Hi Everyone!
I just picked up an 83 300SD Turbodiesel this evening. I've wanted another diesel for a while now to do some performance work on and as a winter car. Now that I have one, I want to jump right into some tuning. The engine "seems" to run great for a diesel and has good pickup. I'm going to do some basic maintenance on it like oil and fuel filters to ensure its solid condition. Next I want to tweak the wastegate for more boost and adjust the injection pump. Where can I find the best threads on this procedure? What other maintenance items should I be considering? What other performance mods should I be considering? This will be my first time wrenching on a diesel but I do catch on quick!
Thanks!
Adam

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Current Stable:
01 ML55 AMG
92 500E (a few mods)
87 300E (lots of mods)
00 Chevy 3500HD Diesel Box Truck
68 18' Donzi Marine
06 GT i-Drive7 1.0 Mountain Bike (with GPS!)

PREVIOUSLY OWNED:83 300SD, 87 420SEL, 88 420SEL, 90 420SEL, 86 560SEL, 86 190E 2.3-16V AMG, 94 E320

Welcome back to the diesel dark side. Before starting any performance mods I would give a full tune up including oil and filter change as you describe, adjust the valves, clean the banjo bolt, time the injection pump etc. You could also tweak the ALDA to give some more power off of the line.

As long as you are getting 10-12 psi there is no need to adjust the boost until you have turned up the fuel.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

and installed a pyrometer...

Thanks for the help guys. I already have an EGT gauge and a boost controller ordered. I adjusted the ALDA today. It still had the seal on it too. Unfortunately it was already half a turn from the top and didn't make any difference when adjusted all the way out. Would the next step be to remove the ALDA all together? Which banjo fitting is in question?
Thanks Again!
Adam

__________________
Current Stable:
01 ML55 AMG
92 500E (a few mods)
87 300E (lots of mods)
00 Chevy 3500HD Diesel Box Truck
68 18' Donzi Marine
06 GT i-Drive7 1.0 Mountain Bike (with GPS!)

PREVIOUSLY OWNED:83 300SD, 87 420SEL, 88 420SEL, 90 420SEL, 86 560SEL, 86 190E 2.3-16V AMG, 94 E320

the banjo fitting on the ALDA itself and the one on the intake manifold log...

on the intake manifold its located on the rear by cylinder 5 or closest to the firewall.. a clear plastic line leads to it from the overboost protection solenoid(OBPS) to the alda..

remove the bolts and clean them. and an EGR block off sould clean up the engine compartment

any idea on what turbo you have.. pray its the KKK

I wouldn't bother touching the wastegate. It is much easier to install a boost controller.

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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

Check this out click link in post#1 and look at pictures
in post#7.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td/1290106-worlds-fastest-w123-diesel.html

Same engine as in your SD.

Louis.

__________________
Not always the smartest but certainly not dumb?

Thanks for the tips on the banjo bolts and lines, I'll check them out. As for the turbo, it's an Air Research not a Klan member. What's the differences? Air ratio, wastegates or something? Are there any performance gains in removing the EGR?
Thanks!
Adam

__________________
Current Stable:
01 ML55 AMG
92 500E (a few mods)
87 300E (lots of mods)
00 Chevy 3500HD Diesel Box Truck
68 18' Donzi Marine
06 GT i-Drive7 1.0 Mountain Bike (with GPS!)

PREVIOUSLY OWNED:83 300SD, 87 420SEL, 88 420SEL, 90 420SEL, 86 560SEL, 86 190E 2.3-16V AMG, 94 E320

I should probably mention, I'm not interested in making 400+ HP on this particular engine. I'm going to make this diesel Benz my "intro to diesel" car. While the engine is in good shape the body and interior is not. I'll wait for a nice 300D for my mega diesel project.

I want to just experiment with this engine and put minimal fabrication and parts into it. If I only get 20 or so extra HP from tweaking, thats fine with me.

I already have one on the way, what should be my maximum/optimum exhaust temps on this diesel engine?
Thanks Again!
Adam

__________________
Current Stable:
01 ML55 AMG
92 500E (a few mods)
87 300E (lots of mods)
00 Chevy 3500HD Diesel Box Truck
68 18' Donzi Marine
06 GT i-Drive7 1.0 Mountain Bike (with GPS!)

PREVIOUSLY OWNED:83 300SD, 87 420SEL, 88 420SEL, 90 420SEL, 86 560SEL, 86 190E 2.3-16V AMG, 94 E320

Better to practice on a "beater" than to risk blowing up your long-term good car.

Didn't see this responded to yet...
The next step if you need to dump more fuel and the ALDA is maxed out, is to start putting some shims under the ALDA. This will accomplish the same thing as turning the screw. Search the forums on shim thickness needed.

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Chris
1985 300SD - 'Grace' (198K mi.)
2018 Honda Civic Sport
2018 Honda CRV LX
2010 Honda Fit Sport (RIP)
2013 Honda Accord Sport (Sold)
1996 Lexus LS400 (Retired)
1995 Ford Contour SE (Retired)
1976 Porsche 914 (Sold)
1972 Datsun 240Z (RIP)

This might help.

617 Boost ?

Louis.

__________________
Not always the smartest but certainly not dumb?

just remove the ALDA and gut it.. reinstall as a dust cover...

once the alda is maxed you have to modify the internal IP settings

Did we determine the 617 will respond the same as the 603 with the alda removed? I still havent got around to trying it yet.

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

well i know that brandon was blowing ALDAs because of his high boost .. so if your boosting its best to get rid of it and let the IP have full fuel dump at launch