The 2nd First Start Of My Twin-Turbo Mercedes V12 Engine Went HORRIBLY WRONG. Here’s What Happened.

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If you watched the last V12 video then you saw a very happy Alex at the end. Right after filming the outro to that video, I started the V12 up for the second time and something really bad happened. This is about as real world as it gets.
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[@LegitStreetCars]

What's broken on your car right now? Pick up your Ekster wallet at www.ekster.com/legitstreetcars and receive 5% off!

[@GlazzedDonut]

suspension front to back is next and im going to try to do the install myself with a friend instead of a shop

[@nukedathlonman]

Everything on my car is working (and it should be given age)...But I do have one smashed up fender. Came out one morning and found it smashed up - apt life with a wide open parking lot...

[@royaspenes5055]

Turbo :D

[@drevil8675]

Ha.. Not broken now but this EXACT same thing happened to my '09 E63... Stuck injector which then led to a top end rebuild... Good as new now though.

[@HeavyTanker-vx4oq]

Thermostat Housing and various other cooling system components on my Lincoln LS.

[@VeltyGames]

LIKE IT SO THAT HE SEES IT! You have installed the V-belt rollers the other way around. I mean these two wheels in the middle of the engine close to each other. I even checked your first videos and they were the other way. I noticed this because the top roller has grooves and a smooth part of belt rests on it, and the bottom roller is smooth with a grooved belt on it. I wrote it under your previous video, but I'm not sure you have seen it. Greetings from Poland :)

[@VeltyGames]

thanks for likes guys. It is really important for the life of belt :D

[@drasta100]

That was good!!!

[@jamesrobinson9176]

Like added

[@VolkerHett]

@LegitStreetCars This might be very important!

[@joehum5481]

@LegitStreetCars !!!!

[@CarWizard]

Glad to see its all ok! Keep up the good work. Totally Legit!

[@LegitStreetCars]

Thanks brother!

[@scottc78]

Spoiler alert! Watch the video first! My stomach dropped when you said hydro-locked cylinder. Can't wait to see how things work out, I'm dying to see this car come back to life!

[@cafe88racer53]

it sounded like rod knock lol

[@andrewmattera6205]

way to spoil the surprise!

[@scottc78]

@@andrewmattera6205 never start with the comments ;)

[@andrewmattera6205]

@@scottc78 yours was top comment! i saw it before i got through the ads

[@scottc78]

@@andrewmattera6205 added a spoiler alert!

[@jimloucks3111]

He still has all the patience in the world and keeps his cool during a moment like that after putting motor back together and in the car, his master tech abilities truly shined in this video.

[@ttinnovations3310]

True That, That is true patience.........., I'd have to step away and come back 1 month later lol

[@Chris-hw4mq]

@@ttinnovations3310 you cant do that when doing videos on it is your living

[@Rhaspun]

@@Chris-hw4mq No doubt his past experience at a dealer gave him the fortitude to keep on plugging away at it.

[@MIK33EY]

You can legit (pun intended) see the moment Alex stress level goes from 11 to 0 Congrats Alex, it been great watching this entire series.👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼 You make it look easy, even with a daunting Mercedes V12 - guess all those Mercedes Roadside Assistance call-outs, even the ones at 3am, paid dividends.😂✌🏼

[@mczeljk]

Totally agree. One of the most enjoyable sessions I’ve watched on KZbin so far

[@soyabean911]

Alex plays a big part of that. His so easy to watch. Love this channel!

[@EZoMack1]

Lol right. Thank goodness it wasn't worst

[@mad1337nes]

It's the reverse for youtubers; more broken = more content = more money.

[@rodmeisterful]

I’ve never seen anybody be more careful, meticulous and thoughtful about rebuilding a motor. It just goes to show what a long road these projects can turn into. Continue the great work!

[@ast5515]

The weird part is that this wasn't even a rebuild. It was a 5 dollar gasket. In 5 months... I know these engines are strong and sturdy. Yet I think they are a total piece of shit because whatever fails totals the car.

[@andrewlaw]

Try watching Sreten on M539 Restorations then.

[@sic3b]

@@ast5515 yep, first thing when something fails: 1. Take the engine out. That's why these kinda icon cars/engines end up with rich car people or mechanics.

[@ast5515]

@@sic3b And stuff fails. A lot. I think for 99.5% of us 8 cylinders is just fine. And you don't have to remove the engine for a 5 dollar gasket.

[@b4804514]

@@ast5515 MB has designed these cars to fail. It is German thinking now

[@Veldkamp88]

This makes me happy dude figuring out the issue. I can't wait for this build to be completed. Tyler Hoover is probably going to want to buy it back.

[@walzgry]

Alex always figures it out. That's why he's one of the best.

[@petritmenxhiqi326]

At first when I heard hydro locked 😲😢& then at 15:33 when it idled down sounded beautiful. Go buy a lottery ticket Alex.

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

So awesome to see an actual pro diagnostic/damage mitigation procedure! Lots of hacks on KZbin lol

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

@KZbin Overlords suck ummmm you know what I mean

[@Chase_AM]

@KZbin Overlords suck he didn’t have brand new injectors at the first fire

[@realestateeric]

It really says something about how complex these cars are when even Mercedes trained technicians like Alex can run into trouble on an engine repair. I'm glad everything seems to have worked out.

[@HomeBuiltByJeff]

Wow. That must have been super stressful. Glad it turned out Ok at least.

[@LegitStreetCars]

It definitely was. I can't wait to just finish this thing now

[@musicmanbc9613]

“Enough about time travel” is the best line from this video.

[@MaxBeecher]

Absolutely agreed 🤣

[@Michael_Michaels]

Man, I just felt the panic!!! But be calm and confident, you'll come out victorious from this situation and enjoying that beautiful machine once again!!

[@makeitwork583]

Hey man, just a shout out saying I think your channel is really good. I’m sure you take pride in what you’ve built so far (impressive)! Respect. Be well.

[@willieb.2262]

Real world drama like no one else! Love your format! 👍🏻 Automotive content with emotion. WOW!!

[@ashleynyamadzawo]

Love your videos Alex! Always looking forward to them on Thursdays and Saturdays. Keep up the amazing work!

[@Sobbsy]

Good work mate :) On these more modern aluminium European motors, it's incredibly rare for a starter to cause any damage in a hydrolock situation... they generally just don't put out the kind of torque needed to do any real damage, specially at such low rotational speeds. I've (strangely) had quite a few encounters with dud injectors hydrolocking motors similar to this (twice on my own BMW v8's) and never had any lasting issues. If the starters spun twice as fast and twice as hard as they do, then maybe... But I knew a minute in that you'd be all good :) Looking forward to seeing what happens next!! Have fun, living the dream.

[@edwardprokopchuk3264]

Love these V12 videos! Can’t wait to see this thing tuned and perform! The wallet actually looks interesting too! 🤷‍♂️😁

[@ernstero]

Good job Alex. Your videos are very informative and entertaining. Happy for all your success, & bravery in starting such a big venture whilst supporting a family. A real hero for the working man & there dreams.

[@matthewhector641]

Years later and I’m still such a huge fan of this channel. Please keep it up!❤️

[@anabelbarajas]

I’m a simple girl: I see LSC post V12 content, I hit like and immediately watch. Time to get some snacks!

[@roberthatley7415]

A woman of superior taste.

[@aliabdallah102]

Watch those videos high, it's like 300% better.

[@rubicord2886]

Nice 😊

[@Alps6408]

Man I’m so glad this was resolved. V12 life is very expensive…. But man it’s worth every penny!

[@goldcoastmotors37]

Great series! Thx for taking us on the journey with all the ups and downs.

[@scotfenedick6618]

Content like this is what keeps me coming back. You do such an amazing jon of being real. We’ve all had stuff go sideways and it’s in those moments I think it really shows the kind of person you are. We’ve all been on this journey with you since your brought that car home. Ot sucks that it happened. But didn’t suck was how you kept it real, and kept the camera running. The more immerse myself in watching the community make content the more I see how difficult it can be. It’s super easy to drag or complain about something when you’ve got no skin in the game. Thanks Alex, Glad things worried our.

[@Landaultd]

You make an amazing job Alex, well done, regards from Germany 🍻

[@JonabqAlbuquerque]

Good job! I have always wanted a S class v12 (used), and almost pulled the trigger a couple of times, but was afraid of reliability issues. You are not afraid, you are an inspiration! Jon

[@fernandosantiago1679]

Well he’s also pretty much a master tech on Mercs

[@kensmechanicalaffair]

Reliability, lol.

[@DanielIliev]

Alex, with that V12 you are giving us a heart attack every time we are opening up the channel. I was expecting perfectly running engine and you surprise us with hydro lock and all the good stuff. Phew. Working well, at last, again.

[@tbh1444]

Finally! A car youtuber that actually works on cars! Just found this channel and I think I'm going to have to spend some time running through the back catalogue.

[@jonboy9912]

After all that work I would have been throwing around some choice language as well as my tools - you showed great restraint and nice outcome. I have driven Mercs for years but never committed to a V12 - I will have to one day!

[@motorcyclefixer]

I bet he swore a lot. 😂 Probably took him ages to edit this one lol

[@jonboy9912]

@@motorcyclefixer I would have!

[@ryandoyle4344]

I felt your pain and concern, hydro-lock is scary. Glad to hear the positive outcome! Congrats. Assuming steel rods?

[@billcooper2584]

Damn, made watching to the conclusion anticlimactic 🤣

[@jimmyvaught]

@@billcooper2584 gotta stay off the comments lol. I was tempted to scroll past the pinned comment but didn't.

[@koyamma9575]

What is hydro lock

[@wbr7869]

@@koyamma9575 when fluid, gas, oil, water enters the cylinder! Fluids cannot be compressed on the compression stroke. When that happens it most likely will bend the rod connect to the piston!

[@muhammadfirdaus8012]

@@wbr7869 does hydro lock happened because the head gasket was blown? or the water jacket causing the water to enter the cylinder?

[@gonzsalina6876]

My God I was freaking out. Please finish this project and show everyone why you are the KZbin tech that we all need. Not these bs guys that drag out and clickbait views. Respect from Houston Texas

[@davidpage8728]

Great journey. Great series of videos. Loved tagging along. Learned a lot along the way. Love this channel.

[@Works2Shoot]

Great seeing such regular content Alex! On a side note, I love getting to your videos early to laugh at all the tools in the comments who post "first" as if it matters. :-P

[@1stfrompuertorico568]

🤣🤣man, here as first to support and learn at the same time 🤣🤣

[@dawicked2k8]

First!

[@ReluctantLuddite]

Wow, that was scary. I especially like the part where you told people to share the video with people who were thinking about working on complex European cars. I was already dissuaded when you were putting the thing back together. That machine is acme of telling the engineers that you want the most amazing engine and you don’t care how complex it gets. Fun’s to watch, though.

[@jeb419]

I could have bought a V12 jaguar XJS from the 80's for $1000, thing only had 40,000 miles! But I didn't want some nightmare geting it up and running, and I hate automatic transmission cars in general.

[@pschroeterps]

You're the best man. Hands down one of the most down to earth, knowledgeable, sympathetic and all around pleasure to watch work on any car guy I've ever met, or seen on youtube, or generally come across. Thanks for sharing this and the fingers are crossed for the mighty 275.

[@richardsnook3277]

Love your videos, you don’t just show thee start and end and cut out the actual work. Such honesty and reality is refreshing. 😊

[@chriswhitehouse9764]

Been there myself, starting up an engine after rebuilding and being SO nervous at first start up.... On mine it ate two crankshafts (each in a few hundred miles) as thrust bearing/ torque converter interferences were not together right. Each was in spec on its own but the total was OUT. That sucked. Third crankshaft was a charm.

[@johnchurch4705]

What engine did you have to replace the crank on Chris..??

[@resemblesanacorn6561]

Congratulations Alex. I'm so pleased the engine wasn't lunched! Can't wait for the first drive. Love this stuff. ❣😁

[@harrisonhunter7512]

Happy for you man,no stress now.this has been awesome too watch.

[@ivanjovanovic362]

Man, Im so glad everything is ok! Jesus that was stressfull...

[@KXKKX]

Thought for a minute there we’d see this next week on a very special episode of “I Do Cars”.

[@stinkmeaner5638]

😂

[@stantheman5163]

Very nicely done. Working on cars with my son I always stress the importance of being thorough and methodical, especially when trying to troubleshoot a problem. So happy that it worked out in the end.

[@Angelo80907]

Came to KZbin specifically looking for an update on this project. My heart sank when you said you might had hydro locked the engine but thank god all went well. It’s ALIVE!!!

[@MoleDoesStuff]

Gotta be careful talking so nicely to them, that's when they decide to ruin your day... The feels man.

[@astramk3786]

Never seen Alex so stressed....mans a G

[@lovejones72]

Not just cuz I lived in & around Chicago for 41 years (now in Maine), but this is rapidly becoming my favorite automotive KZbin channel.

[@isacindelbosque8154]

Very happy to see everything went fine at the end, Alex! Nine months ago, I was replacing the valve cover gasket in my ´00 E430 and I changed the injectors´o-rings too. When I started the engine smoke in the exhaust and bad idle...it took 4-5 minutes while I hooked the scan tool to see cylinder 5 was misfiring. Turned the engine off and the next turn of the key was the end of the engine after 230K miles running strong. Later I discovered a couple of bad spark plug cables (Beru brand, brand new installed 2 years ago) that seems that broke when retiring the coils (and I was very gentle) and a fuel injector in not very good condition in that cylinder 5 produced a "fuel-lock". If I had wait to replace the spark-plugs and the cables that I already had in mind, this would never happened. I understand what you were saying...it does not let you sleep well... You were lucky that only turned the engine for a few seconds and discovered that quickly. Keep doing these videos, you are great!

[@dannyfreedom7035]

When you put oil in a cylinder and compression test it, the oil takes up volume in the cylinder. You will get incorrect reading with the oil changing the volume of air that is being compressed.

[@jimmybean6090]

He sorts of mention that in vid !!!

[@dannyfreedom7035]

@@jimmybean6090 yea sort of. Wasnt 100% clear. I was just trying to explain it for the people that may not know too much about it.

[@dickdaley9059]

Quoting your sainted Mother…”Alex, God only gives you what you can handle…” Thanks, Mom! ❤️

[@MarkJHandy]

Congrats! Good see it's running better!

[@gregdesena4207]

I'm so happy I was out of town for the last video, so I was able to watch this one right away. I was seriously depressed that this car might be in big trouble. Looking forward to the first drive now! This has been a great series, thanks so much for all of your hard work.

[@Toguro-oy3ld]

A genius approach to diagnosing this issue. Compression test, measuring piston travel, viewing piston travel, genius. I learn a lot on your channel, Alex.

[@TiptronicSS]

"if you enjoy having a heart attack with me" 😂😂😂yeah man, all the way! The most interesting way to sell a channel 😂, but it's honesty and quality content and everything beeing genuine we like, so LGC all day every day!

[@tommyis13]

Alex. So happy after all that work you put in its all good, was sweating there for a minute, probably not as much as you though. Keep up the great content!

[@houstonOLED]

Nice work man, glad you got it figured out. Looking forward to seeing some dyno pulls

[@shadquirk607]

Bro this has been the best build ever, you've done everything right but uncovered disastrous problems along the way, which is the kind of content us backyard guys need to see. Stuff where it all works out perfect is fun, but to see a guy work through potentially catastrophic issues is gold. Love your work man.

[@cgcanada88]

Man I am ao relieved for you! Great job keeping your cool and finding the issue! Forever subscribed!

[@Karl-by6ub]

YES ! She's Alive👍🏻So Happy for you ! 👍🏻

[@d.4063]

This was LEGIT. To keep your head cool like that Alex in such a rollercoaster means you really know what you're doing. Respect from 🇭🇷 and we love your videos!

[@subzero7551]

I love your channel! You have stayed true to showing us actual car stuff without all the crazy theatrics like the way some other car channels have gone…I’m looking at you Rich

[@jdantigua1999]

We appreciate that you are real and show what could/ could not happen. Lesson learned and this is why we love your channel.

[@spdodger]

Great channel Alex. The detail you provide is great for someone wanting to learn. Keep it up!

[@DScaglione.]

Alex, it’s good to see you not only concerned but pissed, and ultimately happy with this video’s result. Real recognizes real, and we all learn from mistakes or gremlins that pop up every now and then. I wouldn’t dare touch my Renntech SL600 V-12, - it’s perfect, - but the videos in this series (and all the others) have learned me a lot! Looking forward to this car’s progress and all the others! Thank You & God Bless 😎

[@oldgtstrokers]

The most exciting video on YT ever, regarding all the resources you have put in this project! Due to your thorough workmanship you saved this one:) Regards and respect from Tore, Norway !

[@parkecorepersonaltrainingp2601]

I’m so glad all worked out ok in the long run and glad the V12 is smoooooth. Well Done man.

[@jorgecordova6133]

Master tech stuff right there. Love your videos man please never stop.

[@JasonCarraway]

Really enjoyed watching all this come together! So glad it all worked out ok that cylinder. Whew! Also.. big sci-FI fan here too. 👍🏼

[@btownballer27]

Been watching you since mid Ml55 build. Huge growth in your content from there and your channel. Although I don't do nearly as much or intensive work, I do work. I know what you are feeling when it comes to "oh no" and "bleep yes" moments. Glad you record to show all of us that we are human and have the ability to take on theses types of challenges.

[@chrispavlou6602]

I am crossing my fingers with you! hope all turns out great! great job you've done

[@aaronbowman9915]

Glad it all worked out for you for the time being brother! I'm sure your heart was in your throat for most of it! Good vibes man!

[@ampuzzler2317]

Watching your channel and contents is addicting. Brilliant!

[@Velly_drums]

Well done Alex on fixing the issue and that V12 is sounding nice!

[@matthewwilkinson6447]

So cool you didn't have a fail. Thanks for the walk through on trouble shooting

[@markoelpeza8502]

Awesome work, great to see you upload more content. Keep up the good work

[@JonBlondell]

I'm so glad it's running well!! Good work!

[@AnhYeuEmMaiMai69]

Sorry to hear about this delay, was looking forward to the final result hopefully it all works out

[@robertmorin1454]

Very happy for you that you didn’t end up with a v12 paperweight ! It sounded really good after a few minutes of video and hopefully the tune goes well! 👍🇨🇦

[@SlippingTime]

Sure glad it worked out my friend. You definitely captured the emotion incurred. Next as you said is to get that tune right!

[@Werewolfmage]

watched your stress level go from 10 to 0! i hope my stress level goes from 10-0 soon. waiting for a transmission for my old 07 Mercury mariner. been lousy with 1 car.

[@ChanoWilliams]

Congrats on getting it running!!!

[@bobstride6838]

Whew! That must have been a heart stopping moment, I was with you all the way (in spirit at least!). At least you can now relax a bit, well done Alex

[@paulechols]

Nice save🤠 excited for the road rips!!!

[@paul4usc]

Great news on the engine. Can't wait to see it on the road. I really enjoy how you share how you diagnose the issues and don't just throw parts at problems. Great content. To anyone not subscribed, mash that button.

[@bigjosh150]

Sounds great!! Can't wait to see whats next!

[@markwagner4909]

very exciting! I know that feeling of relief of success! What a marvelous feeling

[@Tinsil88]

Dude I can see from the bags under your eyes, this has been keeping you up at night. So stoked you managed to sort it relatively easily. Keep up the great content, mate 🤘🏻

[@hamitbe]

Looking forward to see this V12 run! Good luck brother

[@minibikes502matter]

Love this channel. Great content!!

[@thecasualdiyer6729]

Your video is an inspiration to all who feel they are being defeated by the machine. Man over machine. Great job! Can't wait to see it drive.

[@ScrubRadius]

You have learned that old injectors REALLY don’t like to have their fuel pressure removed and then sit around for a long time. A cool tip to fix them immediately is to tap them with a 12 volt source a couple of times (they are 5 volt). This overdrives them momentarily and they break free. Astounding how quickly they start working just fine.

[@awh3399]

Alex I really enjoy theses videos Keep up the variety of cars/ trucks

[@BenLiftsStuff]

Wow. Sooooo unlucky (the injector) but also, lucky no damage done. Very happy for you, and crossing my fingers the next video is a smoother ride!!

[@mohammedabdullah669]

You never know why things happen the way they do and something may seem bad but are actually good, this video is the reason why I’m gonna be so eager to watch the rest of the build so keep it up brother

[@glenmeyer5079]

Glad it worked out for you. Like your videos. Actually doing real work versus the guys that just talk.

[@EbonixD]

Your patience is amazing and great job on this project!

[@eldraino9933]

Dude - what a Rocky road to success - but top blokes like you Alex never quit till the thing is sorted - total champion Alex 👍

[@jamescoffey5818]

Great work alex love this channel look forward to every episode

[@keithmason5334]

Love the channel man keep it up

[@alebigna]

Wow, I can only imagine what a scary shock you got. I'm happy to see that now everything is ok.