diesels, this one looked brand new. Also found a spare intake manifold bolt hidden under the IP. Not as exciting as finding money under the carpet, but still cool.

The IP timing mark came into view and locked right at 15 degrees ATDC, right where I expected it too. I developed a technique for getting the locking tool installed. I rotate the engine just until the IP indicator just starts to show in the hole (making sure the cam has both exhaust and intake valves closed) - then I insert the tool (not threaded in) - I insert a small, thin screw driver into the outside slot of the tool and apply pressure with my right hand to the screw driver. With my left hand I very slowly pull on the breaker bar (which has the socket connected to the crank pulley nut) - if I am careful and slow, the locking too will suddenly click into place. Then I stop everything and make use the tool is seated, then I thread the tool all the way in (finger tight). The first time I tried using this tool it took over an hour to get it installed. This time (my 4th time doing this) - I did it by myself and in less than 5 minutes.



Spouse with her hood open wide, waiting to be rehabbed. We bought Spouse from my buddy Quahog up in Rhode Island last September. All of our cars end up sitting like this for months at a time while parts are procured or for me to get time to work on them.

Spouse runs really, really rough (barely) - and does not want to shut off (checked the shutoff valve, it is installed correctly) - but pressing down on it does not kill the engine, I have to crack open an injector line. Makes loads of thick smoke. It shows no evidence of a cracked head (it has a #17 installed). When I picked up the car, Quahog mentioned he had tried to do some work on the IP, and that he found one or more of the springs were improperly installed (I think he said one of them looked like it came out of a ball point pen) - so for starters (and because I have a brand new IP sitting on a shelf) - I'm going to start there. There was also some talk of low compression on one of the cylinders. If the IP and injectors don't cure the bigger issues, I'll pull the head and oil pan and yank out the pistons - replace the rings, hone the cylinders, replace the rod bearings and put it all back together.

Picked up new seats (hopefully I can make them fit, they're from a w126 also, but are gorgeous dark brown leather, came out of a 500SE I believe), also got the cargo net and all of its hardware. Am going to try to make this car really, really nice for my wife. She is excited that I'm finally working on her car. I told her I saved the best for last.

Maybe when I put the IP back in I'll wear Alice Cooper makeup - "No More, Mr Nice Guy, No More, Mr Clea-Ea-Ea-Eaan!"

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1987 300TD named Klause
1987 300TD named Spouse
1987 300D named Seabiscuit
1980 300TD names Chloie (now sadly gone)