Interesting. MB diesels do not use the ports to get swirl -- the prechamber design does that. Combustion takes place mostly in the prechamber, not above the piston as in a direct injection diesel.

American diesel engine design is a little backward IMHO. Too many simple things (like variable injection timing, duh!!) improve horsepower too easily for the engineering to have been done well in the first place. Way too much black smoke, too -- watch the Volvo trucks for how little can be produced -- they are also MUCH quieter, and get vastly better fuel milage -- on the order of 8 mpg fully loaded.

The quick and easy way to get more power after a rebuild is to put oversized pistons in rather than standard. I think a 0.020" (in metric, of course) size is available, and will increase displacement significantly. Re-balance crank if you put in larger pistons!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!