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#1
10-30-2008, 05:09 PM
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'86 300E: Valve stem seals, or........
My '86 M103 300E is now at 215K and I have recently had sorted out various starting probs, (injectors, plugs, O2 sensor, yada yada yada). Runs like a champ. No smoke on start up or on trailing throttle at speed. I drive only about 6K per year now, so there are many years left in the old lady. Oil consumption is at the rate of 600 miles per quart of Valvoline 20/50. Questions:
1) At what point will this oil consumption begin to foul plugs/cat converter? 2) At what point should I consider looking at doing valve stem seals? 3) Should I have a compression check and/or cylinder leak down test run before proceeding with valve stem seals? This is not about oil consumption. I know that won't get better. I'm inquiring about at what point and which "fix" is called for, given the odom reading and the miles I drive. TIA, guys.
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62 220sb 67 250S 72 280SE 4.5 74 280C 77 300D 82 240D 85 190E 2.3 86 300E RIP 12/28/09 85 300SD 92 300D 2.5 00 E320 Current Over 1,000,000 miles in Benzes, Since66 ....and a whole passel of BMW 2002 and Tii 
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#2
10-30-2008, 06:09 PM
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I think you are at the place where passed oil can foul the cat, so this would be a good time to change the stem seals. New stem seals might improve the oil consumption. Doing a compression test is not a large task and if you have the tools, time and skill costs nothing; so go ahead and do it before you change the stem seals.
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#3
10-30-2008, 06:19 PM
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Might help the oil usage
I did the stem seals on my '88 260E about five years ago at around 225,000 miles. Improved the idle, the power band and eliminated the annoying loss of oil in between changes. Still runs strong and clean - doesn't use any meaningful oil between changes every 3,000 miles.
Easily the best investment I ever made in maintenance re: the return I got. If this W124 was a 5-speed instead of an automatic, I'd never, ever get rid of it. Can't imagine when I'll ever get rid of it anyway.
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Rick in Raleigh ____________ as of May 2011 '97 S320 LWB 325,000 miles '88 260E 332,000 miles '72 220D 338,000 miles (sold) '73 BMW 3.0si 473,000 miles (retired)
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#4
10-30-2008, 06:53 PM
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From our experience, Valve seals dry out in long periods of non use of the car. Hence an engine that has only as little as 150,000Ks may require seal replacement. Generally the seals should last between 200 - 250K km's.
If the dreaded head gasket leak occurs then it is a good time to do the seals, valve guides and gasket together. Some engines get to many more miles before any apparent sign of deterioration occurs.
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#5
10-30-2008, 07:39 PM
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Yes, I was surprised, too. I went to an oil change place. They put in Castrol GTX 20/50 and my oil consumption dropped from about 1qt/700 miles to about 1qt in 1500 miles. I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen
it myself.
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2012 E350 2006 Callaway SC560
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#6
10-31-2008, 01:57 AM
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i fouled NGK 4 heat range plugs in 1500 miles (using around 8 qts of oil in that time)
so around 1500/8. (4 is one heat range higher than stock). didnt last long! im not sure if its more sensible to get a used head remachined and just swap heads 20=50 made no differnce for me, except that engine turns over slower in cold PA weather when starting
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