03'55AMG

I know, I know... I just have to have some light at the end of my tunnel.. I see how expensive these repairs get on highly modified or poorly tuned E55's, so I just reallyyyyy don't want to have this happen to me, and my stock freaking motor. We well see. Compression, and HOPEFULLY leak down, I might have found a tester, but am waiting to hear back. Either way, compression should show if something bad happened.

Quadcammer

compression test won't tell you a thing about bearing wear...then again, neither will leakdown.

N_Jay

Compression and leak-down will tell you rings, and piston fit (Cylinder wear.
Oil analysis will tell you bearings and other issues.

Good luck.

SPatykAMG

Is there not a harbor freight near you, just go buy a cheap leak down there. I have one and it works fine.

400RWHP

^This.

Works like a charm for under $60

03'55AMG

I saw that but the reviews said it was a pos. Said it only went to 15 psi rather than 80 or a hundred.

WHTEVO

Yeah you definitely want a higher pressure, which is also easier to do the math on as far as the leakdown percentage. If you're looking for something cheap, and can do math, then it'll work for what you're trying to do. Otherwise, you can pony up some more money and get a better one. Is the lower pressures they use just because of the regulator?

03'55AMG

IIRC it was the regulator stopping it from doing 80-90 psi. Might just buy it and throw another regulator on to it.

vntgspd

I'm pretty sure my HF leak down tester had no problem with 100psi. I haven't used it in a while though. It's probably a good option for what you are trying to do if you have a HF nearby.

Critter

Take an old speaker magnet or buy a cheap block magnet ay Harbour freight and run the engine for a while to warm it up or just when cold remove the oil plug from the pan and drain the oil over the magnet. If you do this into a clean pan you can reuse the oil if you wish. After the drain allow the oil to drip of the magnet, anything left on the mag after about 5 min is steel and will mean trouble. For a complete check of the oil, drain oil into a triple cheese cloth with the magnet inside, using a funnel to hold the cloth by lining it with the cloth and put the mag inside on the cloth. This will give you an excellent idea what is inside of the oil. Good Luck

03'55AMG

I drained the oil and there is next to nothing in it!!!!!!!!!! I am very happy, and have a sample for blackstone labs too.

newlyAMG

I've been following this like a soap opera, any updates???

03'55AMG

Not yet. Mailing the oil analysis tomorrow, and getting parts in too. Hopefully the parts I am getting tomorrow will be enough to get it back together and running and off to the shop at school for compression and leak down. I ordered a bunch and it got separated in two shipments with different arrival dates so we will see. I need to get running to get my wheels in though!

03'55AMG

Only my voltage regulator came today.. Have to wait until Thursday for plugs, oil filters, gaskets, etc.

N_Jay

Seems the oil analysis is the critical path.

03'55AMG

Exactly. Oh another thing I think might be the smoking gun. Whe I thought the oil was changed about 7500 miles ago, I was wrong. The service was not performed at the dealer... That puts the oil at 14 to 15,000 miles... I cleaned out my glove box and sure enough the MB receipts showed no oil change at my last service. So just waiting for blackstone to analyse the oil. This is the analysis I am having done:
Spectral Exam: Establishes the levels of wear metals, silicon, and additives present in the oil. Also checks for coolant.

Viscosity: Determines the grade of oil.

Insolubles: Quantifies the percentage of solids present in the oil.

Flashpoint: The flashpoint is the temperature at which the vapors from the oil ignite. When the flash is lower than it should be, it shows
a contaminant (usually fuel) is present.

Also added TBN test, to see what additives were left in the oil.

e55amgrocket

If there was mobil 1 in it you will be fine as far as the oil goes. We run our work trucks 15,000 on mobil 1 and oil report shows the oil could be used longer. I run amsoil in my truck and go 15,000-20,000 with no problem and i'm not easy at all on my truck.

03'55AMG

Thank God.. My E55 has NEVER seen anything BUT Mobil 1.

FASN8N

Blackstone is good, I use them to analyze every oil change. I change the oil around 7.5-8k miles and could probably go further, but I like to keep it conservative. You are probably ok with the extended mileage oil change this once, but I would not make it a habit!

patrick_y

Updates? Everything going well?

03'55AMG

Everything is going OK, blackstones lab kit shipped today. Post office delayed it because it was "hazardous". Oh well. Got my valve covers, surge tanks, and airboxes painted. Also switched out my voltage regulator, and upon pulling it out, one of the springed metal prongs broke in half.. Glad I got it changed. I also went ahead and removed all the plugs. I will post pictures in a bit. If anyone here is good at looking at plugs and diagnosing from their condition, please check back in a bit! Parts get in tomorrow, then its off to get new wheels and tires. Then if there is time and an opening in the shop, compression and leakdown.

03'55AMG

Sneak peak...

Quadcammer

those plugs look like you are running VERY rich...and could be oil fouled actually.

scratch that, they definitely look oil fouled:

this may help you:

03'55AMG

So am I burning oil? Also, if I am running rich, maybe Jerry can fix that with a tune...

Quadcammer

The black porcelain to me indicates significant oil burning. You'd have to be running super rich to get to that condition. Furthermore, unless you pulled these out of the motor right after a WOT pull, they won't tell you much about the A/F at WOT, but rather just how the car runs at cruise, idle and other closed loop operation. Fwiw, the car should run about 14.7 at those conditions, which results in a light tan coloring on the porcelain. The car would run absolutely horrible if it was rich enough to blacken the porcelain.

I think the compression and leakdown tests are in order.