E 300 Diesel cyl head gasket

[bobi]

Hello,
Hope you can help me.
I have had my E300 Diesel (1993) now for eight months and I love the way it eats up the miles. It has the newer OM 606 normally aspirated engine.

I walked out of my house the other day to find oil on the ground below the car; I found the water expansion tank full of engine oil so I guess the cylinder head gasket has gone.

What I need to know is - can I use a head gasket set from a turboed engine or do I have to buy the gasket for the normally aspirated unit?

I have found out that the older version is a single piece gasket but the newer type is multilayered; I guess to take higher heat because of the turbo?

Anyway, I hope to be able to use the later type but am not sure if all the oil gallery and water cooling holes are the same exactly?

any help appreciated,
regards.
bobi

 

[Bolide]

Hello,
Hope you can help me.
I have had my E300 Diesel (1993) now for eight months and I love the way it eats up the miles. It has the newer OM 606 normally aspirated engine.

I walked out of my house the other day to find oil on the ground below the car; I found the water expansion tank full of engine oil so I guess the cylinder head gasket has gone.

What I need to know is - can I use a head gasket set from a turboed engine or do I have to buy the gasket for the normally aspirated unit?

I have found out that the older version is a single piece gasket but the newer type is multilayered; I guess to take higher heat because of the turbo?

Anyway, I hope to be able to use the later type but am not sure if all the oil gallery and water cooling holes are the same exactly?

any help appreciated,
regards.
bobi

Hold on one second!!!

It may not be the CHG that has failed. In fact I've never known one to fail. It is as likely to be the oil / water heat exchanger in the sump that has rusted through because the coolant had insufficient antifreeze

Before you go anywhere near the head take a look at the heat exchanger

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[bobi]

How do I check that please?

EDIT : I'm guessing that I will need to drop the sump guard, drop the sump pan, take the heat exchanger out & pressure test,
Would that be about it?

 

[bobi]

Actually, I have just had a look on the site http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.433&CT=M&cat=19T&SID=18&SGR=060&SGN=02

Am I correct in saying that it is part number 149 on the top diagram, merc part number 6061800165?

if so, is it located on the outside of the engine block, at the bottom on the drivers side?

any help appreciated.

 

[Bolide]

149 is your man and your plan seems good. I suspect you'll see pretty quickly if it's failed. It may be removable without dropping the pan - have a look in WIS to see

http://service-parts.mercedes-benz.com/

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[bobi]

Well I paid my money to WIS & had a looksee but cant find any further info on the subject, so if there is anybody out there who has done the job & can help I will be extremely grateful.

That is :- removing engine oil cooler. do you drop sump pan or can it be done another way?
regards,
bobi

 

[Number_Cruncher]

The way I would check one of these sump mounted coolers is to remove the two water pipes which come down from the water pump/thermostat area, and then, briefly, run the engine. If you see any oil coming out of the water pipe stubs in the oil cooler, then, you *know* that the oil cooler has failed.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

On mine the engine oil cooler drops down by simply unbolting it from below. I don't recall anything being in the way.

 

[Number_Cruncher]

It may be a difference between the NA OM606 fitted in the W124, and the one fitted in the W210. On my 1995 W124, the oil cooler itself is bolted into the side of the sump, and sealed with a large O ring - there are 2 solid water pipes which go up to the water pump / thermostat area.

If you take the oil cooler out, there are also 2 small stub pipes which connect the cooler to the oil pump.

Here's what it looks like;

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.433&CT=M&cat=19T&SID=18&SGR=060&SGN=02

 

[bobi]

Just as an update.

I was away at sea for a while so I have only just got the car sorted.
I took the oil cooler off & kept the two pipes from the water rail connected. I placed the cooler in a water bath & blew air through the water pipes, (keeping one side blocked with my finger)..................Guess what, air bubbled up through the oil pipes. Yipee, no head gasket to replace!

Had to but a new one direct from MB - couldn't find a cheaper alternative. I thought about buying second hand off mercman but decided that any used cooler may not have long to live as all must be at least 12 years old.

Anyway £340 poorer - but a small price to pay. Glad it wasn't the head gasket though! may have cost at least double!!!

A big thanks to Bolide - came up trumps yet again.
regards,
Bobi

 

[Bolide]

Good news!

I have never heard of an E300 Diesel blowing a CHG. But this is the second oil cooler failure I've heard of

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Ellsy Tanners]

Great news about your case mate.

At the same time you posted about your problems ive got the same car with the same fault. Reading Nicks posts I thought I would test the oil cooler as well. I was not so lucky as you as I could not get it to show any signs of a leak, even with a compressed Air blower!!

So ive taken off the head and i am in the process of doing the repair. It looks like the main oil gallary at the back of the head is split, although its not that easy to tell as the gasket its self looks in pretty poor condition!! Anyway just about ready to go back together and I hope for the best.

As Nick says it is rare on this engine, but I think I am a unlucky one!!

 

[bobi]

Well, I took it for a blowout up the motorway last night & the temp gauge never rose above 82 degrees C.
When I originally bought the car it was normally at 85 Deg but soon after I started getting overheating problems. I checked the thermostat & found none fitted (there is now).......... alarm bells started ringing about head gasket then, but thought it may be radiator as expansion tank not oily (a bit dirty only) Had rad tested & was found over 70% blocked - probably with some sort of sealer!! After rad was replaced, temps dropped a bit & I thought all was well, but.....
Anyway, over the next few months engine temp has steadily risen up to 90+ degrees C until the inevitable oil in the expansion tk was found!