Quote:
Originally Posted by t walgamuth
But as we all know the four cylinder was built first. In fact they built 3 cylinder versions of the same motor and I bet they used the same starter too. 
It is true the five cylinder crank and flywheel are heavier and there is more drag from the parts rubbing but in the end all that is probably minor in comparison to the 21 to 1 compression ratio. I mean really, take away the compression and you can turn the crank pretty easily with your hands on the big pulley.
If you think the mb engineers just tossed the starter into the 300 motor without any knowledge of wheter it would perform satisfactorily for their customers who were paying $26,000 or more for a 300d when you could still buy a chevy for a third as much, I just think you are not thinking clearly. |
So you're saying the starter has to overcome only compression, and the mass and drag of an additional cylinder has no effect on starter design?
I am sure the MB engineers did their home work. Maybe the very first 240's used a lower powered starter. When an additional cylinder was added, MB decided to upgrade the 240D starter to a 300D starter for commonality and reduced cost?