Replacement engine needed for 2010 E350 CDi

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Ductman

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Unfortunately I’ve not seen the car myself as my friend only contacted me whilst in the airport waiting for their flight and they are away for the next 3 weeks. I will be advising him that he may well be better off scrapping the car but at the moment he really wants to try getting the engine replaced.
Having looked at many car forums over the years, I am well aware of the horror stories surrounding the recon engine suppliers generally so just want to steer him away from the known dodgy ones.
As I said earlier, he is a very nice bloke but very naive when it comes to cars and the criminal activities of some whose only aim is to rip you off. He obviously wants to get things sorted as soon as possible after returning home. Just to complicate things further, we will be away for a couple of weeks ourselves, the day before he returns so I won’t even get to look at the engine then.
My aim, in the meantime, is to give him enough information to be able to make an informed decision. Whether that’s to scrap the car or persist in finding an engine is entirely up to him but at least I will have done what I can to help.
Many thanks for all your suggestions and advice which I will take on board and use to give him my eventual thoughts. In the meantime if anybody can recommend a good supplier, it would be much appreciated.
 

EXMERCTECH

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If you intend to keep the Merc.
I’ll be inclined to hear a running engine in a salvaged Damaged car.
You can also do a MOT history to check mileage,
The likes of Copart ASM, Bill Bridges. ETC.
Preferably hear it starting from cold.
Take the engine number (I also stamp the engine with 3 letter stamps) and check it’s the same one when removed and collected.
Done this a few times now.
 

gassed up

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I like Exmertechs instructions on how to do it right, can't be faulted. For me the issue would be one of time; find the engine, arrange to hear it running, agree the price, have it removed and delivered, have it installed running and snagged. If you are retired or have a lot of leisure time you may view it as a project. If you've got to pay somebody else to do it the economic argument becomes harder to win. When I was a much younger man buying and installing scrapyard engines was good fun but you were talking about Ford crossflows and BMC A series, you could play mix and match. 1500 from a Ford Cortina straight into your Anglia no probs! 1300 Spitfire into a Standard 8 - easy, did it in a weekend. The point being that the financial stakes were much lower, the technology was far simpler and you could do it yourself. My darling wife and I have virtually identical E350 coupes separated by 6 months, I wouldn't like to try and swap any of their components and guarantee a running car.
 

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I like Exmertechs instructions on how to do it right, can't be faulted. For me the issue would be one of time; find the engine, arrange to hear it running, agree the price, have it removed and delivered, have it installed running and snagged. If you are retired or have a lot of leisure time you may view it as a project. If you've got to pay somebody else to do it the economic argument becomes harder to win. When I was a much younger man buying and installing scrapyard engines was good fun but you were talking about Ford crossflows and BMC A series, you could play mix and match. 1500 from a Ford Cortina straight into your Anglia no probs! 1300 Spitfire into a Standard 8 - easy, did it in a weekend. The point being that the financial stakes were much lower, the technology was far simpler and you could do it yourself. My darling wife and I have virtually identical E350 coupes separated by 6 months, I wouldn't like to try and swap any of their components and guarantee a running car.
You are so right.... but no comparison........(unfortunately for the OP ) I often worked through out the night on a "Nixer", exchanging engine's / gearboxe's etc, back in the day's you mention, and worked next day as well......
 
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I remember those same days very well myself. Back in the late 60’s I carried out engine swaps for myself, friends and colleagues all the time. I remember buying reconditioned Ford half engines at a place in the Old Kent Road for around 29 quid, doing up the cylinder head and installing them all in a day.
Many was the time I would fit a new piston or replace burnt out exhaust valves in my Lotus Cortina overnight so I could use it for work the next day. I’ve done engine changes and fettled my own cars since I was old enough to drive but wouldn’t consider for one moment doing the same on a modern car - apart from the fact my body is too creaky now!
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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I’d certainly go through this thread with your friend it should help him come to a conclusion, my view hasn’t changed from scrapping and moving on which doesn’t sound very sympathetic but is the sensible path in my opinion
 
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I agree entirely. I sent a long email to him yesterday for them to mull over the options whilst they are away and I have pointed out he needs to consider whether a replacement/rebuilt engine will be economically viable, particularly so if they have to replace the turbo and, if bits have gone through the engine and out the other side, maybe even the DPF too. All that, should it be necessary, will certainly put it on the cusp of not being economically viable.

I think his original hope was that something could be sorted during the 3 weeks they are away but, in all honesty, that was never going to happen. Maybe had he called soon after returning from France, rather than letting almost a week go by, I perhaps might have been able to get something moving for him in a top end strip down, at the very least. Knowing the faith he has in his mobile service chap, I'm convinced he just assumed the car could be easily repaired by him and back on the road within a few hours. That, in itself, shows just how little he understands about what makes an engine work, especially given the noises and the way the engine suddenly failed. Unfortunately, the service chap wasn't available to visit until the afternoon before my friend was due to go away and although I haven't seen it myself yet, I'm sure his diagnosis that the engine is goosed is very probably correct.

Oh well, we shall see and I will return to this thread in a few weeks to let everybody who has been kind enough to offer suggestions, know just what the outcome is.
 

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I personally would get a second opinion from a known Mercedes specialist. I would not be trusting a "mobile service guy" who by definition, would not have the tools or equipment to do a proper diagnostic on what was actually wrong with the car. From post one, he appears to have done his diagnosis based on a story, rather than any actual inspection.

His engine may be repairable. If it is not, I would want to know what was wrong with and why it was not repairable.

Just saying what I would do.
 
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I personally would get a second opinion from a known Mercedes specialist. I would not be trusting a "mobile service guy" who by definition, would not have the tools or equipment to do a proper diagnostic on what was actually wrong with the car. From post one, he appears to have done his diagnosis based on a story, rather than any actual inspection.

His engine may be repairable. If it is not, I would want to know what was wrong with and why it was not repairable.

Just saying what I would do.

Re-reading my first post, I probably was unclear and consequently a little unfair on the mobile service fella. He did, apparently do a bit more mechanical investigation than simply looking at it and hearing the story of how it all unfolded. He spent about 40 minutes checking a few things out before declaring the engine is fubared and beyond his ability to repair on my friends drive. I have absolutely no idea precisely what he 'checked out' as asking my friend for the details would be akin to asking me to recite the entire works of Shakespeare backwards and word perfect.

By all accounts, he is an ex MB tech and has always proven to be trustworthy when carrying out a normal service but I can understand completely why he wouldn't be interested in removing/rebuilding/replacing a big old V6 diesel. Nevertheless he is probably sufficiently knowledgeable to come to the conclusion that he has.
 

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What a sad story, I feel for your poor friend! :( I agree it's best he cuts his losses, the value of Euro 4-5 diesels is plummeting by the day, he could spend a fortune on an engine of unknown condition to only find himself back in the same position 6 months later.

I also don't have much faith in the OM642, it's a fragile and quite inefficient engine at the best of times.
 
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I also don't have much faith in the OM642, it's a fragile and quite inefficient engine at the best of times.

Eek don’t say that. I have the same engine in my C Class. :eek:
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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Interesting comment about the OM642 engine’s fragility, it has its flaws but the irony is that the engine has been in production so long that most of them have been designed out, so in effect they are a known quantity, I preferred it’s predecessor the OM613 IL6 but the V6 has grown on me
 

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whatever the decision is ,I echo what others have said and defo stay away from the recon rob dogs that frequent ebay , it will end in tears if he goes with one of them , a mate did with his discovery , 6k later and a broken rear lamp unit that they claimed they hadn't done it failed again after 3000 miles :shock:
 

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I remember those same days very well myself. Back in the late 60’s I carried out engine swaps for myself, friends and colleagues all the time. I remember buying reconditioned Ford half engines at a place in the Old Kent Road for around 29 quid, doing up the cylinder head and installing them all in a day.
Many was the time I would fit a new piston or replace burnt out exhaust valves in my Lotus Cortina overnight so I could use it for work the next day. I’ve done engine changes and fettled my own cars since I was old enough to drive but wouldn’t consider for one moment doing the same on a modern car - apart from the fact my body is too creaky now!

Yes, a "Short Block" I remember well.....the Lotus Cortina was some car all right !!! I once had a MK1 GT at one stage, another fantastic car in it's day. But as you said, what you ( and I ) could do back then, we can forget about now !!!
 

LostKiwi

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Yes, a "Short Block" I remember well.....the Lotus Cortina was some car all right !!! I once had a MK1 GT at one stage, another fantastic car in it's day. But as you said, what you ( and I ) could do back then, we can forget about now !!!
Fundamentals are still the same, it's just the control systems are different.
 
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Fundamentals are still the same, it's just the control systems are different.
And there is so little room to get around the engines on most modern cars too. Back in the day I would often think a Mini under bonnet was cramped but they were nothing like some moderns.
On my Lotus Cortina there was almost enough room to stand in the engine bay alongside the engine. My joints are now very creaky and not having the physique of a racing snake any longer, I wouldn’t consider doing any major work on my cars today. My Lotus, particularly, is very tight in the engine bay, to the point where I almost wonder if they had to smear the engine in Vaseline to get it in place!:D
 

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Hourses for courses depending on the owner, emotion tells him to keep the car (reading your messages). Thats all well and good for the owner, but do it logically if thats his perogative. Go for a written off car with a good used engine (assuming its ok) of course.
Definately avoid a recon.
I dont care what anyone says but no engine is ever the same once its been reconned.
 

LostKiwi

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And there is so little room to get around the engines on most modern cars too. Back in the day I would often think a Mini under bonnet was cramped but they were nothing like some moderns.
On my Lotus Cortina there was almost enough room to stand in the engine bay alongside the engine. My joints are now very creaky and not having the physique of a racing snake any longer, I wouldn’t consider doing any major work on my cars today. My Lotus, particularly, is very tight in the engine bay, to the point where I almost wonder if they had to smear the engine in Vaseline to get it in place!:D
I had a VH Valiant Pacer when I was younger. I had to change the head gasket and to do so you climbed into the engine bay and sat on the inner guard!
charger2.jpg
 

matthew k

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Interesting comment about the OM642 engine’s fragility, it has its flaws but the irony is that the engine has been in production so long that most of them have been designed out, so in effect they are a known quantity, I preferred it’s predecessor the OM613 IL6 but the V6 has grown on me

The straight 6 was a much better engine IMO, nearly as powerful, and better on fuel. Plus easier to work on. I have a OM642 BTW, and the previous owner spent loads at the dealer on it.
 

Jimbo1959

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I also don't have much faith in the OM642, it's a fragile and quite inefficient engine at the best of times.

Eek don’t say that. I have the same engine in my C Class. :eek:

Interesting comment about the OM642 engine’s fragility, it has its flaws but the irony is that the engine has been in production so long that most of them have been designed out, so in effect they are a known quantity, I preferred it’s predecessor the OM613 IL6 but the V6 has grown on me

OMG!!!

I always thought that the OM642 engine was regarded as almost unburstable, solid and utterly reliable.

I love mine, in fact I'm saving furiously to get it remapped, to prevent future embarrassment from small, big engined cars in a straight line drag. (Got beaten up by a Mini Cooper the other day, in saying that, we ran out of autobahn at 130mph and I was beginning to catch up to him, albeit rather slowly). :( :p

Will I be wasting my money? :geek:
 

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