Since I am in the middle of a little headgasket work I am spending much time looking at my MB shop manual (CD). Many of the pictures in the manual show the Euro engine setup with no oil separator. That little flat spot right before the turbo inlet on the U-pipe from the air cleaner to turbo is shown with a simple fitting and the vent tube from the valve cover is directed right into it. My guess is the oil separator unit was added to please US emissions standards? Seems perfectly reasonable to just run like this and do away with the factory oil separator. None of my other diesels have an oil separator and they all run fine. Why not? RT

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84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
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I have wondered this as well....as I am interested in getting rid of the OEM airbox/bend, and just putting a chrome pipe with a K&N washable filter on the end or something, thus I would have to run a line right from the valve cover right into the turbo intake pipe. I'd assume this would be ok to do...at some point I'm going to get too sick of paying for, and dealing with replacing, those little rubber mounts that love to break.....a month ago I had ALL of them break!! The whole air thing came off and was laying off to the side, and it messed up that bend tube too, that was not fun. Its fine right now as it has all new mounts as of then, but someday I'd like to just do away with it completely.

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you would consume lots of oil if you dont have the seperator. and the intake would be pretty slimy

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I do just fine with my setup. I have a K & N style filter mounted on a straight intake tube from the turbo inlet. The hose from the valve cover runs directly to this tube and all the gases are inhaled by the turbo and then burnt.
The car doesn't smoke much at all and I use less than a 1/2 quart between changes.

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

If you look at a pre '80 or so 300SD it does not have a separator. On the '79 I just went through I watched oil consumption real close with this set up and did not see excessive consumption.

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Jim

My 300SD has no oil seperator, never came with one either. Valve cover to the "U" pipe directly from the factory, Used about a quart every 2,000 miles roughly. Had my intake off because I put a block heater in it where none existed before and did it from above. My intake had no crud buildup. Thats the EGR that gunks them up.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
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1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Thanks for posting the question, RW. I'm sick of looking at those big stupid aircleaner housings but have been avoiding dealing with it until I figured out how to make an oil separator. I'll just skip it for now and see how it works.
Sold the '84 300D with WVO conversion on Ebay last week. Tons of hits - the WVO thing really drew some interest. Making new tanks for these two "new" cars now.

fmb

I found the separator from a 240D was helpful in reducing oil consumption. Made a long (2000 mile) trip without it and wish I had something all the way.
I was venting the cam cover and had some blowby under the car that also attracted attention when I went to the airport to pick someone up, the security cop tried to tell me there was smoke coming from my engine and I told her not to worry, blah blah.
picture of the K&N setup on the '85 engine, the 240D separator is just visible to the rear, and note the hose from it to a Tee I placed in the front of the K&N for suction:

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!