Hi all,
I'm fishing for a little advice here. I was weeks away from putting my car up for sale but the vacuum pump just died. My mechanic quotes about $450 for the new pump plus labor (I don't know how much that's going to be) and I figure I can't not do it, but it's a bummer that this had to happen before I was going to sell. Should I fix it and sell it? Or should I try and sell it with the understanding that it needs a new vacuum pump. I know the other alternative would be to fix it and use it for a while, but we've owned this car for 23 years and while it's been a great car, I just need something new now. Such poor luck.

Alex

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

does it need a NEW pump or just the pump rebuilt....did it self destruct or just stop making vacuum?

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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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

My mechanic says that it needs a new pump, something about the piston being too worn. I haven't seen it, but he says that he tried the rebuild kit and it still wouldn't make much vacuum so it therefore needs a new pump.

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

Alex, sell it with the understanding that it needs a vacumn pump. Some DIY's may want to take on the task. If you fix it, you'll have to drive it for awhile to get the cost back.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

What do we think it's worth? It's a one owner, good interior, strong engine that doesn't burn oil, 170K miles.

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

I've seen your car at a gtg a couple of years ago, nice car. whatever the market will bear. Put a note in the for sale area with nice pics. It will sell fast. Board members here know you take car of your cars. I sold 2 diesels there this summer, my son went off to college and wifey wanted a MB wagon. Good luck.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

He tried to rebuild the pump? Apparently, several other forum members have indicated that some of the rebuild kits have replacement check valves of incorrect thickness. Pump will go back together just fine but not work much better. The valves can be accessed and replaced by just removing the top pump cover, well under an hour's work. Might be worth checking out.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

here's an example: Vacuum pump lesson learned

Personally, if that's the only thing wrong with the car, I'd fix it, as it will show so much better with everything right. But again, if the pump has new check valves and piston seal, I bet it's the checks not sealing due to this o-ring thickness issue. Good luck!

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

They fixed it! Yesterday I b*tched to them because we wanted to get rid of this thing soon so apparently they took another look and there was something with a shim that was wrong (so says a mechanic who didn't work on it directly) and apparently now it works. Maybe it was indeed the seal.

Anyway, this is good, I can take my time selling it.

Thanks for the words.

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

Alex, who's your mechanic for your diesel? For the future, I can hook you up with Mirkko at Sucic Brothers Foreign Car Service in Portchester, NY. They are very good and very fair. So you're not going to convert your 300D to WVO?

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)