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mray44
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
I recently aquired my first G, a 1985 280GE Cabriolet and so far, love it as much as I have been thinking I would for the last 10 years! It is currently on a truck being shipped from Boston to Newport Beach where I will never have to put the top on again!
One issue that I noticed is that at 'higher' rpms, when I let off the gas pedal and then hit the gas pedal again there is a pretty significant amount of smoke that comes out of the exhaust. My brother did a little research and thinks that it is the rings.
1) Does that sound like what it is to y'all in the know?
2) I am presuming this means engine rebuild, is there any fix to this issue besides engine rebuild?
3) If that is the case and I do need to have the engine rebuilt, from what I understand this is a M110 engine with low compression. Approximately what am I looking at cost wise to have the engine rebuilt?
4) If I am going to be driving in my area (Balboa Penninsula) where the speed limit is 30mph, can I go a while without addressing the issue?
Thanks.
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Rings.
I ass-u-me that you've done your due diligence about getting it registered in Kalifornia? |
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mray44
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Yep, and it's registered in Mass! |
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230GE_Freestyler
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Yes, are the rings.
When the smoke is Blue-Black is a Oil smoke. In your case the Smoke are only a higher rpm so are the rings.
bye
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James_Van_Thach
Veteran
Date registered: May 2006
Location: New York, USA
Vehicle(s): BRABUS G36 & G320 LWB
Posts: 298
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
mray44 - 7/15/2007 5:40 PM
I recently aquired my first G, a 1985 280GE Cabriolet and so far, love it as much as I have been thinking I would for the last 10 years! It is currently on a truck being shipped from Boston to Newport Beach where I will never have to put the top on again!
One issue that I noticed is that at 'higher' rpms, when I let off the gas pedal and then hit the gas pedal again there is a pretty significant amount of smoke that comes out of the exhaust. My brother did a little research and thinks that it is the rings.
1) Does that sound like what it is to y'all in the know?
2) I am presuming this means engine rebuild, is there any fix to this issue besides engine rebuild?
3) If that is the case and I do need to have the engine rebuilt, from what I understand this is a M110 engine with low compression. Approximately what am I looking at cost wise to have the engine rebuilt?
4) If I am going to be driving in my area (Balboa Penninsula) where the speed limit is 30mph, can I go a while without addressing the issue?
Thanks.
mray44,
Welcome to the Pointdthree.com family and congratulations on the purchase of your 1985 Mercedes Benz Gelandewagen 280GE Cabrio.
This is the Cabrio that was sold on EBay on June 1, 2007.
Respectfully,
James Van Thach
Edited by James_Van_Thach 7/15/2007 11:08 AM
 (1985 Mercedes Benz Gelandewagen 280GE Cabrio.jpg)
Attachments
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 1985 Mercedes Benz Gelandewagen 280GE Cabrio.jpg (98KB - 12 downloads)
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J.R.
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Southern Maryland
Vehicle(s): 00 G500, 09 911 4S, 11 Cayenne S, 86 280GE (sold)
Posts: 828
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Go buy a vacuum gauge (Craftsman, Lylse, etc) if you don't already have one and take a few readings. Here is the best web site I've found to date:
http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/186.cfm
Edited by J.R. 7/15/2007 11:35 AM
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Freek
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Feb 2007
Location: Zululand South Africa
Vehicle(s): 2000 290GDT, 1985 280GE, 83 300GD in process
Posts: 364
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Mine gives off a white puff of smoke when taking it up to say 5000rpm and quickly changing gears - then it gives off a lot of white smoke when going downhill against compression at say 2500 to 3000 rpm. I was told by those in the know around here that it is my valvestem seals and that i should not be too alarmed considering the mammoth task to do the head. Otherwise it does not smoke at all and oil usage is normal.
Comments on the diagnoses?
Freek |
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fernweh
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Calabasas, CA - Centenario, BCS - Luebeck, Germany
Vehicle(s): Few Mercedes-Benz, a Toyota Amphibious and a Vespa
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Freek - 7/15/2007 9:33 AM
Mine gives off a white puff of smoke when taking it up to say 5000rpm and quickly changing gears - then it gives off a lot of white smoke when going downhill against compression at say 2500 to 3000 rpm. I was told by those in the know around here that it is my valvestem seals and that i should not be too alarmed considering the mammoth task to do the head. Otherwise it does not smoke at all and oil usage is normal.
Comments on the diagnoses?
Freek
I think you are absolutely right, valve stem seals! It really shows on quick load changes. The old ones are probably hardened or even slipped off the valve guides.
Karl |
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mray44
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
OK thanks everybody, so ANY idea how much it should be to repair or is it so much that I should just deal with the smoke the way it is??? |
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
fernweh - 7/15/2007 1:05 PM
Freek - 7/15/2007 9:33 AM
Mine gives off a white puff of smoke when taking it up to say 5000rpm and quickly changing gears - then it gives off a lot of white smoke when going downhill against compression at say 2500 to 3000 rpm. I was told by those in the know around here that it is my valvestem seals and that i should not be too alarmed considering the mammoth task to do the head. Otherwise it does not smoke at all and oil usage is normal.
Comments on the diagnoses?
Freek
I think you are absolutely right, valve stem seals! It really shows on quick load changes. The old ones are probably hardened or even slipped off the valve guides.
Karl
The real telltale for valve stem seals if if you get a puff of smoke when you first start the engine in the morning. |
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DesertStar
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: San Diego, CA USA
Vehicle(s): 85-280GE/95-G320/08-G500
Posts: 2156
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
I say drive it a month. If it is bad, have a mechanic diagnose and if it is someone you are unfamiliar with get a second opinion. The truck probably has been sitting or had very little use. The G likes to work and be driven, so once you get the truck, check the basics; fluid levels,brakes, coolant etc. of which should be more of a concern than the smoke for now. I do believe it to be the stem seals, as I have had mine replaced when I had the head rebuilt,should be a 500-600 dollar fix...but also falls into that "while I am doing this, you may want me to change this and this" type of job.
Mike |
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DesertStar
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: San Diego, CA USA
Vehicle(s): 85-280GE/95-G320/08-G500
Posts: 2156
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
DUTCH - 7/15/2007 10:35 AM
The real telltale for valve stem seals if if you get a puff of smoke when you first start the engine in the morning.
That was the first thing my mechanic told me.
If I remember, he said the seals allow a bit of oil such that after motor is turned off, the oil that got pass the seals builds up at back of head and on startup has extra oil to burn off and thus smoke.
Mike |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
When the problem is deep in the motor it's sometimes better to get another than to try and fix yours. Paying hourly rates for disassembly, machine shop work, and re-assembly can be prohibitive. So letting someone fix your motor is one option, likely the most expensive. This way is medium risk (depending on experience and quality level of guy building motor) and highest cost. Somewhat less than that may be buying a remanufactured short or long block from the likes of this place. They're in SoCal, sou you could save the shipping. This way you only pay for remove and refit, plus time to swap auxilary parts across, proably half the labor of a whole rebuild. When you go this way you get the advantage of having a sedan-spec engine with higher compression an a little more power than the original. This route is lowest risk, medium price. http://www.mercedesengines.net/ Lastly of course you can buy an unknown status engine from a sedan wreck or something. You can probably find this one for a thousand bucks or so, still ahve to pay labor to R&R+swap parts, plus remove parts from the donor motor before putting on your G parts. This is probably lowest cost option, but also highest risk given you know nothing about the motor. Only you can decide whether you live with the smoke, but if it's burning oil, regardless of where its coming from, then it's coking up the combustion chambers which won't be good for it long term. Good luck! -Dave G. |
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mray44
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
There is zero smoke when starting the engine, ever. Would that mean that it is not the valve stem seals? It only happens after the engine 'decelerates'.
I was thinking I would drive it for a little while and see if it goes away, or if it's manageable. It doesn't ever happen if I drive say, less than 35mph, unless I am going down a steep grade and the engine is 'braking' the truck.
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
mray44 - 7/15/2007 5:30 PM
There is zero smoke when starting the engine, ever. Would that mean that it is not the valve stem seals? It only happens after the engine 'decelerates'.
I was thinking I would drive it for a little while and see if it goes away, or if it's manageable. It doesn't ever happen if I drive say, less than 35mph, unless I am going down a steep grade and the engine is 'braking' the truck.
Piston rings! A compression test might give you a hint, too. |
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Nutz
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Posts: 2026
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
230GE_Freestyler - 7/15/2007 6:01 AM Yes, are the rings. When the smoke is Blue-Black is a Oil smoke. In your case the Smoke are only a higher rpm so are the rings. bye :wave: If blue yes,it is oil related but if black,it points to an overfueling problem such as a dribbling coldstart injector or weak/incorrect ignition system. |
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Nutz
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Posts: 2026
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Freek - 7/15/2007 7:33 AM Mine gives off a white puff of smoke when taking it up to say 5000rpm and quickly changing gears - then it gives off a lot of white smoke when going downhill against compression at say 2500 to 3000 rpm. I was told by those in the know around here that it is my valvestem seals and that i should not be too alarmed considering the mammoth task to do the head. Otherwise it does not smoke at all and oil usage is normal. Comments on the diagnoses? Freek White smoke indicates coolant is entering the combustion chamber. Vacuum gauge will determine if you have a head gasket ready to fail but worst case scenario would be a crack near the valve on the intake side. |
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230GE_Freestyler
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
DUTCH - 7/16/2007 12:38 AM
Piston rings! A compression test might give you a hint, too.
Yes!  |
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roughneck
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: UK, Germany & USA
Vehicle(s): 270 cdi.300 GD 300 GE.lwb 300 GE.swb. Disco 2
Posts: 4398
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Go with valve stem seals, I would put money on it, A good shop can change them in situ and they cost litteraly pennies.
If you are really concerned it may be rings, take it to some one with a boroscope and have a look in the bores. a good technician will soon be able to tell.
Most good race rally shops have scopes and would be only too happy to play with it, well they are here any way. |
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unbreakablethree
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: BLOWING SMOKE ON 280GE
Does anyone know where I can purchase a 1979- 1991 280 GE or simliar model benz? Please email travis.x.wood@jpmchase.com. |
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