Yup, thats me

Sold the last E28 last summer, am building an E30 track car that'll make it's opening appearance at RA in the March DE, and picked this benzo up for dirt cheap, so, I'm trying to get it running today over at AutoFab Motorsports, in Suwanee.

No, I did not remove the hard lines, I left them in place. I'm about to try it again right now.

It sounds as if it wants to fire on a cylinder or 2, but thats it. I'm about to try cracking the fuel lines to see if fuel is getting to the injectors before I try to diagnose any further.

Well hell, if the bastions of German engineering, Napa, Pepboys and Autozone call it a TDT, than I certainly stand corrected.

You may be OK with their half shaft. Time will tell. Surely they can't ALL fail.....

__________________
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

It lives!!!!


Bled the fuel from the fuel lines to the injectors, and whammo!!! starts right up.

Now, how much should the motor move in these thigns when running? Seems to run fairly good, but also seems to have alot of part-throttle hesitation, and is shaking the front end of the car quite a bit. Think just a valve adjustment could fix it, or just let it run for awhile? Old fuel perhaps?

Get off of your computer and go drive for awhile.....

__________________
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

Haha, yeah, it's definitely running TONS better.

I'm thinking somebody has playede with the Alda, because it will chirp into second gear at WOT. Most of the white smoke is gone, etc. So far so good!!! I'm stoked!!!!!!

Also - oil pressure gauge - sits steady at 2 Bar, once you rev it much it pegs at 3 bar, is that normal? I need to change the oil in a bit anyways, but just curous whats normal for oil pressure.

Thanks a ton guys!!! No offense, I seemt o have gotten most of it on my own, but ti's the thought that you guys were here that kept me trucking at it till I got it running!!!

That's quite interesting regarding the injection lines. Some engines such as that one will definitely require fuel in the lines or the IP can't overcome the air. Some engines, such as my SD, can purge the air from the lines after they have been removed and reinstalled. I'm betting that it's related to the internal clearances of the individual elements and pistons within the IP.

Good job on getting it running.

Normal oil pressure at idle is typically between 1.0 and 1.5 bar. Some engines are higher.......some lower. Down to .3 bar is acceptable.

When revved, the pressure typically pegs a 3 bar at any rpm greater than 1200.

As for the injection pump, what are you saying, that mine might be wonr to not be able to overcome the air in the lines? I remember when I was in diesel school (awhile ago, but I haven't touched a diesel since about 6 months after I got out of school), it was common practice on older diesels to have to purge the lines to ensure there was no air in them.

How often to the injections pumps come out of time on these cars as well? Is it ONLY from chain deflection? Hopefully by next weekend I will have time to get the valve cover off and do a proper valve adjustment as well, which I'm sure will help immensely.

And thanks for the oil pressure info, that sounds about right. Seems high at idle comapred to what your saying, but it probably just needs an oil change more than anything.

It's just a theory of mine to explain why some IP's can self prime and some cannot. A brand new pump is tight enough to force air through the lines. An older pump is not. Doesn't mean anything in terms of operation, however.

The IP timing will typically be retarded on most older engines if they've never been adjusted (typical). The chain elongates and the timing is late.

If the valves haven't been done in ages (typical), a proper valve adjustment will do wonders for the performance. If the valves are neglected for too long, the intake valves won't close and the seats will burn. There's only .004" of seat wear available for an intake valve.

My SD has an idle value of 2.1 bar. I don't fully believe it for an engine with 195K on the clock, but, I'm not worried about it in the slightest. When you change oil, the pressure will typically rise slightly after the change.

OK, that makes sence. I bought Rotella 15W-40, I'll probably buy a synthetic once I know everything is in tip-top shape. It's been running now for 3+ hours, and gets beter every time I go to drive it down the road.

I've been told that these transmissions seem to shift fairly hard the way they are, it seems 1-2 and maybe it's the 2-3 uphisft are fine, but not too long after it hits 3rd it shifts real hard, but feels like the trans is hitting something, but I've been told this is near normal? Are these a 3 speed or 4 speed auto? I can definitely tell it's like alot of other Merc trans's, it starts in 2nd unless your in L and floored. Maybe I'm feeling broken moor/trans mounts, and maybe the trans seems to torque over just right causing the bang when hitting 3rd or 4th than I'm noticing?

Is tehre any kind of TV or kickdown cables on these trans's that can be adjusted, maybe a previous owner played with things to make it shift harder?

Also, how do you get the dash backlighting to work? Is there a dimmer switch somewhere inside the vehicle which I cannot find? All of the dash backlighting is dead, I need to check all of the fuses and clean the fuse contacts first, but if that doens't cure it, am I missing something? I'll probably have to remove the cluster anyways to replace my glow plug bulb.

dash dimmer is the knob that resets the odometer. turn it.
the reostats can fail, i beleive there is a soldering fix, always on full brightness. which is still dim, usually.

there are lots of good threads on trannies. happy reading.

If the engine was moving alot, check the mounts and shocks,if it has them.
this could very likely be your clunk.

__________________
1984 123.193 372,xxx miles, room for Seven.

1999 Dodge Durango Cummins 4BTAA 47RE 5k lb 4x4 getting 25+mpgs, room for Seven.

Wow- as a new owner you got everyones attention. There is a kickdown switch- it's under your accel pedal- take a look you ought to have a small button under it. Your tranny is vaccuum controlled- and it's got a alot of adjustments to make it shift like butter - not "flare" and not shift hard. Do a search by clicking on the upper blue bar- try flare and tranny perhaps. Rotella 15-40 is fine. I used to be a look at the back of the car to see what it's called guy- but Mercedes does actually put a "-T" on turbo cars paperwork sometimes. The original stickers of W123 (which is what you have- it's the chassis name- if you have a coupe, wagon or sedan; they are all called w123) turbo cars said for example 300D-T. If you know the cars you refer to the car as the emblem reads: a 300D is a 300D; turbo or non turbo. It seems if you want to "boast" or are a beginner you add the "T". It's the first evidence of the ugly head of "bling" if you ask me. The full on "bling bling" MB site is benzplanet or something. Not much real info there, but plenty of shiny gold boasting. There was no "option" as suggested earlier of a turbo on a 1980 wagon. The wagons were turbo'd in 81, the sedans and coupes in 82. The larger "SD" (either the w126 or the earlier w116 chassis) were all turbo'd. Enjoy your sedan, but watch out... its a addiction.