Ferdman...yes! That was the strangest thing. When I opened the hood I wasn't losing any coolant through any hoses anywhere and I had no knocking or pinging but the engine still overheated. I thought that was perplexing as well and when I opened the hood, the coolant was still in the expansion tank but squirting out of the overflow hose like crazy so I loosened the cap and of course it started bubbling out, but not the normal symptons one would expect. The waterpump is new. I filled it back up with coolant I had in the trunk and cranked it and you could hear the coolant circulating through the dashboard but no start and it cranked very easy with little to no compression...???

John M...So would putting a new head on not be a good idea either? I found a place out here that sells remanufactured heads for $950.00. Would the gasket protect the bottom of the engine from anything that had been done previously or that I may have done?

sptt, before deciding whether to buy a reconditioned head or a used engine determine the condition of your existing engine. Pull the head yourself and examine the head gasket, cylinder walls, head and valves. If everything looks OK, except for maybe a blown head gasket at the 2 cylinders that lacked compression, take the head to a reputable indie or a machine shop so it can be checked for flatness, and the valves inspected. Experienced techs will be able to advise you whether to spend the money to recondition the existing head or move on. You may want to have an indie inspect the cylinder walls/block so you have a professional opinion on that also. Be sure to confirm that there is no coolant in the oil.

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Fred Hoelzle

Guys...one other question. If I do swap out the engine, can the transmission friction discs that cause the delayed drive and reverse engagement, be replaced without removing the tranny at that time? Was wondering if I could kill two birds at the same time.

Ferdman...I wish I had the time and resources to do what you suggested but, unfortunately, I'm at time's mercy. Considering all of the issues I've had with this engine since I bought it, am considering just doing the swap. I found a tested, used engine online with 78K. Contemplating it at this time...

That would be super if you can come up with an engine with only 78K on it. You could get some serious service out of that! Where is the transmission at for that motor? Can you get it, as well? That would be an ideal swap if you could all at the same time.

sptt, I agree with Rebe buy the 78k mile engine with the transmission attached and do the swap. If that transmission is not available then rebuild your transmission while it's out of the car.

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Fred Hoelzle

...even better. I found one in Wisconsin today that has 66K on it has been "tested", and comes with a 6 month warranty (can buy a 36 month parts and labor for $300.00...is that worth it?). Free shipping as well. So far, best deal I could find. The shop said if they can rebuild the trans for me while engine is out, they will. That would be worth it since EVERYTHING else is now new in there.

I think I would have to move into the 'replace the engine' camp on this one. As a matter of fact, given some of the input regarding the motor's history, condition and your financial disposition, I wouldn't even waste any more money having it checked any further.

If you do go the new motor route, don't forget to pull the head from the old one, if you get some cash, have it redone at a good machine shop and you'll have it on hand if you need it later. If you move on to another vehicle you could probably easily sell it to someone who needs it here for what you have in it. Also keep the intake with the fuel system and gadgets attached (will the new motor come with it's intake & fuel distributor?). Some other things to save might be the new water pump you just put on, the belt tensioner, wires and dist. cap/rotor (if new), coil, and the fan bearing bracket.

Take lots of photos so you know how to hook everything back up on the new motor.
Good luck

sptt, strongly recommend that you have the tech who will be doing the engine swap talk directly to the seller of the 66k mile engine to verify 1) what peripherals, if any, come with the used engine, 2) that the used engine is a duplicate of your existing engine so that wiring harnesses, linkages, etc. match exactly, and 3) what specifically is done to qualify the used engine as "tested".

As for the transmission rebuild get a firm quote beforehand so you know the cost up front, and avoid any surprises. Also, confirm the tech at your shop has experience rebuilding MB transmissions and offers a warranty on his work.

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Fred Hoelzle

Ferdman...Got it! I have been wondering what "tested" meant and am skeptical with parting with my money and ordering online. There is a place here locally that rebuilds mercedes engines. The one I found with 66K is $1245.00 delivered. Almost everything under my hood is new except the engine and tranny so all really need is a compatible engine, no? The place I called and got the price from was...http://www.engineandtransmissionworld.com/warranty.php... I'm still contemplating what to do. Fix it or buy a new one. There are a lot of "junkyard" engines out there for around $500.00 but they look pretty bad and seem like more of a gamble. Appreciate the advice. I wonder if it would be better just to rebuild the head and skim it good? Which is more of a gamble? Sighhhh...

sptt, the exterior appearance of a used engine doesn't matter, but the internal condition is critical. That relates to regular oil changes, use of proper coolant, routine spark plug & ignition component replacement, use of premium gasoline, and a guarantee the engine was never overheated so as to warp the head. While a vendor may offer to replace a non-performing used engine it's likely that same vendor will not pay labor costs. Best to deal with an established, reputable vendor even if their price is slightly higher.

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Fred Hoelzle

I've got some emails and calls out to some local rebuild shops for pricing. Will keep you guys posted and thanks again for the input. Helps me to think this through!

Update...I found an engine here in So Cal that I'm having installed. The guy I ended up buying it from told me that if there is an engine out there with less than 100K on it, someone is either lying or they should be charging upwards of $1400.00-$1600.00. One guy through the internet told me he had one with 63K for $950.00...really? After 21 years? How could someone realistically prove that on an engine of that age? I hope being a healthy skeptic pays off for me.

I recently bought my daughter an 89 190E 2.6 with 75k original miles. One owner, dealership maintained to 67K. I found it locally on Craigs List. I looked at a lot of cars, most in the 140K range, before finding on this one. they were asking $2800 and I got it for $2300. They're not falling out of trees, but they're out there.

I found one for $800 through my local salvage yard. Mechanic said it was in pretty good condition. It had 110k on it. It runs good but I think valve stem seals will be in order soon. Here's a pic of what happened to my old engine. Pretty much every lobe of the cam looked like that.
It went into the red more than once but I didn't have the funds to fix it at the time.

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1987 300E