Blown Head Gasket, 87 300 series turbodiesel

hey

it is more than likley the head gasket. blocks are usually bullet proof and let a repair facility do it :) good luck

Drop the car where it is asap and tow it to the nearest mechanic, you might cause a lot of damage driving it.

cp

With that engine it's very unlikely that it's a head gasket. It almost certainly a cracked head. I have a friend with two '87 300SDL's. They have the same engine as your car. I've helped replace heads on both of those cars. Thankfully, the new heads have been redesigned and are more resistant to thermal stress. By the way, the new bare head is $1,500 with valve guides but no valves. If you can do the work yourself, you're looking at a $2,000 repair. I can recommend a good machinist which you will need to lapp your old valves to your new nead and switch over the other parts. Welding these old cracked heads is a pointless exercise as they never last very long after they are welded.

The problem is either the head gasket and / or the aluminum cylinder head. The block is very unlikely. These engines are known to break head gaskets and / or crack their aluminum heads when overheated.

I can e-mail you directly a couple of pictures of a cracked head if you like.

Can you email me too? I have some experience with, err... cracked heads :-)

cplas_AT_telus__DOT__net

Please, if it is not a problem for you, could you send this pictures to me too. I'm very curious to see them because I own a 300 D turbo.

douchkov__AT_ipk-gatersleben_DOT__de

Thanks

Dimi

Try the wholesale parts department at Caliber Motors Mercedes in Anaheim Hills, California. I think they discount everything 25% and they will sell to anyone.