The procedure(s) I have for tweaking ALDA contain reference(s) to things like for looking for slight puff of black smoke as an indicator. Look here for one such procedure.

What I've accomplished thus far regarding cleaning out banjo fittings, pressure lines, and actual ALDA adjustment have produced results that are nothing short of ASTOUNDING!

Having said that, are there any more precise ways of knowing when you've got fuel enrichment where it optimally should be other than seat-of-the-pants methods like this and drive tests?

Thanks!

__________________
-Ken Harris
1984 Mercedes 300SD
2001 VW Passat 1.8T
2004 Harley Davidson FLHRSI
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Der Dieselfanatiker

Hey Ken:
I'm about to do the same job you just did and hope I get the same results. I just read a few pages of posts which answer your question...the opinions regarding optimal setting all say that seat-o-the-pants is the ONLY way because after time and mileage, calibration depends on the level of engine wear and the level of compensation necessary to overcome like 20 different variables...just wing it, back it off when you see the smoke and be glad it helped. Of course I don't know squat and will be learning the hard way just like you, hopefully tomorrow evening, around 5:46 PM, with a beer and a good woman by my side...but my woman just told me she has a crush on another guy and that's why I'm up at 1:45 in the morning...so...I guess I'll just settle for the beer. Not a real good night all of the sudden ...why am I saying all this?? hmmm...shock and the realisation that my car will give me some warning before it takes a **** on me, I guess....hmmm. never liked that ***** anyway,,,NEXT!

__________________
1983 300SD... 269,000 miles, nearly 2,500 on my B-100, Faded Grey, Ugly in an elegant sort of way...Duh-Benz


If any of this has been a blasphemy to you, then good, because it's been a blast for me to...A.Whitney Brown

Thanks... That's pretty much what I thought after having likely perusing many of the same threads as you. Good enough for me than...

Since your post, however, I did edit my opening post to add a link to the procedure I use. It comes from the old diesel-heads at MercedesList.com which was my primary resource of info prior to learning of this forum. I love this forum, but I'll continue my subscription with MercedesList as well...lots of good stuff there too!

You can also get a fairly decent little guide entitled Diesel Performance Tuning and Repair from **************.com. It's a little spendy at $22.95+S/H, but has a lot of good information in it.

Anyway, take care and hang in there dude...
At the risk of sounding cliché, there really are plenty of fish in the sea (just don't get 'em too fishy )

Later...

__________________
-Ken Harris
1984 Mercedes 300SD
2001 VW Passat 1.8T
2004 Harley Davidson FLHRSI
-----------------------------
Der Dieselfanatiker

Nah, not too cliche. The country boys round here just say "you right"...I'm thinking that about covers the issue right now but anyhow...thanks for adding the link. It's pretty much what I was thinking but it's good to hear it actually works...my SD is so gutless off the line it's fright to drive in traffic and that's gotta change so, we'll see shortly if it does me like it did you..fingers crossed. Thanks man and take care out there...CYA

__________________
1983 300SD... 269,000 miles, nearly 2,500 on my B-100, Faded Grey, Ugly in an elegant sort of way...Duh-Benz


If any of this has been a blasphemy to you, then good, because it's been a blast for me to...A.Whitney Brown

With 260k on the clock if the plastic cap is still there...its defintely due.

It brought my 300SD to life.

Then again so did some other things

You won't regret the adjustment...

I have read many post about adjusting the ALDA. Some give procedures that check for smoke at WOT and 4000RPM (like above post). Some say it has no effect after boost comes up and is adjusted for off the line power. Could someone help me understand which one or both are correct.
Thanks

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84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)

So ;

I can / should do this on my old 300CD ? I just finished a major service , only the valve adjust left and it's running sweetly but slow off the line....

My old car has no tach either .

NOTE : NON turbo model I'm asking about here .

TIA ,


-Nate

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Non-turbos do have something similiar on top of the IP, but it isn't the same thing really. You don't have the added intake from the turbo, which you compensate the fuel delivery for via the alda. You also don't have turbo lag, and have a lower rear end gear setup, so your acceleration off the line will actually be better up to about 30mph or so. Or it "should" be better off the line. My '80 sure was....

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Just you wait till you REMOVE it

__________________
RIP: 80 300SD
RIP: 79 450SEL
2002 E430 4matic (212,000km)
2002 ML500 'sport'

____________________________
FACEBOOK: PANZER450

I adjusted my ALDA on my 617 as per postings. No difference. Then I removed the ALDA per postings. Very small improvement in 0 - 10MPH. But engine now it is very "flat" from 3000 RPMs up and MPG fell almost by 2. Minimal extra smoke. Reinstalled ALDA. ALDA will not tighten and oil leaks from the ALDA, fast. Discovered that turning ALDA with its mounting bolt does tighten and fix the oil leak.

My engine has 135k miles and looks to be dealer maintained. ALDA still had the sealed adjustment, banjo bolt was clean, turbo kicks in with a desire to wind up to 5000 RPM.
I am trying to say, do not just take the ALDA off or over adjust as it can make things worse. I also have a 300SDL that does not need the extra low end, so I know it does not have to have as much "turbo lag".
So check your banjo bolt, bypass the switchover valve(temporary), make small adjustments to the ALDA but do not remove it.

Why do you think it leaks oil when it is half on but not when it is removed? Why does a slip connection tighten something instead of just slipping? Why does the added fuel kick at low rpm cause the engine to starve for fuel at the upper end? We need more information.

Greg

Because you have problems with your injection pump. Something is worn/out of adjustment inside. The shaft should NOT leak ANY oil. Adjusting/removing the ALDA should have 0 (zero) effect on a loaded engine above 3000rpm.

Sounds like your IP needs to be rebuilt.

Removing my ALDA really woke up my engine, and I don't have any oil leaking..was a dog off the line now it's just not quite so much a dog.
the pull in 2nd gear right thru to 4th gear is astounding! even with a nasty 2-3 flare I'm still going to guess that my 0-100Kmh has dropped from 18 to at least 10...crazy...I'll try to get a G-tech in her this week and see what that says...

__________________
RIP: 80 300SD
RIP: 79 450SEL
2002 E430 4matic (212,000km)
2002 ML500 'sport'

____________________________
FACEBOOK: PANZER450

It makes a difference, but not THAT much. I'd bet you are in the ~15-16sec range.

My guess = with the ALDA off the plunger is forced up by a spring. Maybe this acts as a seal. With the ALDA in place there is a preload on the plunger that breaks the seal allowing oil into the space between the IP and the ALDA. I don't know if it's normal for oil to get into that space.

Could this be a perception issue? Lag makes the upper end come in more dramatically which might give the perception of having more authority. You'd have to compare 3000-limit rpm runs on a dyno to know for sure.

Could also be a load issue. With no ALDA you might get to 3000 rpm with less pedal input. I don't know what the IP does with the load/pedal position input.

It might be worth checking if the ALDA retracts enough at max boost to fully relax the IP plunger.

Sixto
93 300SD

I heard the preception theroy before I even adjusted it the first time. Twice I have put it back to the original settings and found that to be the best setting. I do think my oil leak has something to do with loading pressure on the shaft or the tightning by spinning the partial installed ALDA that was required.

I know that everyone says the ALDA does not effect the upper range but in stock trim my car (300D) takes off at less than 2000 RPM and does not stop climbing untill 4800 RPM. That is like a 2-3 second turbo lag but still 0-60 in less than 13 seconds. This is more fun than my 300sdl because you always put the peddel to the metal, trans always winds 2nd gear to the the max (?) and I still get 24 MPG and unlimited smiles per gallon.

I think the cars that remove the ALDA without creating smoke, are the ones with IP wear. My car runs too strong to have much wrong with it. The 300sdl has no turbo lag but you never give it much throttle and the shift quality suffers from too much vacuum.