Diesel RVs: [diesel_mercedes] Re: Rebuilding a Diesel Engine

You'd be well advised to break it in on Dino Diesel Fuel and run it at least 5,000 miles before going back to whatever alternative fuels you prefer .

If , once you have the cylinder head off , you find ovaled cylinder walls , you might be ahead $ wise by exchanging the entire engine for a rebuilt one from Mercedes Benz .

-Nate
Rusty wrote :
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> Bobby,
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> Thanks for the suggestions. We have monitored oil over the years but have not seen any obvious indications of pollution beyond normal diesel oil wear. I am considering sending off some for chemical analysis.
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> Oil consumption was "normal" according to MB before the failure. My experience with this engine started with about a half a quart consumption every 3000 miles (my typical oil change intervals with diesels). Peaked at around 2 quarts at point it failed.
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> I have had starting issues with car that originally pointed me at the starter. Engine would seem to be locked and starter would not spin the flywheel. We determined that the starter was bad and replaced. (Note: the starter on this engine is too heavy to handle with one hand overhead and under the car - unfortunate near miss was learning opportunity here) Rebuilt the starter and all was good for about a year. May not have been entirely the starter as car started to feel "locked up" once or twice which a bump or two with starter would "free" the engine and it would start right up.
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> Mechanic felt that the car ran too smoothly for a bent crank arm when this started.
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> Additionally for some reason we started to experience a loss of coolant a 30,000 before failure. No sign of water in the oil. Eventually we found some pin hole leaks in water pump that prompted replacement
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> I am not ruling out an issue with #1 cylinder. Regardless we are planning to replace all the crank ams with larger ones if they are not already there.
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> Where would you look for after market fuel warming add ons?
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> I am pretty sure that some of the bio d we make is sub par. I have had 2 incidents with glycerol in the fuel. Removed, cleaned and replaced tank and all lines and filters and pumps on 2 of 3 diesels.
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> Am also interested in options on injectors. My bio d partner has an elsbett kit in his VW that seems to eat anything it is offered. Question is would some modification to the injectors offer any engine performance improvements?
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> Thanks for your input,
> Rusty
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