OM603 #15 head... Any good??
OM603 #15 head... Any good??
Hi!
I have three turbo cylinder heads.
N°1: I have a apparently very rare #15 cylinder head on my work bench. Visually I can't see anything. And apart from a blown head gasket (oil passage leaked into n°1 cylinder) the engine ran fine without excessive pressure in the coolant.
Are there any experiences with this head?? I assume it's likely as "bad" as the #14?
N°2: I also have #20 head with one visble crack between the valves at n°6 cylinder... Should I rather get this one fixed?? I bought the #20 completely dismantled so I know nothing about it. It also got big "corrosion craters", one extending right to the fire ring, but not through. ends just where the fire ring ended. Bad?
N°3: The third head I have is a #20 too and currently installed in the car. But it pressurizes the coolant and I have foamy coolant coming out the hose that goes from the water neck on the head to the overflow tank... Also air/gas in the heater system (gurgling noises). Visually it was perfect - I guess it's got a crack next to a pre-chamber (I didn't have them out).
Or even better keep on tracking down a #22 head??
Or at least comfort me in my missery... Will probably get all three pressure tested at the local engine builder's.
The way I read THIS, the 15 got several improvments, including strengthening of the water jacket, but as of 7/89, the 17 casting was introduced with reinforced lifter guides and exhaust passages. Is that how you read it?
I would just get the 2 20's pressure tested and if good get one of them decked and reinstall. Hard to understand how you have two failed #20's.
'cause maybe this whole engine is sh!t? I don't know... But I'm bound to it if I want historic plates. So... I'll just buy any Turbo head I come across and kill one after the other.