Most diesel vintage mercs in the UK had manual transmission, The auto set up, notably the colour of valves (which I now know to have different vacuum dumping properties), addition of a rod or bowden cable coupled with triangular throttle linkage etc varies according to year the earliest being the simplest much the same as it does on the US set up, I am guessing here but I think the white plastic VCV was developed specifically for US cars to work in conjunction with the black box and EGR system, Guessing again but the addition of a rod or cable would help to eliminate the rough late changes on cold fluid by adding some persuasion to the change other than just vacuum. anyway the car is going on a 200 mile round trip tomorow before it is passed back to its owner and then the next project looms a FWD audi a6 TDI engine rebuild Oh joy