My guess is that the owner lost the oil fill cap, jammed a rag in it's place and the cam caught the end of it and sucked it in.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Whether an attempt to deceive or a simple screw-up, that's just WEIRD!

On the pan - I'd pull it, clean out whatever crud you find, and beat it back into original shape. Those pans are THICK (heavy gage) and it's not likely that it can't stand a good beating. If I had it here I'd push it back with the press, a useful tool. Of course, if it rips then get a fresh one. I welded mine to modify it to clear the S-10 steering gear and it's hard to get a good weld on something that's been soaking in oil for decades.

Dan

Amazing, it is very rare to find the motor with an original camshaft silencer in place. Most are removed at the assembly line. To find one still in place is simply amazing.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

HAHAHA. Over the years I have found many rags in engines, water pumps, oil pans, trans, diffs, door panels, in dashes, et al but that's the first I've seen on a camshaft. Probably not intentional. While you have the valve cover off, I'd make sure the drain passages are free of rag bits. Also, dropping the pan & checking the oil pump pick up (and maybe the oil pump, timing chain, IP drive, etc) is a good idea. Unless it caused oil starvation, your engine should be OK.

Pressing the pan back into shape slowly would be better, it would also help if you could warm it some while pressing.

If you do not have a press, put a piece of wood under the entire pan, put another piece inside over the high point and press it down with a small bottle or scissor jack while lifting something. Just be careful and use safety support under whatever you are lifting.

Definitely agree to remove and check the oil pump pickup. Also check the passage in the tube that extends from the oil filter lid and the oiler tube along the top of each cam lobe.

Good luck!!!

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

brand new oil pan for your car from Pelican Parts is only 20 dollars

1983 Mercedes-Benz 300CD Base Coupe - Oil Circulation - Page 3



Weird to find that orange shop rag in the head! Like others have speculated, it was likely placed there deliberately. Pretty shady if you ask me. Hopefully you can get that car sorted out, as it is a 300CD, and they are special.

__________________
2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins Turbo Diesel 4x4
1994 GMC S-15 pickup 4.3 5MT
1985 300 SD
1978 300 CD
1962 220-S Fintail - awaiting restoration

It was Fuller's Earth .



.

__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

The previous owner probably invested in a lot of kitty litter to absorb all the oil this thing was leaking. In addition to the rag he probably poured the litter into the engine. Sawdust was also a common ingredient added to worn transmissions and differentials by dishonest sellers of vehicles.

"brand new oil pan for your car from Pelican Parts is only 20 dollars"

And...I rescind the suggestion to straighten the pan...obviously much better to go new!!!

Good luck!!!

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

I'll call your shop rag and raise you a mattress.......Running Over a Mattress - snopes.com

If you look carefully at the pictures, that's no pick-up truck. It's a semi . See the fuel balance tube between the tanks ?


.

__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

I'll see your mattress and bump you a plastic shopping bag! Yup, one of those plastic bags you get from the grocery stores.

1996 Grumman Olson step van, Cummins 4BT, 4 speed BW T19 transmission with a Dana 70 differential.

Driver said he ran over the bag, it got caught in the rear U-joint. He said he heard it fluttering around for a bit and then the noise quit. He didn't think anything of it for a few days (and who would?) until the differential began making noise and smelling.

He brought it into the shop and I took a look at it. That chintzy piece of plastic somehow managed to slip under the differential pinion seal and, due to the rotation, got fed into the pinion housing. The heat from the differential and the chemical reaction of the lube semi-dissolved the bag into a mass of glump which hardened into a "seal" preventing the front pinion bearing from being lubed. The heat from the un-lubed pinion fried the lube which in turn toasted the differential.

This was in '97 so everything was new and available only from the dealer. Pretty expensive repair as I recall. Over $7K in parts not counting my labor.

I had the remnants of the bag, the plastic disk it formed, the pinion and third member on display in my shop for those fellow mechanics who couldn't believe the story.

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

Well? Did it?




.

__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

Rag vs metal = metal wins.

This month's rock newsletter has a similar story. Guy said his wife's car lost power. He finally found 3 rags blocking the air filter. Asked his wife and she said she put a cleaning rag down while the engine was idling, turned her back and it disappeared. Another 2 similarly disappeared after putting them down. She thought they had dropped, but couldn't find them. She had been placing them by the air intake.

__________________
1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I did that once with a long skinny rag in an air cooled VW. It went into the cooling fan and wrapped around inside it. The car started getting hot on the highway and began to tighten up. Good tough little car after it cooled and I threaded the rag out it was fine.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Rag vs lubrication system = metal loses.

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now