Always good to hear from Doug. I too owned and operated Ford, GM, and Chrysler vehicles from the 40's through the 90's (with a 1930 Desoto thrown in for fun), and it was quite a leap picking up my 1983 w123 300d in the 1990's. Now, all of the US products are long gone but the fond memories linger. What especially lingers is the memory of all that space under the hood to work on engines, maybe that is why I like my 300d.
brian from la verne, ca
From: Doug <doug.traylor@cebridge.net>
To: diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2011 2:22 AM
Subject: [diesel_mercedes] Re: (OT) For the gearheads
OK Gents, Fellow Mercedes Diesel owners, wrenchers, gearheads, knuckle busters, shade tree techs, etc,,, Have to get off my lurking easy chair, an make a comment here, ya got my attention, over the years since the 40s, I have owned several hundred vehicles, an had a 50+ year career as a Auto an Diesel Tech, shop owner, GM training center, high school, an college level ASE certified instructor.
Also US Navy Chief Engineman, Civilian Master Engineman .049 Cox model airplane engines to Enterprise, Ajax, Wothingtons, Coopers, Clevelands, Gray Marine, an others that our Mercedes sedans could fit into the cylinders.
Have owned both GM an Ford products, loved them both, but predominantly drove GM products for one simple reason, sure they have problems just like Ford, but one big difference, GM would share tech info, training, far more easily than Ford, thats the bottom line for ME.
NOW my opinion for whats it worth, maybe a cup of coffee, but Ford parts over the years, since 1940s tend to be more expensive, sometimes as much as 30%. BUT overall, especially in trucks, Ford quality an quality control seemed to be much better. Especially from late 1940s thru 1990, when I started slowing down, coasting toward retirement.
NOW, to the topic at hand, all good gas an diesel engines have had teething problems, that came out post production, when the driver / owners hit the road.
Even the very best of engines, IE the Kettering, aka Oldsmobile overhead valve V8s, had cam lobe severe wear issues for many years, from '49 thru '84 till they finally got off the bean counters an put roller tappets into the engine.
Fords small block early models, beginning 1954,, IE the famous Y blocks, had issues with cam bearings turning in the blocks thus cutting off all oil flow to the valve train, kits were made to keep those fine engines on the road, a simple fitting an tubing to allow oil flow from the oil pressure gage block tap up thru the valve covers.
Then the wonderful later small block Fords, IE 221,260,289 an especially 302s,, had severe failures, when the factory started pushing the 6,000 mile oil changes, I worked directly with a factory rep an the Independent Garage Owners, on that issue, after tearing down about 6 302 car an PU truck engines, with a fellow engine inspector, we found that the pressure relief valve in the oil pump was sticking wide open after rapid acceleration, due to oil quality issues. Thus dumping most of the oil flow right back into the oil pan.
SouthWest Research under contract with Ford, ran a test series on Ford Engines, including even inline 6s,, an concluded that the quality of engine oils was not up to par for the Fords recommended 6,000 mile oil changes, an also that the Ford Engines higher running oil temps may have contributed to the issue. I visited with Ford an SouthWest on that matter.
I forget the specs, such as the running temps of Fords engines oil, but remember it was close to what the air-cooled VW of that era, which is about 250 degrees F, which is a bit hot for lube oils of that era. Oil coolers were added to some vehicles.
So Ford, along with others, have had lube oil issues off an on for many years, its sometimes not the engine, but the oil quality or the loose nut between the steering wheel an the seat, retained after 1959 by a seat belt.
Doug Traylor Baytown, TX,, '81 300D, pushing 200K an still loving it, 2nd owner, San Diego Ca, car originally, thus NO RUST. Not yet anyway.
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