Re: [MBZ] Block Tester
I agree those symptoms are suspicious. Both tests (used oil analysis, coolant strip test) could be useful. Sounds like you can live with it for a bit, and time the work to match your schedule. Just keep an eye on the engine oil, heavy coolant contamination with turn it into a frothy milkshake, and then deeper damage can occur (bearings). -- Max Dillon Charleston SC '87 300TD '95 E300 On December 5, 2016 1:13:49 PM EST, Jon Agne wrote: >Ah yes. I forgot to mention the symptoms. > >1. I started to notice that I’d need just a little coolant now and >then. A pint or two now and then. > >2. Occasionally on cold start-up, I’d notice rapidly rising >temperature with a cold thermostat and radiator. This is being caused >by an occasional air bubble. Vigorous squeezing of the top radiator >hose solved this problem. > >3. Occasionally on cold start-up, I’d notice that coolant was flowing >out of the radiator overflow hose. Again with a cold thermostat and >radiator. > >4. And yes, occasionally when checking coolant when cold, I notice a >slight pffft when cracking the radiator cap. > >I have found no trace of coolant in the engine oil. > >Jon > > >> On Dec 5, 2016, at 10:38 AM, Meade Dillon via Mercedes > wrote: >> >> NAPA sells them, as do other FLAPS I'll bet, but I've never tried >them. >> >> When I was getting the classic symptom of a pressurized coolant >system that >> stays pressurized overnight (The White Whale, a couple years ago), my >> thought was that the head crack or failed gasket was allowing >pressurized >> gasses to be dissolved into the coolant when the engine was running. >These >> dissolved gasses are what the test strips from NAPA are designed to >> detect. The gasses have effectively "carbonated" the coolant, like a >can >> of seltzer water, and if the coolant pressure cap is performing >correctly, >> it will hold the pressure in the system at 2 bar, but allow pressure >beyond >> that to escape. >> >> So, does your 250S cooling system stay pressurized overnight? >> >> - >> Max >> Charleston SC >> >> On Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 10:13 AM, Jon Agne via Mercedes < >> mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: >> >>> Has anyone ever tried one of these? My ’68 250S is exhibiting some >of the >>> symptoms which would lead me to believe that there might be an >exhaust leak >>> into the coolant. I’m wondering if it might be time to do a top-end >>> overhaul, as I know this car sat for at least 15 years. >>> >>> Jon >>> >>> >>> >> ___ >> http://www.okiebenz.com >> >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >> >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Block Tester
Maybe do an oil analysis to see if there's any trace of coolant in the oil... Curt Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android On Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 1:13 PM, Jon Agne via Mercedes wrote: Ah yes. I forgot to mention the symptoms. 1. I started to notice that I’d need just a little coolant now and then. A pint or two now and then. 2. Occasionally on cold start-up, I’d notice rapidly rising temperature with a cold thermostat and radiator. This is being caused by an occasional air bubble. Vigorous squeezing of the top radiator hose solved this problem. 3. Occasionally on cold start-up, I’d notice that coolant was flowing out of the radiator overflow hose. Again with a cold thermostat and radiator. 4. And yes, occasionally when checking coolant when cold, I notice a slight pffft when cracking the radiator cap. I have found no trace of coolant in the engine oil. Jon > On Dec 5, 2016, at 10:38 AM, Meade Dillon via Mercedes > wrote: > > NAPA sells them, as do other FLAPS I'll bet, but I've never tried them. > > When I was getting the classic symptom of a pressurized coolant system that > stays pressurized overnight (The White Whale, a couple years ago), my > thought was that the head crack or failed gasket was allowing pressurized > gasses to be dissolved into the coolant when the engine was running. These > dissolved gasses are what the test strips from NAPA are designed to > detect. The gasses have effectively "carbonated" the coolant, like a can > of seltzer water, and if the coolant pressure cap is performing correctly, > it will hold the pressure in the system at 2 bar, but allow pressure beyond > that to escape. > > So, does your 250S cooling system stay pressurized overnight? > > - > Max > Charleston SC > > On Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 10:13 AM, Jon Agne via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > >> Has anyone ever tried one of these? My ’68 250S is exhibiting some of the >> symptoms which would lead me to believe that there might be an exhaust leak >> into the coolant. I’m wondering if it might be time to do a top-end >> overhaul, as I know this car sat for at least 15 years. >> >> Jon >> >> >> > ___ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Block Tester
Ah yes. I forgot to mention the symptoms. 1. I started to notice that I’d need just a little coolant now and then. A pint or two now and then. 2. Occasionally on cold start-up, I’d notice rapidly rising temperature with a cold thermostat and radiator. This is being caused by an occasional air bubble. Vigorous squeezing of the top radiator hose solved this problem. 3. Occasionally on cold start-up, I’d notice that coolant was flowing out of the radiator overflow hose. Again with a cold thermostat and radiator. 4. And yes, occasionally when checking coolant when cold, I notice a slight pffft when cracking the radiator cap. I have found no trace of coolant in the engine oil. Jon > On Dec 5, 2016, at 10:38 AM, Meade Dillon via Mercedes > wrote: > > NAPA sells them, as do other FLAPS I'll bet, but I've never tried them. > > When I was getting the classic symptom of a pressurized coolant system that > stays pressurized overnight (The White Whale, a couple years ago), my > thought was that the head crack or failed gasket was allowing pressurized > gasses to be dissolved into the coolant when the engine was running. These > dissolved gasses are what the test strips from NAPA are designed to > detect. The gasses have effectively "carbonated" the coolant, like a can > of seltzer water, and if the coolant pressure cap is performing correctly, > it will hold the pressure in the system at 2 bar, but allow pressure beyond > that to escape. > > So, does your 250S cooling system stay pressurized overnight? > > - > Max > Charleston SC > > On Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 10:13 AM, Jon Agne via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > >> Has anyone ever tried one of these? My ’68 250S is exhibiting some of the >> symptoms which would lead me to believe that there might be an exhaust leak >> into the coolant. I’m wondering if it might be time to do a top-end >> overhaul, as I know this car sat for at least 15 years. >> >> Jon >> >> >> > ___ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] Block Tester
NAPA sells them, as do other FLAPS I'll bet, but I've never tried them. When I was getting the classic symptom of a pressurized coolant system that stays pressurized overnight (The White Whale, a couple years ago), my thought was that the head crack or failed gasket was allowing pressurized gasses to be dissolved into the coolant when the engine was running. These dissolved gasses are what the test strips from NAPA are designed to detect. The gasses have effectively "carbonated" the coolant, like a can of seltzer water, and if the coolant pressure cap is performing correctly, it will hold the pressure in the system at 2 bar, but allow pressure beyond that to escape. So, does your 250S cooling system stay pressurized overnight? - Max Charleston SC On Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 10:13 AM, Jon Agne via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > Has anyone ever tried one of these? My ’68 250S is exhibiting some of the > symptoms which would lead me to believe that there might be an exhaust leak > into the coolant. I’m wondering if it might be time to do a top-end > overhaul, as I know this car sat for at least 15 years. > > Jon > > > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
[MBZ] Block Tester
Has anyone ever tried one of these? My ’68 250S is exhibiting some of the symptoms which would lead me to believe that there might be an exhaust leak into the coolant. I’m wondering if it might be time to do a top-end overhaul, as I know this car sat for at least 15 years. Jon ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
