w124 diesel wont start

[trefor]

Have just had a new cylinder head fitted to my 1989 300TD estate.
Recommend clearwater cylinder heads in Florida USA for price and service.
$500 seems very reasonable for a fully remanufactured cylinder head to me.
Everything seems fine on the reassembly but it wont start.
My Spanish mechanic Rafa has asked me if it has an immobiliser fitted as it may be preventing it from starting.
I dont have an alarm fob with the key so I'm not sure.
I know that the horn sonds if I open it from the passenger side instead of the drivers side. Apart from that how do I know if the diesel pump is being immobilised or not?
Any help gratefully received.

 

[bolide]

It's hard work immobilising a diesel. The injection pump is mechanical. Assuming there's no immobiliser shut-off valve in the fuel feed, and the normal mechanical shut-off valve is opening properly, you should have a fuel feed

Assuming you have fuel and compression the engine will start unless the injection pump is timed wrongly, but if there's air in the fuel system the injectors won't open and the car will be nigh-on impossible to start

You need to crank the engine over with an injector pipe cracked open to see if there's fuel at the injectors. If there's no fuel find out why. If there is fuel and it won't start it must be no compression or pump timing

Take the car to a diesel specialist. They'll probably fix it in minutes

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Dieselman]

It could be a simple as an air leak at the filter head stopping fuel getting to the pump. Other than that I agree with Bolide.

 

[GazCaff]

It would be worth checking compression. If the valve train has been re-assembled incorrectlythe valves may not be shutting properly.

Don't want to ask the obvious but has the fuel system been bled and primed?

 

[trefor]

thanks

Thanks for the tips guys.
I will pop up to the garage tonight WD40 in hand to have a look see.
He's normally a damn good mechanic in his late 50's so had a lot of practice, particularly on diesels which are by far the favoured choice here in Spain.
Will post the solution if one comes about soon.

 

[trefor]

Thanks Gazz Caff
Seems that the valve seat angles on the old head were 45 degrees and possibly only 30 on the new one, so obviously no valve re seating was done and apparently no compression test either. The joys of livng in Spain.
Hope i dont have to pay for all the wasted time.

 

[GazCaff]

Thanks Gazz Caff
Seems that the valve seat angles on the old head were 45 degrees and possibly only 30 on the new one, so obviously no valve re seating was done and apparently no compression test either. The joys of livng in Spain.
Hope i dont have to pay for all the wasted time.

I'm glad I was able to help. I must admit, I wouldn't have suggested that except for something IBW said to me about an engine he had rebuilt recently.