When did YOU learn the virtues of a diesel engine? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

will70724 · #31 12-23-2006, 12:29 AM

i JUST recently purchased a 92 s 600 ( my first mercedees ever) and I really didnt know anything about diesels thats why I asked. I love the s 600 its gas but its so powerfull and fast ( 408 hp) I'm currently using it as my daily driver. I was just wondering from very rare things like diesel fuel is cheaper, and they supposedly last longer??

aklim · #32 12-23-2006, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will70724

I love the s 600 its gas but its so powerfull and fast ( 408 hp) I'm currently using it as my daily driver.

I was just wondering from very rare things like diesel fuel is cheaper,

and they supposedly last longer??

If you enjoy the power, I doubt you will be happy with the diesel.

Diesel fuel is NOT cheaper. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp

They are compression ignition so they are built stronger so yes, they will last longer. But you pay for that up front. Diesels are several thousand more than their gas counterparts when you price out a similar vehicle.

No Free Lunch

Matt SD300 · #33 12-23-2006, 12:48 AM

No Free Lunch!!!...yeah right..

800+ ft lbs torque... fueled by "FREE USED COOKING WASTE OIL"

Smelling like frys... & SMOKEN Vett's..

Ara T. · #34 12-23-2006, 12:55 AM

Hey Matt, your Cummins sounds like a mean mother. Im curious, how much money does it take to tool one of those up like you did? And would you say it is a relatively easy to get power out of an engine like that?

hey_allen · #35 12-23-2006, 01:21 AM

My first car was a 82 VW Jetta diesel, with 798k/mi indicated, and that was last reported by the owner two prior to me. The thing was ugly as sin, rust spotted all over due to having been stored under a pine tree, but it kept going, and getting mid 40's to the gallon.

Fast forward a few years: with the gas prices doing the roller coaster ride they've been doing, I started eyeing diesel again(thinking of brewing bio), and ended up stumbling onto this site.
After a little poking around on Craig's List, and a short jaunt to take a look at one, I ended up driving back yet another '82, but this time the 300SD that I'm now happily tinkering with to bring up to specs.
I'm not quite ready to give up my gasser, but once this MB is a little more in shape, I'm definitely considering the possibility!

(Now if only the diesel motorcycle prices would come down into the realm of sanity!)

Matt SD300 · #36 12-23-2006, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ara T.

Hey Matt, your Cummins sounds like a mean mother. Im curious, how much money does it take to tool one of those up like you did? And would you say it is a relatively easy to get power out of an engine like that?

As little as $300 will get 400Hp/800tq out of a Cummins 12V with the Bosch p7100 injection pump (94-98.. not 98 1/2)...mods are very SIMPLE..

Colorado220 · #37 12-23-2006, 01:29 AM

I have always loved diesels.......... Not completely sure when I fell....... I believe it was when I was a kid on my Uncles farm in IL!!!!! Just something about it!!!!!!!! Years later after finding out the many benefits it was a no brainer!!!

Ara T. · #38 12-23-2006, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt SD300

As little as $300 will get 400Hp/800tq out of a Cummins 12V with the Bosch p7100 injection pump (94-98.. not 98 1/2)...mods are very SIMPLE..

Nice. How about longevity? Is everything overbuilt enough to withstand the increased turbo pressure and last a reasonable amount of time? 200K miles at least?

And in response to the original thread. I like the 617 just because it's so easy to take care of. No spark plugs or wires or any of that crap. Since there are no funky sensors to go wrong I know that it will start every morning. If it doesn't start, it is easy to troubleshoot and a random no-start would be unlikely. I would actually prefer a 560SEL/SEC though.

justinperkins · #39 12-23-2006, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will70724

So after reading these posts I take away that diesels dont have plugs, caps or rotors, and have a lot of torque?

That's only what I said, I'm a diesel newbie so don't trust me.

justinperkins · #40 12-23-2006, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will70724

i JUST recently purchased a 92 s 600 ( my first mercedees ever) and I really didnt know anything about diesels thats why I asked. I love the s 600 its gas but its so powerfull and fast ( 408 hp) I'm currently using it as my daily driver. I was just wondering from very rare things like diesel fuel is cheaper, and they supposedly last longer??

You would spend as much per year fueling your ride as it would do purchase a nice 80's Mercedes diesel.

There's nothing supposed about a diesel's long life span.

Lycoming-8 · #41 12-23-2006, 02:19 AM

My first contact with a Benz was in high school where a friend's Mom had a '56 or '57 cream colored 220 sedan. It had the saxomat clutch in it, but rode and drove like a dream. Later in college was driving a DKW, which was 2-cycle and required mixing oil in the gas. Seemed like with all the oil, I was already half way there; so looked at new 190D while in grad school. For an unemployed student though, they were a bit spendy.

So waited till after grad school and found a few year old 190Db, and have been driving MB diesels nearly ever since. Probably didn't hurt that I read an interesting article about the Cummins engine that Clessie Cummins put in an Auburn back in the late 30's and drove across the US for nearly nothing. The fuel price was definately right from the 60's thru the 90's, but has been a bit iffy as of late. However if you figure what we now pay for one of these 123's or 126's, driving is still almost free.

Enjoyed the old 190D, but the 220D was light years ahead of it. The 220D actually had 4-wheel discs and could put you thru the windshield if the seatbelts weren't being used. And that tiny little chrome stick shift with the black ball worked the smoothest tranny I had ever used, even in the dead of winter. Did miss the big white wheel though!!

What I really like about a diesel engine is never having to put up with that sinking/fading/stuttering feeling when a gasser's distributor or spark plugs are only half working.

aklim · #42 12-23-2006, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt SD300

No Free Lunch!!!...yeah right..

800+ ft lbs torque... fueled by "FREE USED COOKING WASTE OIL"

Smelling like frys... & SMOKEN Vett's..

Takes effort and time to collect, filter, process, store the oil, right?

What does it do in the quarter?

aklim · #43 12-23-2006, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ara T.

Nice. How about longevity? Is everything overbuilt enough to withstand the increased turbo pressure and last a reasonable amount of time? 200K miles at least?

And in response to the original thread. I like the 617 just because it's so easy to take care of. No spark plugs or wires or any of that crap.

Since there are no funky sensors to go wrong I know that it will start every morning. If it doesn't start, it is easy to troubleshoot and a random no-start would be unlikely. I would actually prefer a 560SEL/SEC though.

Not for $300, it isn't. Not even if you granny it every day.

Edit: I suppose it might be OK if you set the torque way up there and don't hit the spot except for that time or two. Pretty unusual tho.

No spark plugs but now you have an injection pump. I'd rather take care of cap and rotor every now and then as opposed to an injection pump. I have seen competent techs screw up an IP and if they can, what more me.

Maybe because I was immersed in cars when they went to fuel injection but I don't know why people are so paranoid of the sensors. Yes, there are more things to go wrong but there are better benefits to it too. We don't have to warm up the car and it can go without too much trouble in different altitudes. My ATVs for instance are FI and I don't have to rejet for different altitudes. I don't have to choke it. I just turn the key, wait for the humming to get done (2 seconds) and crank and then drive. With my carbed units I had to choke it to start, slowly set the choke as it warms up, etc, etc. Also diagnosis is much easier since there is something that points the way instead of playing around with this and that. My first car had a carb. Couldn't wait to get rid of it for modern fuel injection. Something acts up and I can see it on the scanner for a large part which gives me a picture of what is going on. Actually, I have had more problems with my carbed appliances than my FI stuff all put together. If my lawnmower would go FI, I'd sell it for the FI model as long as I get to put a scanner on it.

rs899 · #44 12-23-2006, 07:38 AM

I learned about them from a farmer. We had purchased a 20 acre farm, and had to cut the pasture. Bought an old Case 530D and put that thing to work in front of a 6 foot bushhog. Then I needed to start commuting 100 miles a day, so I bought my diesel Rabbit pickup (and the first wife didn't want "her" pickup dirty with car parts). I admired Mercedes diesels, and flirted with buying a few, but only much later (with a more tolerant second wife) bought her a 300D to replace a throw-away old Dodge, then myself a 240D stick.
Then I was hooked.

Rick

Angel · #45 12-23-2006, 09:04 AM

This wasnt more than 4 years ago...
I was driving to school (after 6yrs of navy subs) in a VW Corrado (snicker).

The corrado was a great highway car, but as any VW guy knows, corrados are problematic, and mine was getting the best of me.

There was a guy at my school, son of the local MB factory rep, who had a china blue 240D, real tall guy, and offered it up for sale. I was going to school for mechanical engineering technology and beginning to dislike short-lived computers. I was also engaged to a lovely women from my hometown/neighboorhood so the thoughts went like this:

"I'm in school, she doesnt make a whole lot of money. She currently drives a new car (97 Neon...blah) and will expect to remain doing the same. I have a 1990 and don't care if I get something older. I'm Not gonna spend money on 2 new cars"

- I'm not even sure I like having 2 cars at all (she is now a stay at home mom, its just more fuel/maintenance/insurance/hassle. Nice to have my own car, but man could we save some money.

"Any non-new car will require fixing, so I'd better get a car that is either easy to fix, or something I'd enjoy fixing". It looked like I wasn't going to enjoy fixing any car, so the MB diesels came up, not complicated, not enough power to collect lots of speeding tickets, good reputation for reliability. My father had an 81 rabbit diesel to commute in and my grandmother rocked the hills of state college in a 240D so I looked for one of those until that guy at school had one for sale. 263k on the clock, winter tires, working A/C, I jumped on it.

I'm not sure where I want to go now. The 240D is getting older faster, I found all the rust repair that I missed when I bought it, and for 28mpg I could get a honda civic, run cheaper fuel AND be able to hit 90mph. I'd love a W124 diesel, but money hasnt gotten any better with mom at home and a new 7 month old little guy so putting more than $3k into a car isnt making me thrilled- mom and little guy are wayyyy more important. (mom rocks a 2005 subaru though, not sure I want her to trade it so I can get a "better" car. Unfortunately, the 240D shows no signs of stopping, which makes it harder to get rid of. But an '87 300D (POWER) or an A2 Jetta diesel (above average economy) or my brothers W124 300E std-shift (cheap) do look pretty appealing.

Yeah, it wasnt that long ago, but I am diggin diesels. -John