With a full tank, you had better get more than a trickle..........fuel should be everywhere..........and you are struggling to get the hose back on quickly...........

If not...........the strainer needs to be cleaned/changed.

I just did this job on the SD. The strainer was just about plugged solid on all screening holes from accumulated debris over the last 23 years.

You'll usually need to find a 1 13/16 socket (46mm). Or, if you're very lucky, the strainer will turn when you attempt to remove the fuel line and you can seperate the fuel line from the strainer outside the vehicle. This happened on the SD although I did have the socket.

Here's a pictorial on cleaning your tank screen:

Tank Screen Removal - Pictorial

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

No gusher here! I had the fuel supply hose off while I was fiddling with the cigar hose! So I guess it's definitely plugged up. As soon as I use up this tank, and the new screen and filters arrive I ordered from here, I'll get to the job.

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R Martin
Dallas, TX (Addison)

86 560SEL, 128K

No, it's Federal. Been in PA and MD all its life. Except for the last 18 months when it's had the privilege of visiting TN.

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R Martin
Dallas, TX (Addison)

86 560SEL, 128K

It isn't necessary to buy a new screen, it's easily cleanable.

If you put the car in "L" does it move more quickly? A lot of times the cable controlling the upshift/downshift of the transmission is not adjusted correctly. I adjusted mine and the difference was night and day. To adjust it you loosen the cable where it attaches to the pivot on top of the intake manifold. Look up "bowden cable" for more information. before I adjusted it the trans shifted up at around 1500 RPM. I adjusted it so that it shifts at 3800 (around 20mph) now.

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
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Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

i think the fuel strainer is probably the issue. i'm waiting to use up the fuel in my tank in order to clean the strainer.

the transmission shifts fine. waiting 'till 3800 to shift gives a pretty head jerking shift in my opnion unless you're really winding it out.

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R Martin
Dallas, TX (Addison)

86 560SEL, 128K

since the cigar hose will not reach, go to a parts store and get 6' of 5/16" hose, cut it in half and replace the cigar hose with the 3' chunk of hose and reverse the lines. this will clear out the strainer, and give you decent performance until about 1/4 tank, where you will run out of fuel, so switch the lines back before this point. then once you have gotten the fuel deep into the reserve tank, (like 60 miles after you hit the R mark) take the other 3' piece of hose and stuff one end into the cap of a juice bottle filled with Marvel mystery oil. hook the other end up to the supply line, and take the hose off the tank and hook it up to the juice bottle too. you should now be able to do a "diesel purge" as in the DIY on dieselgiant's site.
enjoy the performance boost!
while you are at the parts house, get new fuel filters too.
John

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Does your IP linkage hit full stop?

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1995 E420 Schwarz
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#1987 300D Sturmmachine
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#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

swapped the fuel hoses and made way from Maryland to Tennessee. drove about 400 miles with them switched.

Can't say it made any difference. I think I could persuade myself there was a little difference in low end performance but I could just as easily be persuaded it is all in my head. Nothing dramatic.

maybe IP needs timed?

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R Martin
Dallas, TX (Addison)

86 560SEL, 128K

Finally got around to having mechanic clean the tank screen. It didn't appear to be very dirty but it's definitely not dirty now as we cleaned it up completely. Also change both fuel filters and replaced my leaking primer pump. Low end performance seems to have improved. We'll see.

Still would like to tweak my turbo boost up a notch. I think maxing out at 8psi is too low and would like to feel what the car would do with more like 10.

See my other thread on the fiasco we had with replacing the rear sway bar links.!!

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R Martin
Dallas, TX (Addison)

86 560SEL, 128K