93 300e Engine Siezed Can It Be Saved
 

I have just received a 1993 300e it was in a little fresh water up to about the doors the interior is clean and the carpets are dry even the underside all the electrics seem to work but when i went to roll over the motor it is a no go even by hand, it has a 3.2 double overhead cam 24 valve the kicker is that it's a sportline model is there anything i can do to try to free it up or is it possible for a shop to make it appear as though the engine is siezed in order to buy it cheaply any help would be appreciated and tried thanks Peter

I am in no way knowing anything better than you. However, have you thought of giving MMO (Marvel Mystery oil) a try?

1) Remove all spark plugs.
2) Try to turn the engine by hand.
3) If it does not turn, remove the head and.... good luck

Available In Canada
 

I have never heard of that stuff before but i will look thank you

MMO isn't going to help. Water got in the intake, which resulted in the rods bending (assuming it was running at the time or an attempt was made to start it without storing it in a dry shop for a month or so)...

The only way to unsieze it is to replace the rods, but the cylinders may be badly damaged, the crank may be bent, and the pistons are probably screwed up too.

If the water was only up to the bottom of the doors, and the car was level, water was not likely drawn into the intake.

How deep WAS the water?

The water only made it up to the bottom of the doors and there is no sign of water anywhere around the engine the air filtre is dry and the throttle body is clean a slight oil residue but no water and the dipstick oil level is normal and clean as well .I have had an engine in the past that had water come out of the oil drain but they would turn over even after the engine sat for 3 months so I am at a loss to figure out this one thanks

Take the plugs out anyway and try to turn the engine. Water may squirt out of the holes.

The engine air intake on that car is down fairly low. Mine isn't home to check on right now, but IIRC the air intake is at or below the height of the front bumper. "Door height" water sounds like it might be sufficient to be drawn into the engine and hydrolock it.

As others have said, pull the spark plugs (super easy on this car) then see if the engine will turn over. If so, reinstall and see if you can get some fire. It'll need an oil change, at the least.

- JimY

On the ordinary 124 300E the intake is midway up the grill on the left.

Is this one different?

Yes. 1993 300E's are E320's without the badge change. In the rest of the world, these were badged as 320E's.

There's always the possibility that water got drawn in from a splash and hydrolocked the engine. The water level may not tell the whole story. Perhaps the car stopped in dramatic fashion.

I can check later. But on the M104 engined 124 cars, the airbox sits in the front left (passenger in the US) corner of the engine compartment. The air intake is into the bottom of the box, from a snorkel that *I think* extends forward and under the bumper. Basically, the air is drawn in from the grille slots below the front bumper. I'd guess a decent size wave in 12" of water would be enough to flood it. I wonder how much water an engine can ingest without damage.

Oh yeah, it's totally different than the M103 cars before 1993.

- JimY

On the other hand, how can so much water make it past the filter in such a short time?

No...no...no...

I have both: M103 and M104 engined cars. I also have a W210 and a W203.

The air intake in the M103 and M104 (early version) engines is at the front, left side of the grill, above the bumper. The air snorkel comes directly from the air cleaner box. It never goes under the bumper.

It would take more than 12" inches of water to get water into the air intake snorkel.

Now, if the car splashed into the water, or was driven fast into the water, the resulting splash may have caused water to rise and go up the air snorkel.

I wish you luck and I hope your engine is OK.