Om606 sitting without cylinder head

[jake12tech]

I got an om606 block without the head.. cylinders are rusty sat without coolant obviously. Think the motor is junk? If I stumble across another head I'd put it together and sell it if it runs for a grand

[Father Of Giants]

How rusty are we talking? Is it crusty of light surface rust?

If it's light without pitting, then phosphoric acid will take care of the rust without any sort of abrasion necessary.

Then again, I know nothing about building engines.

[Diseasel300]

Depends how long it sat. If it was more than a couple days, it's probably junk.

[jake12tech]

Originally Posted by Diseasel300

Depends how long it sat. If it was more than a couple days, it's probably junk.

Yeah it was way more than a couple days. I'm gonna see if it rotates. I wonder how it would run with all that rust on the cylinders if it did? It's interesting I kind of want to experiment.

[torsionbar]

Originally Posted by jake12tech

Yeah it was way more than a couple days. I'm gonna see if it rotates. I wonder how it would run with all that rust on the cylinders if it did? It's interesting I kind of want to experiment.

I would not try turning it over if there is visible rust, the piston rings will clog with rust bits or could even break. Rust remover products are inexpensive. I'd follow up with a light hone, and then oil everything before attempting to turn the engine.

[Diseasel300]

You also want to look for any sort of pitting in the walls where the rust is. If you remove the rust, turn the crank so you can see where the rings sat against the wall, again if it's pitted, the cylinders are done. If you do run it with pitted walls, it'll burn oil like crazy, ruin the rings, and possibly break the rings and wreck the cylinder worse!

[jake12tech]

Originally Posted by Diseasel300

You also want to look for any sort of pitting in the walls where the rust is. If you remove the rust, turn the crank so you can see where the rings sat against the wall, again if it's pitted, the cylinders are done. If you do run it with pitted walls, it'll burn oil like crazy, ruin the rings, and possibly break the rings and wreck the cylinder worse!

I'm gonna try some rust remover and see if I can get it to turn over. It's a sleeved block so worst comes to worst I get some sleeves and rings if it's pitted and get it to run again. I found a head from another om606 in a yard in Jersey I think I'll get. It's only $20.

I wonder what else could be damaged besides them cylinders? Possibly that bottom end of sitting too..

[jay_bob]

If this was a mega rare engine I would go to the trouble of saving it (i.e. re-sleeving it). If it doesn't clean up easy then it's scrap metal. Unless you just want to play with it and practice engine rebuilding skills on a disposable block.

[babybenz]

Mega rare is right!
My engine sat at a very reliable machine shop for 10 months for a rebuild with new sleeves and pistons and the parts could not be sourced.

[sixto]

You can buy a running E300 for what a set of sleeves costs installed, so that’s a boat anchor. Take it apart and see what it would take to drop in a 3.5 crank!

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon