My 617 impressions after living with one for awhile. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Hatterasguy · #1 10-23-2005, 09:28 PM

Ok I have put a couple hundred miles on the 300SD, and this really is my first step into the 617 world after doing the 603 thing for a few years.
Firstly the 617 seems to pull better down low off the line, it is slight but the SD seems to enjoy the stoplight thing much more then the SDL does.
At higher rpms the 617 dies off, where the 603 picks up and screams.
Fuel mileage seems to be a wash I havn't really driven the 617 enough to comment on it.
The 617 is a much more mechanical engine. For example this morning I woke up early to go fishing and it was 40 degrees out. Now I am used to just starting the SDL and having it run like any other day. The computer controls the idle and it sounds the same no matter what the temp. But wait not with the SD. She smoked a bit more and the idle changed a bit, hmm a little warm up time will be needed.

Sorry 617 guys, its not that this engine doesn't have its charm but at wot it just doesn't sing. I mean at idle it has the nice diesel clatter and without the hood pad its pretty noticable. I enjoy it some people don't but I like a little noise. But at wot the 617 just doesn't make the good sounds.

It is just my impression but I think a 603 sounds sweet at 5k rpm.

Maybe the 617 will grow on me more, it will have time since the SDL is now pretty much away for the year.

*flame suit on

*

boneheaddoctor · #2 10-23-2005, 09:33 PM

No experience with the 603 but a well tuned OM617 pulls pretty strong to 100.

Both of mine do......but I rarely top 80.....and almost never top 90

Speeding tickets just cost too darned much.

RobTheMod · #3 10-23-2005, 09:42 PM

I agree with BHD (keep that for quoting later, I almost never do that, at least politically)...

My 300SD buries the 85 mph clock with ease, and the tach confirms she's good for at least 105...

As for the engine note, I agree that the 603 has a certain hum, it boils down to whether you like the sound of 6 or of 5 cylinders.

As an Audi Quattro nut since '96, I gotta go with 5. A 300SD sounds just like a tuned-up Audi Coupe GT under full throttle at high revs. A 603 sounds more like a BMW big six (also a great sound, but I'm a 5 junkie... the sound of my '87 5000TQ with straight pipes and 20 psi is my reference point)

PagodaLover · #4 10-24-2005, 12:18 AM

In my opinion, I love the sound of the OM617. It will pull you up to the century mark very easily, if you've got it right. Not as refined as the 603, everybody says, and I am sure that's true. I am not terribly refined myself!

Drive it for a couple hundred thousand more miles and enjoy; you do own a legendary passenger car engine!!!

Ara T. · #5 10-24-2005, 12:27 AM

My 300DTurbo has been in the garage for weeks, needed part after part and had to wait till I got them in the mail. Now I am waiting for a new brake line so I can get the damn thing back on the road. I have been driving my dad's 2000 Accord and my mother's 1986 300SDL, and I gotta say i really miss my car. The Accord is just so boring and numb and torqueless, the SDL is a beast in the city (really really needs it alda turned up) and is way too big for my tastes, its an awesome cruiser though and when the turbo kicks in it just shoves my head backwards into the nice seats. I prefer the 617 by sound and performance, i like the low end kick it has. I am sure the 603 is a monster compared to it if you turned up the alda.

pawoSD · #6 10-24-2005, 02:21 AM

The 617 is a "tractor" as my dad calls it. But wow can it lunge from a standstill. I take the stop and go on my way to school no problem from all the stopsigns. Its stop...look...GO! and it leaps forward.

ALDA adjustment helped hugely on that one, recent valve adjustment perfected it. We know both our diesels max out around 118-122 mph, my dad and I drove side by side around this speed for nearly a mile. Our 83 is insane, it HAULS all the way to 120+ and feels like it wants more!!

Mine begins to "tire" past 113ish....and it has more blowby than the 83....probably why. "eh" its still able to keep up, it just looses the acceleration at that speed while the other one still has quite a bit left.

(My dads car has an acurately calibrated 160mph speedo btw...

) this was verified by radar. (both cars have a 3.07 diff also)

#7 10-24-2005, 02:49 AM

Hehe not many of us make the 617 run outside its "recommended" shift point bands...

all I can say is...if you haven't heard the 617 turning over 5k then you haven't lived

(and quite possibly came close to dying).

I need to post a new freeway video. I remember remarkable interest in my 40-80 vid so I should do one now up in the 100 area....have to get some people together and go play.

The 6 cylinders are just that...6 cylinders. All very similar sounding engines.

The 5 is just odd in that its hard to pinpoint what you have running. Comes at the ears differently.

Low end takeoff is probably better becuase you have less engine to swing up to speed and less car to get movin.

I probably wouldn't own a 300SDL only on the basis that it is a big car and my 300SD is already pretty big for what I do with it.

More rear end swinging around the S-curves here in oregon can get you in trouble

Damn rain.

kmaysob · #8 10-24-2005, 04:59 AM

She smoked a bit more and the idle changed a bit, hmm a little warm up time will be needed.

ill agree on that,but really you wanna give the 603 some warm up time too.

braverichard · #9 10-24-2005, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

The 617 is a much more mechanical engine. For example this morning I woke up early to go fishing and it was 40 degrees out. Now I am used to just starting the SDL and having it run like any other day. The computer controls the idle and it sounds the same no matter what the temp. But wait not with the SD. She smoked a bit more and the idle changed a bit, hmm a little warm up time will be needed.

Must be something not really in great tune with your 617. I did just like you today, started the engine when the temp was 41 F in the morning. There was no smoking from mine and my idle didn't change at all. Indeed, the sound is not smooth at all when the engine is cold and the clattering is much louder, but the issue with the smoke only happens with my engine when I don't let the glow plugs complete their cycle.

Pete Burton · #10 10-24-2005, 08:42 AM

I can't comment on the differences, but you might appreciate the 617 more after running through the winter. If it has good compression, it will start reliably on the first glow at 0F without a block heater. It should idle and take off just like it does in summertime, which is more than can be said about most old gassers.

pawoSD · #11 10-24-2005, 12:11 PM

A 617 with the Bosch Duraterm glowplugs and afterglow relay will idle like a gasser when started even at 20 degs or so (mine does anyways) and does start reliably down to 0 and below. I've only had it not start for me one time....christmas eve '04, in the morning around 8am when it was -12 out

My battery only gave me two glow cycles and about 6-7 sec's of cranking before it died, which was no where near enough. Bought a diehard international later on in the day, cranked right up no problem.

Installing it with wind/snow -7 deg air was NOT fun.

dannym · #12 10-24-2005, 05:59 PM

The only thing I don't like in the OM617 is the reverse gear.
You just can't get up any speed in reverse!

Danny

Brian Carlton · #13 10-24-2005, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

It is just my impression but I think a 603 sounds sweet at 5k rpm.

The 617 is much quieter at 5000 rpm than the 603. I can't believe you don't already know this.

Of course, you might have to wait about 10 seconds for the silence to settle in.

pawoSD · #14 10-24-2005, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannym

The only thing I don't like in the OM617 is the reverse gear.
You just can't get up any speed in reverse!

Danny

There must be something wrong with your tranny or something then, I can sqeal the tires (if I punch the pedal) and rev to 30mph+ in reverse easily with mine! In fact both of ours do that, but mine is faster.

How fast do you need to go in reverse??

Larry Delor · #15 10-24-2005, 06:56 PM

Low end take off?? What's that???

Guess I gotta look into mine a bit. I always thought my take off was ok...but after reading the above posts, I am starting to seriously wonder.
btw, take off with the A/C on is almost non existant...I can take off faster on a bicycle until the turbo kicks in.