Before you adjust the operating pressure of the tranny you must change the filter and ATF in both the tranny and torque converter .

Mercedes thoughtfully added a drain plug in the torque converter, you'll need a 5MM Allen tool .

After watching many fool with the vacuum I listened to an older Mercedes Mechanic who hipped me about changing the filter and ATF, Mercedes doesn't use a screen typ filter, it's a real filter that can and occasionally does get blocked by normal wear debris over time .

Once you have the operating pressure properly set it *should* upshift normally with the vacuum disconnected, then you can fine tune the shifting with the vacuum control valve on the injection pump .

You have an '85 so there may be some details you want to check before digging into this .

How about some pictures of the car ? .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better