While underneath, you can check out oil cooler lines, gaskets, front end parts, etc...

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Hey Joe, pardon the following question, which I know will come across to you as from someone totally ignorant about the topic at hand, which I am...
I use Chevron Delo 400 14-40 for my 240D. Is that considered a synthetic? If not, what synthetic is recommendable for the 240D, and approximately at what price? I pay about $8 per gallon for the Delo 400...

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

I go underneath my call all the time (seems like every week or two). Just not usually to pull the drain plug.

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2009 VW TDI Jetta Sportwagon 172k miles (rear-ended harder than Elton John on 8/4/13. Total loss)

1991 Volvo 240 142k miles (T-boned by a stop sign runner. Total loss)

I know it takes a lot of patience to answers such questions, but it's actually my first time under the car (any car, really)... Where can I get more info about WHAT specifically to look for, HOW specifically to recognize impending problems...

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

This ought to help.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Thanks a lot for the links! I need to register at that site first in order to read the content... and I don't have time for it now... I need to run! I'll do it tomorrow...

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

What links? I didn't include any.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

What we have here.....is a failure.....to...communicate.....

Oil analysis from our old diesels has proven that the only valid concern with extended oil change interval is soot buildup. Soot, which is 0.03 microns in size, is completely harmless to an engine because it's just too small to be a problem. As long as the soot doesn't clump up and therefore grow in size, the oil works like it's specified and the engine will suffer no ill effects.

If the additive package can't prevent the clumping, then we have a problem. The newest, low emission diesels have EGR which increases soot in the oil. Therefore it was highly desirable for the oil companies to formulate oil that could handle to soot. They have. Amsoil has an oil that they claim can handle 10% soot without clumping. The other diesel synthetics run anywhere from 4 to 6%. Generally speaking, our engines with decent fuel will put about 1 to 2% soot into the oil in 10kmiles.

And, to complicate it a bit more, if you have to top off at any time in the cycle, the additives are replenished.

The Europeans think our oil change intervals are absolutely crazy. Oil there is a lot more expensive. Changing the filter and topping off is a very common practice. Studies have shown that they don't wear out engines any faster than we do.

The 3kmile change is a myth that needs to die. There's just no need for it. Unless, of course, you're running an oil change place, or a dealership which likes to work the pin action on oil changes. Typical scam....get them in on a cheap oil change, and then work other issues at the going rate....

There's one born every minute.

240Joe

No.

Mobil Delvac among others. Mobil 1 is okay for passenger car Diesels. Either is about $6/quart. Less if you buy it by the gallon.

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

I love oil threads. :-)

Opinions (even my own) are like ....

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George Stephenson
1991 350 SDL (200K and she ain't bent, yet)
former 2002 E320 4Matic Wagon - good car
former 1985 300 CD - great car
former 1981 300 TD - good car
former 1972 280 SEL - not so good car
a couple of those diesel Rabbits ...40-45 mpg

i think joe's argument is totally convincing, now that he spelled it out. what i am wondering about, though, and i have no oil analysis at this point to back it up, is whether, when you run your diesel on veg oil, like i do with two of mine, you need to change the oil more often. the german conversion company elspeth (they are a bit more perfectionist than makes sense to me with some of their engineering) claims that, running an older style mb diesel engine (617, 603, 601, 602 etc.) on veg oil, you should shorten your oil change intervals to 2500 at the most....
christian

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1974 240D, 125K mi, B100 now, SOLD
1980 300TD, 115K mi, 4-speed stick, roll-up windows, greasecar with two tank conversion (daily driver)
1985 300D, 220K miles, greasecar with two tank conversion, SOLD
1993 300D 2.5turbo, 158K miles, green/tan, B20-B50

Yes, they do shorten the intervals of oil changes when using WVO and SVO. Of course, fuel gets in the oil. What's in SVO and WVO? Sometimes, there's small amounts of animal fats and other materials. They get into the oil too, and hamper the lubricating process. It thickens the oil and causes sludge.

More reading on this subject: http://www.uidaho.edu/bioenergy/Bioshortcourse/Rawoil.htm

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

These:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/attachments/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td-te-class/74797-parts-reference-pages-10_1797320_2222006124903pm.jpg
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/attachments/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td-te-class/74800-parts-reference-pages-10_1797333_2222006125631pm.jpg

Perhaps you included the images, but my browser didn't displayed them: it showed only the links to the images.
I was able to register at the benzworld site and took a look at those pictures today, but I have to say that my car looks different... Your images are the same as my manual's for the car...
For instance, the drain plug is not located where the manual (and your images) show it to be.

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

Thank you for the clarification... Pretty expensive though, it would cost me three times as much in oil to do an oil change (6 quarts of Delo 400 = $12).
Is it really worth that price difference? How?

Rino

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1979 240D, W123, 105K miles, stick, white w/ tan interior.

Per 240Joe the economy comes from not changing the oil as frequently. If you run synthetic 3 times as long as Delo 400 then the price is a wash. Factor in your time and effort and you're ahead.

Your 616 might not care but in 60x engines with lots of miles the lash adjusters can get noisy. Synthetic oil can get them quiet again.

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0