The Cadillac could be nice, it just depends on what is wrong with it. The 1985 model year was the last year for all Oldsmobile diesel engines and like all last years included all refinements and improvements that were available. The Olds diesels were pretty fuel efficient and while having some problems when brand new, now pretty much everything wrong with it can be fairly easily fixed.
If you buy the vehicle, check for a head gasket leak first and foremost. The biggest problem in the Olds diesel community was head gasket leaks due to failed head bolts. The 4.3L V6 engines were not as prone to head gasket failures as the 5.7L but it did happen. The biggest problem is that the head bolts come in two sizes, 14mm and 10mm. There are aftermarket bolts and studs available for the 10mm bolts but nothing for the 14mm. If you have to change the head gasket then you will have to use OEM 14mm bolts and since they are Torque to Yield fasteners they are one use only. The second most common failure mode for Olds diesels involves the Standadyne DB2 IP and the plastic weight governing ring. This ring controls IP timing and is plastic and eventually gets brittle and shatters. Symptoms can be several things including fuel starvation from the pieces blocking the fuel ports to sometimes destructively advancing the timing. If the engine is running, obviously this hasn't happened yet. You can buy a stainless steel ring that installs without removing the pump from the engine and it solves this issue quite nicely. By 85, this shouldn't be a problem but at $22, it is cheap insurance to install a billet oil pump shaft since sometimes the older oil pump shaft could round off and no longer engage with predictable consequences. There is a company that sells high performance Oldsmobile accessories and some of the external accessories from Oldsmobile gasoline engines are compatible with the diesel engines. http://www.mondellotwister.com/ The 4.3L V6 is only rated at 85HP but most Old diesel people say that is conservative since many people with the smaller lighter cars have barked the tires with one. The poppet injectors have a lower pressure rating then the 5.7L injectors but they are identical otherwise. There is a replacement spring for the injectors that will raise opening pressure to 1500PSI which will greatly increase performance. If you add a true dual exhaust then you could see some decent performance increase since the stock exhaust is pretty anemic even by gasoline standards. There is a EGR block off plate that will fit the internal EGR ports in the heads, but modifying emission systems in technically illegal. If you did it for off-road/private property use then you could see considerable improvement from the reports. The combination of ULSD fuel as well as greater engine efficiency should put your emissions profile better then when it shipped from the factory. The best source even though the message board is not nearly as nice as okibenz or the website layed out as well is http://www.olds-diesel.com Todd Smith <who owned a 1981 5.7L truck who wishes that he had it back> -----Original Message----- From: mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com [mailto:mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com] On Behalf Of Kaleb C. Striplin Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 20:33 To: Mercedes Discussion List Subject: Re: [MBZ] cadillac diesel Its the 4.3 v6, those worth a crap? Kevin wrote: > If you do go look at it, make sure it's the 350 diesel and not either > of the > 4.3 liter versions, v6 or v8. Parts are basically non-existant for the > v6, and the only parts available for the small v8 are those that > interchange with the 350. > > Though if it was a RWD caddy, I'd wait for the original driveline to > die, then swap in something else, maybe a 6.2. > > On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 06:55:47PM -0500, Kaleb C. Striplin wrote: > >> There is a 85 diesel cadillac for sale near me. Guy says make offer. >> Im half way interested in it. From the pics paint is burned off but >> interior looks like it might be OK. Runs and drives. >> > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives > http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.70/2177 - Release Date: > 06/15/09 05:54:00 > > -- Kaleb C. Striplin/Claremore, OK 95 E300, 92 500SEL, 92 300SD, 92 300E 4Matic, 91 300D, 91 300E, 89 560SEL, 87 300SDL x2, 85 380SE 5.0 Euro, 85 190D, 84 190D, 84 300D euro manny, 81 240D, 80 240D, 76 240D, 76 300D, http://www.okiebenz.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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