Hi all,
My beloved 1984 W126 300SD, as of today, has 698,883 miles on it. Still going
on the original engine, with no overhaul since new. Majority of the miles are
highway miles, and just like tractor-trailers that typically run a million
miles with no sweat due to the fact that they stay on the highway, the engine
is still running like a champ. About 6 or so years back, it started using oil,
somewhere around 640K miles or so. Before then, it didn't even use oil between
3K-mile oil changes! Determined that the valve guides are leaky, thus the
extra smoking and oil consumption. Just in the past couple months, the smoking
has gotten worse. My goal since the day I bought the car 13 years or so ago,
was to see just how many miles it would go without an overhaul before it
absolutely gave up the ghost and puked. I have a parts car with a
perfectly-running engine (unfortunately unknown mileage), which will be
replacing the engine in the SD once it
finally dies (car itself is rust-free and still in unbelievably great
condition and a pure joy to drive, and after a cosmetic restoration about 10
years ago, is still GORGEOUS).
Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on valve guide replacement. I've had 5
different people tell me that I should just leave well-enough alone, and not
replace the valve guides, but rather just keep driving it, adding oil, and put
up with the smoking. Something about replacing valve guides that might screw
up something else and make things worse than they are. As I said, I want to
see just how far I can push this original engine before it dies. I don't abuse
the car; I very,very seldom drive it over 65 mph, and religiously do oil
changes every 3K miles. It's using around 1.5 quarts between oil changes,
which to me, is incredible given the fact that the engine has never been into
since the day it was built.
Any ideas? Smoking issue is worse than before. Every time I take off from a
stoplight, I have a lot of blue smoke (burning oil), and when I start it the
first time every day, it belches smoke like you wouldn't believe. Just in
regular driving though, there's no visible smoke. Engine still sounds awesome
(that opinion coming from comparing it to the other 20 or so 2.4L and 3.0L cars
I've owned over the years). Power isn't what it used to be, but that's to be
expected. I use Marvel Mystery Oil every other oil change, don't know if
that's any help or not, but I use it. Someone recommended that I use some
Lucas oil additive, maybe a half-quart every other oil change. Any advice as
to how I can keep this old girl going as long as possible, and stretching out
the miles as long as I can would be MOST appreciated!!! My wife jokingly tells
people that I love that old car more than I love her, but ya know that isn't
true, lol!! It's certainly a
part of me, like family. I am determined to reach one million miles
eventually, although I know there's a snowball's chance in Purgatory that it
will happen with this original engine.
Thanks in advance,
Clint Lowe
Rolling Hills Farm
Nothing will make a driver more faithful to a car
than a car that is faithful to its driver.
Life is too short, and the road too long,
to drive anything less than a Mercedes-Benz.
www.facebook.com/rollinghillsfarm
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