Hrm, doesn't seem like too much of a difference to warrant the cost. If you had those taller 400E gears (2.28:1 ?) then sure, I'd go for it but for around 0.20:1 better I'd spend that time and money on some wine or taking the ol' lady out for the evening. :)

Assuming a a 3.68:1 first gear, currently you have a 9.75:1 first gear. You'd step to 10.56:1 first gear... that's only around 8% better I figure.

My 2¢

These two posts are from a thread back in February. The first post claiming 11 to 12 second 0-60 tiimes is from me.

14.6 is slow. I have a 1983 300sd and everything is stock. 208,000 miles turbo boost and alda adjusted by local MB shop. 0-60 is 11 to 12 seconds.

#41 02-16-2005, 01:01 PM
h2odiesel
Registered User Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 212

All right! I call B.S. You need to check your watch or your speedo. There is no way a stock SD is doing 11 to 12 sec 0 to 60s
__________________
Bob D.
Parrish, FL
1 SDL, 1 D, 2 Mogs

H2Odiesel...what do you say now? Also consider that the 12.17 time was done with an ambient temp well over 100 degrees; with temps in the fourties and fifties on brisk February mornings, the turbo kicked in a hell of a lot harder. I'm just guessing but I'd say the 0-60 times at those temps would be a half a second faster. We'll find out for sure this winter. Hatterasguy, Want '71, Sixto... where are all of you SDL guys? ;)

Power braking will drop an easy .5-1.0 second off of your time.
I am not sure there is a "standard" to testing but all of my tests have been done without power braking...besides...my tires want to break loose :D

I can take 0-60 times with power braking if someone wants....but my posted times are including the turbo spool up...

P.S. Include everything before and after the 0-60 time is hit...like the sitting there idling...to power braking (if you thats to be done) and then the inital take off.
That way we can all see the inital takeoff, etc...
I think my 300SD would beat the most recent of video posted. If I have time, I will take a few good solid videos today while it is light out.

I just got back the other night from towing a friend of mine in her cabriolet (recently bought...bad fuel pump) on the freeway for 200miles doing about 75-80 :D


EDIT: I guess I forgot to mention that most of my data, etc is over on another thread titled "617 Full Load Adjustment" :)

I think 8% might be more change than some might think. I am planning on doing a limited-slip conversion, and when I do this, I can either keep the stock 2.65 ratio or go to 2.87, same cost for either. I'm not sure I'd bother if I were just changing ratios alone. I have lots of dragstrip data showing my best 60' times with the stock gearing, so if/when I do the swap, I will be able to show how much improvement (if any) there was with the 8% lower gears.

:o

I'm not H2O but I still agree with him. No way a STOCK, unmodified 300SD (OM617) is going to be in the 11-12 range, when factory spec is 15 seconds and 99% of the W126.120's out there are 15-16 seconds or slower. If the pump was maxed out, then yeah 11-12 would be within reason. The important part is where it says "everything is stock". Much more likely to be speedo error... have you set the cruise on 60mph and verified with a hand-held GPS? You might be surprised at the results.

:rolleyes:

About 16 seconds
 

I checked mine out a nice cool morning in June and without A/C and I was running about 50% WVO and Diesel. It ran out very close to 16 seconds and I weigh about the same as two people, lets say two small people of 140 lbs. each. I have checked the odometer and speedometer with the markers on the Interstate and both are right on. I think it runs very well for 215,000 and I just love the sound of that little turbo hummer making that 3rd to 4th shift at about 4500 rpm. She sounds so busy then!

You don't have to max out the pump on a 617 to drop into the 11's :)

I'm pretty sure you do on an OM617+W126 combination, which is ~1 second slower to 60mph than the W123 sedan. The W123.133 spec is approx 14 seconds stock, the W126.120 spec is approx 15 seconds.

Similar numbers on the 603 cars, btw... the 300D sedan (124.133) is rated approx 11 seconds, the 300SDL (126.125) is rated approx 13 seconds.

More specs are in this Excel spreadsheet:
http://www.w124performance.com/docs/mb/other/acceleration_specs.xls

:sun_smile

Oh, I spaced out you're going to toss in a LSD too. :o By all means do the 2.87:1 then. It'd be silly not to. :D

Never timed 0-60 but it's sometime before the birds start chirping in Layla....

awhile back I tried it in my W123 coupe. 14.16s

I'm kind of anxious to try it in my new wagon, it leaves my coupe in the dust.

Yeah, I'm guessing my 240D is in the area of 18-22 seconds...that was an "estimate," by which I mean that I am "guessing," by which I mean that I do not have any clue. I just know that I have my foot to the floor wherever I go.

I will take a shot my SDL feels like 11ish. I need to get a watch and GPS and test this though. SDL's pull real fast until they hit 3rd gear then there is like a dead spot for a few rpm.

"Much more likely to be speedo error... "

No, my spedometer is actually 5mph low at 60mph (55mph is actually 60mph) I have larger than stock tires...205/70's. I have tested the car with radar and spot to spot timed runs. I honestly can't say if it has ever been rebuilt. It shows 214,000 miles. My car is not completely stock, the egr is blocked, and the 3/2 way is blocked, so I have a lot more power in the lower rpm's, and the boost and alda are tuned higher than stock Also I use a cetane booster/conditioner of 6 numbers (which is not stock fuel). Also, I did powerbrake from the start. However, look at the video and I'd like to hear your comment. 12.17 is right here for you to see. http://www.tglmarketinginc.com/mbforum/zerotosixty_300sd.WMV. If we are talking about trying to compare numbers strictly to standard testing procedures of the original 300sd's, then the powerbrake should not be used. Add a half second to a full second; And then maybe subtract a half second or more for the 106 ambient temp. You definately get a time well under 13 seconds no matter how you slice it.

My 1981 300SD will go 0-60 in about a week and half, with a tail wind :D