– mine was a euro5 2010 130 bhp and it died on Sunday – the engine finally seized up after a long fight with injector no3 that was chuffing for the past 9 months due to a shallow (2-3 mm) crack/damage to the seat . I have tried all sorts to stop it leaking mainly making copper bushes and washers which did provide some help but the pressure was just to great and would find its way under it and up eventually rendering the injector dead so there was a few occasions when I ended up driving it on 3 cylinders back to the base . I did 45K in 18 moths out of witch probably 20 k with a doggy seat/ injector. Had to change no3 injector 2 times as it would get damaged from arcing .
The crack/damage was just too deep even for a pro cutter to clean out(or the washer would have been too thick) so the only option was to change the head which was app £2k job and the van had already 220k on the clock so I could not see a point in spending money on it. It is a shame that I could not rescue it as everything else was still very good mechanically – the engine on these is wrong way round and apparently cylinder head job is a difficult one due to the chain being thigh against the bulkhead – I had a similar problem on the older 2002 sprinter but I changed the head my self and sold it a few years later still in working condition.
Now I am looking to buy another sprinter and wonder if 130bhp model is prone to injectors hammering against the seat and work hardening both copper and aluminum seat underneath it. The 95 bhp model might not be so stressed I don't know . I know I might have been unlucky but all 4 injectors had serious thinning of the steel cap seat where the injector presses against the copper washer – the injector retaining bolts I think are 6 or even 7mm this time and I had them changed and tread helicoiled to 8 mm but there is so much pressure you are allowed to insert against a piezzo delphi injector which incidentally has a rubbish connector too and any moisture ingress will stop it working.
Apparently damage to cylinder head injector seat is not a rare occurrence and the problem is that there is a very little anyone can do about it apart of not using it for a long journeys too many times. The same goes for any job where the head needs to be removed – I.e head gasket job -2k for that ? - Anyone out there with some advice on these 651 engines – I cannot afford a brand new van and do too many miles for a lease – how to make the engine last a bit longer ?
The crack/damage was just too deep even for a pro cutter to clean out(or the washer would have been too thick) so the only option was to change the head which was app £2k job and the van had already 220k on the clock so I could not see a point in spending money on it. It is a shame that I could not rescue it as everything else was still very good mechanically – the engine on these is wrong way round and apparently cylinder head job is a difficult one due to the chain being thigh against the bulkhead – I had a similar problem on the older 2002 sprinter but I changed the head my self and sold it a few years later still in working condition.
Now I am looking to buy another sprinter and wonder if 130bhp model is prone to injectors hammering against the seat and work hardening both copper and aluminum seat underneath it. The 95 bhp model might not be so stressed I don't know . I know I might have been unlucky but all 4 injectors had serious thinning of the steel cap seat where the injector presses against the copper washer – the injector retaining bolts I think are 6 or even 7mm this time and I had them changed and tread helicoiled to 8 mm but there is so much pressure you are allowed to insert against a piezzo delphi injector which incidentally has a rubbish connector too and any moisture ingress will stop it working.
Apparently damage to cylinder head injector seat is not a rare occurrence and the problem is that there is a very little anyone can do about it apart of not using it for a long journeys too many times. The same goes for any job where the head needs to be removed – I.e head gasket job -2k for that ? - Anyone out there with some advice on these 651 engines – I cannot afford a brand new van and do too many miles for a lease – how to make the engine last a bit longer ?
