Am I the only one fed up with the 617? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mike-81-240d · #1 03-02-2016, 08:17 PM

Maybe I'm just trying to vent here, but I've about had it with my 617a in my wagon. I used to have great luck with my 300D's both non turbo and turbo. However this 300TD is testing my patience daily. Constant oil leaks, smokes like a maersk alabama when cold starting, eats turbos for breakfast, hiccups at idle, constantly loosens belts, etc.

I want to rip the engine out and throw a OM602 in it's place, the body is in amazing shape for a driver condition wagon and has great local history but this is the worst om61x I've ever owned.

Anyone else fed up with the OM61X engines, or am I a party of one?

-Mike
'81 300TD 4 speed

mach4 · #2 03-02-2016, 08:22 PM

Probably a party of one....

but I guess we'll see as others weigh in.

greazzer · #3 03-02-2016, 08:27 PM

They are frustrating, but so is any car which is not new and covered by a factory warranty. Having a car which is 30+ years old probably requires constant love ... Even when you replace everything with new within a particular system, things still can go wrong.

leathermang · #4 03-02-2016, 08:29 PM

Well, on the smoking upon cold starting.... almost certainly could be fixed by putting new valve stem seals in.... perhaps if you just put one thing on your list at a time you won't be feeling like the whole ball of wax is going south... or just messing with you on purpose.... it is just a machine... it is just physics at a certain level... and you have lots of people on here who understand the frustrations.... but have real joy when it gets fixed right since that fix usually lasts a long time compared to other makes of automobiles we have known...

chasinthesun · #5 03-02-2016, 08:38 PM

If it hiccups at idle it probably was run on veggie at one time.

To attack one problem at a time as a weekend task it might not seem so bad. Nothen better sounding than a happpy 617.Oil leaks come with all diesels and age ,the diesel engine will outlast any gasser .The 617 is an exceptional diesel known to go 600k with most of its orig. parts such as the injection pump ,you cant say that about internation 7.3 or cummins 5.9.The best advice is to get it on a rack for inspection .Not sure about the turbo issue ,describe whats going on here.

Clemson88 · #6 03-02-2016, 08:47 PM

You're probably the only person I've ever say they were fed up with the 617.

dkr · #7 03-02-2016, 08:49 PM

You're a party of one. The OM617 is the best engine ever.

Dkr.

Stretch · #8 03-02-2016, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike-81-240d

... eats turbos for breakfast, hiccups at idle, constantly loosens belts, etc.

...

'81 300TD 4 speed

So you have a conversion?

How many turbos have you been through?

Is there visible vibration at idle? Does the engine feel rough?

Are you "driving Miss Daisy" or braking hard before each corner and then power sliding your way through?

acb70 · #9 03-02-2016, 09:42 PM

I love your wagon, but...

If you were running a stock turbo setup and stock tune in the past these problems may not have occurred..

These engines were used in taxis, meant for reliability and not for winning races...

On top of all this you converted it to a manual which is awesome, but I am sure it adds to your frustration with the car because none of that sounds easy.

Best of luck-

Junkman · #10 03-02-2016, 10:08 PM

The engines don't leak once you buy an Elring gasket set, pull the parts off down to the long block and reinstall. There is a thread here titled similar to "Leak free 617" that has good destructions on sealing so that it stays sealed.

I'll clean up the engine in the parts car and install if either of my SD engines have serious problems. These are solid cars once the neglect is remedies and the car can't be blamed for neglect.

Hit Man X · #11 03-02-2016, 10:54 PM

Mine is fine. Granted I have not driven the car since last summer (do not ask), the motor starts and runs fine. Oil samples are okay for an abused motor.

Aside from the rear main, resealing the thing is pretty easy. Remove the turbocharger to make life easy doing the return tube... perfect time for that blocker heater install.

Front main not bad if you just heat up that balancer to slip over the crank snout.

JB3 · #12 03-02-2016, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike-81-240d

Maybe I'm just trying to vent here, but I've about had it with my 617a in my wagon. I used to have great luck with my 300D's both non turbo and turbo. However this 300TD is testing my patience daily. Constant oil leaks, smokes like a maersk alabama when cold starting, eats turbos for breakfast, hiccups at idle, constantly loosens belts, etc.

I want to rip the engine out and throw a OM602 in it's place, the body is in amazing shape for a driver condition wagon and has great local history but this is the worst om61x I've ever owned.

Anyone else fed up with the OM61X engines, or am I a party of one?

-Mike
'81 300TD 4 speed

You are pretty isolated. Its an old motor but gratifyingly indestructible.

Eating turbos is a unique problem.

Reseal the engine, smoke and hiccups probably related, and sounds like you need to look at the tensioners for your Vbelts if they are constantly loosening

leathermang · #13 03-02-2016, 11:16 PM

Turbo's are really simple and most people on here have no problems with them... IF your engine and turbos do not seem to be compatible I would sure look at the oil flow available to the turbo from the engine....

t walgamuth · #14 03-03-2016, 05:56 AM

Smoke on startup also can be from leaky injectors.

The 616 617 motors are as close to bulletproof mechanically as any engine ever made. Once they are gotten right they will run with minimum maintenance for decades.

I love them.

Sounds like yours is knackered, probably due to not being taken care of properly. Maybe its been run on WVO which is particularly destructive, or just run on dirty or low oil.

gatorblue92 · #15 03-03-2016, 06:50 AM

My OM616 is one of the trouble free spots on my 240D.