When the Manual tranny on 240D has been removed, is there a reason why the motor can't be turned over? The dash lights work, but the glow plugs don't glow and the motor will not budge. Dash lights virtually go out when trying to start the car. A ground strap is not connected down near tranny was. Does this to be hooked up too? Any other possiblities besides a dead starter? I was trying to get compression numbers on this parts car that was suppose to have a dead tranny removed. Maybe motor was seized too.

Thank you so much.

David

Sounds like the ground strap to the engine/transmission is not connected. The engine and transmission are mounted to the frame in three places using rubber mounts to isolate the engine/trans from the chassis and this type of mount also isolates the engine/trans in the electrical circuit requiring a connection from the engine/trans to the chassis. There is a separate ground strap (large diameter wire with fittings on the ends to allow a bolt through). The ground strap must be connected to the chassis and engine/trans to ground them so the electrical current can complete the circuit.

Good Luck!
Tom

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America: Land of the Free!

1977 300D: 300,000+ miles

American Honda: Factory Trained Technician & Honor Grad.
Formerly:
Shop Foreman;
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Make total sense thank you. Plus I have to make sure the flywheel is in place too right?

David

Yep, the flywheel had better be connected to the crankshaft otherwise the starter gear won't have anything to turn.

Tom

__________________
America: Land of the Free!

1977 300D: 300,000+ miles

American Honda: Factory Trained Technician & Honor Grad.
Formerly:
Shop Foreman;
Technical Advisor to Am. Honda;
Supervisor of Maintenance largest tree care co. in US for offices in Tex.

Thanks for helping a new person find his way.

David

David,

Have you tried turning the engine over by hand? If you have a 27mm deep socket and some typical tools, you should be able to grab the nut on the front end of the crankshaft that holds the pulley on and turn the engine by hand. I have done that many times when adjusting valves. This method should give you a better feel if there is something amiss inside. Like the timing chain being either broken or off so far the valves are in contact with the pistons and so on. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

I have thought of that, but then could I get an idea of cold compression numbers that way albeit slowly? Or would the numbers done this way be too misleading?

David

If you want to take the compression of your engine, you have to turn the engine fast enough, that's why the use of the starter is required. Otherwise it doesn't make sense.

__________________
in France : 240D 1981 380 000 km
240D 1984 252 000 km
300D 1978 325 000 km
in the US : Ford Tempo 1993 70K

bio and gnolo,

If your question is whether or not the engine is siezed, then turning it by hand will answer the question. If you want to do a compression check, then you have to turn it over at a speed more representative of the engine running. The best alternative is the starter for compression checks.

I understood the original question to be to determine if the engine or the transmission was siezed, or both. Once that is known, addressing the starter questions will be more definitive. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Thanks Jim, the tranny is out already and the motor does turn over by hand. Where do I attach the ground to the starter to if it works?

David

You can attach the ground to any part of the engine block or bell housing or head, etc. A convenient spot might be the bell housing, using one of the bolt holes and a pair of washers, a nut and bolt. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Thanks again, will let you know how it turns out if the rain ever stops.


David

Thank you all!!! I went out today and used booster cable to ground the engine and starter. It turned over. I went and tried to glow it but couldn't see any response on my indicator but the dash light dimed. So I turned her over and it started up and ran smooth with no smoking right away!! I was speechless and happy. Now I must get the engine out and transplant it. On the 76 240D is there just the two engine mounts? When I pull the motor and tranny out of the recipient car do I pull engine and tranny together or let the tranny stay behind? Also the glow system on the donor is with the thicker metal joiners while the recepient car is using heavy gauge twisted wire and no insulators. Does either system work in either car? The recipient car does not have a ground on the engine block while the donor car system does not.

Any more thoughts about this process I am entering into?

David

Sorry, I meant to say the donor car has the ground wire coming off number one cylinder glow plug, while the recepient car does not.

Thanks for you reponses.

David

David,
If I am understandind this thread, you are trying to use an engine from a 115 chassis to install into a 123 chassis. It won't work because of the oil filter housing. The 76 has the oil filter on the bottom of the engine, while the recipient has the filter on the top behind the injection pump. Am I right?

Peter

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