i am looking at a 1976 240d manual a hundred hilly miles away.
lady says the head gasket is blown and it barely runs. i cant
easily tow it and am wondering if it could be driven. i was thinking
that i could drain the oil and coolant and replace both with a light
cheap oil to get it home. temps are in the 40-50's. does this sound workable? i dont really want the engine, i want everything
but the engine.

thanks, don

If the engine is of no value to you and you simply want to get it home, then yes, I would try to drive it 100 miles.
Of course it depends on the severity of the leak and what kind of head gasketleak it is, but by changing the oilwith some cheap stuff and checking the oil and coolant levels on the way, you should be O.K. If ytou do this, either have a chase vehicle and/ or a cell phone with someone on stby incase something goes wrong. Could be a fun adventure!
Adam

notlostmaybe,

Those engines were pretty robust and I think if the head gasket is blown, there is likely already significant other collateral damage. If you drive it there is no way to tell how long it will run. So, if you want the car and not the engine, your plan may work and it may not. I would not attempt this without a plan to figure out how to retrieve the car from the side of the road if the engine fails completely on your way home. Good luck, 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 think that blown head gaskets generally cause engine overheating. This is because they will fill the cooling system with gas which isn't a good coolant. If this is the case, you won't get very far before it overheats.

Sholin

__________________
What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

Get a AAA membership -- the most expensive one they offer... that should get you 100 miles.

Where in California do you live, and where's the car located?

I don't think that driving the car with a known blown head gasket's a really good idea unless absolutely necessary.

Depending on your location and that of the car, I might be able to help...

__________________
2001 VW Jetta TDI, 5 speed, daily driver
1991 Ford F-350, work in progress
1984 Ford F-250 4x4, 6.9l turbo diesel, 5 speed manual
Previous oilburners: 1980 IH Scout, 1984 E-350, 1985 M-B 300D, 1979 M-B 300SD, 1983 M-B 300D
Spark-free since 1999