Newbie needing advice
- Thread starter Madmac666
- Start date
Update:
I replaced the breather valve, no difference to the oil issue. The alternator stopped working on that test drive too, new alternator fitted
I decided to live with the burning oil and it was running great until today. Towing a shuttle at 60mph it went off a cylinder, started knocking and by the time I stopped the engine ate itself. Assume a broken piston which then quickly destroyed the rest of it. It literally passed 200k last week
I'm now looking for another engine OM642. I've heard that the E350 version can be used but has a few differences to overcome for the sprinter?
Other option would be to shoehorn in the BMW E57 lump, or the engineer in me fancies a big V8 petrol, LS3 or similar but that would be a huge mission with the electronics.
Since i don't know that much about diesels and mercedes, any advice or info appreciated on the V6, or if anyone has a good engine for sale, let me know. Van is obviously out of service until I get a solution
If the E350 engine is an option, I'd probably just buy a complete car as a donor.
I replaced the breather valve, no difference to the oil issue. The alternator stopped working on that test drive too, new alternator fitted
I decided to live with the burning oil and it was running great until today. Towing a shuttle at 60mph it went off a cylinder, started knocking and by the time I stopped the engine ate itself. Assume a broken piston which then quickly destroyed the rest of it. It literally passed 200k last week
I'm now looking for another engine OM642. I've heard that the E350 version can be used but has a few differences to overcome for the sprinter?
Other option would be to shoehorn in the BMW E57 lump, or the engineer in me fancies a big V8 petrol, LS3 or similar but that would be a huge mission with the electronics.
Since i don't know that much about diesels and mercedes, any advice or info appreciated on the V6, or if anyone has a good engine for sale, let me know. Van is obviously out of service until I get a solution
If the E350 engine is an option, I'd probably just buy a complete car as a donor.
Update:
I bought an engine which came from a 2007 E320 (I think) that had 132k on it. I've changed the inlet cam on bank 1 as it has a different cam sensor reader ring. The sump needed swapped and I've replaced the timing chain as the replacement engine chain had quite a lot of stretch. May as well since the sump and cams were out. I didn't see it at first but I had one bank 180 degrees out after lining the marks up. Why did Merc think it was a good idea to have 2 timing dots on each cam sprocket?? I only noticed the drive sprocket locating dowel was at the top on one bank and the bottom on the other bank. That would have been a head scratcher once I tried to start it up!
The Sprinter oil pump had a hole in it caused by a piston skirt being forced past it by the crank web so I've had to replace that too. Am just going to fit that and hopefully have the engine ready to refit by the weekend. The E-class engine has a different oil pump that has a side entrance for the pick-up pipe rather than it being on the bottom on the Sprinter pump.
So, it seems the oil smoke was a cracked piston which let go only a few K later. Hindsight is a great thing. I wish I had taken the time to strip the short block and check them the last time I had the engine out. We live and learn!
The block has a cracked liner so that is scrap, one cylinder head has been impacted and the 4 valves in that cylinder are bent. That head would repair with a skim and 4 new valves though. I'm going to look for another engine and take my time to build it with new pistons, shells etc. Maybe 'tune' it slightly by porting the heads and manifolds etc. After researching all this I see there are a few of these engines showing broken pistons around the forums. I don't have time to change the pistons on my replacement engine but I was told it was a healthy engine so I'm trusting it will give me enough use until I have a new one built.
Some photos of the damage:
I bought an engine which came from a 2007 E320 (I think) that had 132k on it. I've changed the inlet cam on bank 1 as it has a different cam sensor reader ring. The sump needed swapped and I've replaced the timing chain as the replacement engine chain had quite a lot of stretch. May as well since the sump and cams were out. I didn't see it at first but I had one bank 180 degrees out after lining the marks up. Why did Merc think it was a good idea to have 2 timing dots on each cam sprocket?? I only noticed the drive sprocket locating dowel was at the top on one bank and the bottom on the other bank. That would have been a head scratcher once I tried to start it up!
The Sprinter oil pump had a hole in it caused by a piston skirt being forced past it by the crank web so I've had to replace that too. Am just going to fit that and hopefully have the engine ready to refit by the weekend. The E-class engine has a different oil pump that has a side entrance for the pick-up pipe rather than it being on the bottom on the Sprinter pump.
So, it seems the oil smoke was a cracked piston which let go only a few K later. Hindsight is a great thing. I wish I had taken the time to strip the short block and check them the last time I had the engine out. We live and learn!
The block has a cracked liner so that is scrap, one cylinder head has been impacted and the 4 valves in that cylinder are bent. That head would repair with a skim and 4 new valves though. I'm going to look for another engine and take my time to build it with new pistons, shells etc. Maybe 'tune' it slightly by porting the heads and manifolds etc. After researching all this I see there are a few of these engines showing broken pistons around the forums. I don't have time to change the pistons on my replacement engine but I was told it was a healthy engine so I'm trusting it will give me enough use until I have a new one built.
Some photos of the damage:
Attachments
Have you ever tried finding a used XLWB XHR 319 for sale? They don't seem to exist! I have heard mercedes are discontinuing the XLWB and XHR this year so I may have to order a new one for the business soon. I bought one new in 2020, a 319 4x4 XLWB XHR and turned it into a motorhome because it only did 16mpg. I couldn't afford to run it for the business doing 20,000 miles a year. As a motorhome it will only do 2-3000 miles a year, but it meant nursing the old van on for a while longer
Update,
The van is back up and running again and all seems good. The replacement engine runs sweet and still on the power map that's been in since new. There's no sign of oil burning and she pulls like a train from 1300rpm upwards.
So far so good. I've done about 700 miles this week with no issues so I'm back in business. As a signmaker I regularly carry 5m long sign posts and panels at 2m x 3m hence why I need the L4 H3 body. I bought an H3 L2 to tide me over for a few months and I couldn't fit these signs in without leaving the back doors open. The H3 roof allows me to put the posts up above the cab and close the doors
I'm going to order a new van next month before they stop making this body derivative. I can't keep the 2011 van going forever.
I appreciate all the help and advice from forum members. A great community here. I have learned a lot...!
The van is back up and running again and all seems good. The replacement engine runs sweet and still on the power map that's been in since new. There's no sign of oil burning and she pulls like a train from 1300rpm upwards.
So far so good. I've done about 700 miles this week with no issues so I'm back in business. As a signmaker I regularly carry 5m long sign posts and panels at 2m x 3m hence why I need the L4 H3 body. I bought an H3 L2 to tide me over for a few months and I couldn't fit these signs in without leaving the back doors open. The H3 roof allows me to put the posts up above the cab and close the doors
I'm going to order a new van next month before they stop making this body derivative. I can't keep the 2011 van going forever.
I appreciate all the help and advice from forum members. A great community here. I have learned a lot...!
