Thanks Brian,

So that is just a resonator or something before the muffler?

Edit- Yeah I guess that is too far back to be a CAT. Doh.

__________________
1986 300 SDL - rolling parts car and test bed.
1987 300 SDL - semi daily driver.
1977 U1000 Unimog
2007 Ram 2500 6.7l

Anyway, I am off to rig up a boost gauge.

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1986 300 SDL - rolling parts car and test bed.
1987 300 SDL - semi daily driver.
1977 U1000 Unimog
2007 Ram 2500 6.7l

On the very bottom of the radiator. There's a hole in the sheet metal and the plastic (blue) petcock should be visible. You can loosen it and drain the radiator. Don't tighten it very much going back in.........it's just plastic and seals with an o-ring.

Just a guess - wouldn't an 86 CA have come with a trap and get fitted with a cat after the recall?

Sixto
87 300D

You're the CA man..........I'll defer to you on that question.

Sounds like a typicalaSDL. Nothing a few grand can't fix.

Have fun with it!

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Mine has a trap replacement though I mistook the resonator for a cat. If the muffler is constricting flow I would want the stock look but not necessarily the OEM $$$ muffler. Feel free to point out any deals on OEM too though.

Anyone want to chime in with alternatives? I don't think I want at straight pipe on my road trip car but would be interested in hearing what one does for the spool.

Thanks much everyone.

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1986 300 SDL - rolling parts car and test bed.
1987 300 SDL - semi daily driver.
1977 U1000 Unimog
2007 Ram 2500 6.7l

If it's a Federal '86, it has no cat and the exhaust doesn't provide any restriction worth worrying about. The stock exhaust is fine.

To be clear, there's nothing that looks like a catalytic converter beside the tail end of the transmission forward of the 4-bolt flange? This is separate from a bulbuous resonator ahead of the left rear axle and the muffler just behind it.

Brian, I've never seen an original trapless 86. Did they come with a 'replacment' pipe? It's odd that MB would deliver trapless cars with a trap replacement pipe, but that's what I see in 90-91 SD/Ls. 140s have a Euro style exhaust manifold.

Sixto
87 300D

I'm assuming that the trap was replaced already.........hopefully a valid assumption.........but, who knows?

The replacement pipe is standard on the '86 without an added CAT. The '87 has a CAT..........don't know if that was added when the trap was removed...........presumably so.

Had a leak down done by a dealer just for baseline and piece of mind. Came back with:

cyl comp leak
1 29 8%
2 32 6%
3 29 18%
4 30 12%
5 30 15%
6 29 10%

I am thinking #2 probably had fuel in it when tested. They tell me the car is in excellent shape to go another 200k. Comments?

I have not been able to work with the exhaust yet. Will do it this weekend.

I got the proper coolant to replace the green stuff but I am going to go ahead and take the advice here and replace the radiator. The green stuff will stay in another week or so.

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1986 300 SDL - rolling parts car and test bed.
1987 300 SDL - semi daily driver.
1977 U1000 Unimog
2007 Ram 2500 6.7l

My '86 did...

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

My thought is that if the replacement was performed at a Mercedes Benz dealership, and was characterized there as a "warranty" or "recall" job, (as some were) then a MB Net (Vehicle Master Inquiry) would have picked it up for sure, and given the date and mileage it was done.

HAS a VMI been run on this car, by the way?

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

how does one go about a VMI?

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1983 300SD
Rusty, Loud and Proud

If you are talking about my car, I assumed they do this each time you take in for some service but I didn't inquire about it Wednesday. I found out my girlfriend knows the service manager though so I am sure I could call back in and ask they run one. Is there a self serve web service?

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1986 300 SDL - rolling parts car and test bed.
1987 300 SDL - semi daily driver.
1977 U1000 Unimog
2007 Ram 2500 6.7l