fellow members,
i have a 1977 240D which i dearly love. i recently rebuilt the engine entirely, and am looking forward to a long, and loving relationship with the car on its second go-round. i've had the pipe dream of converting my air intake hose that is atatched to the air filter housing into some sort of concieled (i wouldnt mess with the way my car looks) ram-air. can anyone who knows a little more about diesel fuel systems tell me whether or not this method will increase performance? will it harm my little diesel? (wouldnt dream of doing anything potentially harmful to 'nelson') will it do anything at all, or am i just waisting my time? thanks fellows
william gum

William,
this was discussed a few days ago in another forum here, and I believe the opinion was that additional air would do nothing for performance, only additional fuel would get you somewhere quicker. sorry
-Larry

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

William,
I agree with Larry D. Don't waste your time with ram air. If you want more power with get-up-go, get yourself a turbo- charged Mercedes diesel and all the experts here can advise you on what kind of oil and antifreeze to use. We can even advise you on which batteries to buy. Even what kind of windshield washer solution to use. Joking, of course
Bill Lewallen Lexington,Ky.

We'lleven tell you what socks and underwear to buy if you ask us!
-Larry

in light of the "what oil to use comment" i would like some comment on the oil i have chosen. i've decided to use shell's rotella T. its an oil formulated for diesels, and has some type of carbon dispersing effect. it is a 15w-40 oil. is this going to hurt or help my car? it is a new engine, and it has NO problem whatsoever starting up even with the thick oil. any drawbacks to this oil? it is winter, but temps arround here are just about freezing and not much below. i've been told that thicker oil will aid in keeping your cam shaft in good order. what are your expert opinions? thanks guys.
william gum
BTW - my haynes do just fine thanks

as to my ram-air comments, i wasnt really thinking "more air" rather; "ease of air flow". it wouldnt have to work so hard sucking, it'd be forced right down the gullet. any thoughts?
WG

I am also a believer in Shell Rotella, although I have switched from the "T" flavor to the "SB" (Synthetic Blend) 10w40 flavor in the Benz. Still using "T" flavor 15w40 in the Isuzu diesel. (10w40 is forbidden in that particular engine.) Chevron Delo 400, Mobil Delvac, and numerous other 15w40 truck oils will all give basically the same results. You can't go wrong with any of those. Your engine is going to outlast the rest of the car for sure. Congratulations on your rebuild job. Gotta be a great feeling to successfully complete a task like that.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Since your engine is rebuilt, and has new seals everywhere, you could use synthethic oil (as long as it has a diesel rating). If you do or not, will depend on how much money you have, to spend freely. Otherwise, I'd go for either the Shell Rotella or the DELO400. As far as more air goes...hmmm, I suppose you could find a junk aircleaner, remove the snorkel from it, fit it on to yours, and see what happens. wouldn't hurt things any...not sure it would be worth it...after all, look how big the hole is on the intake...maybe a velocity stack would be more appropriate.
I dunno, the more I think about it, the less enthused I become, sorry.
-Larry

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

My very first car was a VW Rabbit diesel that my dad purchased when I was 16. I probably did something every month to customize the car (chrome rims, spoiler, etc). One of the custom projects that I did for fun was to add a ram air (nothing concealed about it .... right smack in the middle of the hood). The ram air by itself did very little to improve performance. Only when I adjusted the fuel pump to put out all she could, in tandem with the ram air, did performance improve. I also replaced the stock exhaust sys with a large diameter exhaust pipe running into a Thrust muffler, attached to a dual chrome outlet. It was loud & smoked like a Mack, but I thought it was cool. I really had a ball with that car. I was planning to add an aftermarket turbo kit, when I foolishly traded it in for another car.

__________________
1980 Mercedes 240D
1982 Mercedes 300SD
1985 Mercedes 300D
1993 Dodge Cummins Turbo Diesel

palangi,
i am unfamiliar with the synthetic blend shell rotella. all i have been able to purchase has been the "T" 15w-40. where do you purchase yours? if it is a nationwide chain, i may have one here in VA. thanks
william gum

Bamboo.. I had to go to the Shell distributor to find it. Down here in Texas, the truck stops and auto parts places tend to not carry the lighter weight truck oils. You can check the Shell web page, I think it's Shell-lubricants.com. If I remember right, you can bring up a list of their distributors by state. So far the 10w40 is doing great. No new leaks. Very slight but measurable increase in fuel mileage. Not that expensive, about $50 for 6 gallon case. Been using it about 6 months now.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Bamboo,

I hate to take issue with Paul, but I find it hard to believe that your engine will outlast your car. There are only three things that will make this happen; a wreck, rust, or getting tired of keeping the car up. As an example, my brake rotors, and front suspension pivot points were all original in my 240D until 530,000 miles or so. The brake calipers are still original. I have put one driveshaft and three clutches over the years. The car is not on the road right now, but when I put it on the road it will have to have some window risers.

The key is to not let it run down to the point where you give up on it. If you desire to do so, there will come a day when you put the 1,000,000KM badge on the grill.

You've shown your dedication to this car already. Anything else you get into in the future will be child's play compared to your engine rebuild.

Great job and keep it up,

larry,
thanks for the vote of confedence. i sure hope that the car lasts my lifetime, or at least another 23 years. besides the engine (pre rebuild) the car is i very good shape. i think that the next thing to go will be some sort of suspention problem, or maybe the manual tranny (makes some noise now). hopefully these problems will hold off for a long while. i have posted a thread in tech help entitled "240D indevidual piston timing". if you could, please have a look. i raise a few questions that your expertiece may be able to answer. thanks larry