1981 300D Vacuum Issues

[i-osprey]

Ok, before I start I will say that I have looked at the vacuum diagrams in the sticky but they haven't helped me yet.

I have a 1981 300D automatic and I am having some issues.

First some background.

When I bought it, it would shift only at high rpms and I discovered that this was because the vacuum modulator was bad (it wouldn't hold a vacuum).

I replaced this and it began to shift WAY too early. I then adjusted the modulator and nothing happened. When I checked the new modulator again it wouldn't hold a vacuum any more.

I am at the point now that I just want it to shift the way it was shifting and I will deal with it.

To complicate matters, I broke the throttle nipple on the brake booster vacuum line somewhere along the way. I bought a replacement but it doesn't look exactly like the one I had. The line seems to be a bit too long and the nipples aren't in the same place. I got it at the dealership and it looks like the ones I could find on ebay but I didn't get because it looked different.

I also in the middle of this mess decided to remove the vacuum stuff on the valve cover and reattach the lines like it has been suggested elsewhere on the forum.

Now, it still shifts way too early even with the vacuum line removed from the transmission altogether and I can't get it to get up to speed. It is like the transmission is in too high a gear and the engine just bogs down on hills and won't ever get up to speed like it should. I can shift it manually but it still doesn't seem to be accelerating as well as it should be.

It also doesn't shut off properly. It did when I bought it, albeit a little delayed, but now it won't.

I do have a mighty vac (at least a craftsman version) and have used it to determine that the trans. modulator is not holding a vacuum.

I have checked the forum but nothing seems to be exactly what I need. The diagrams don't quite seem to match up.

I also don't need my locks to work I just want it to run and shift properly and then shut off when I turn off the key.

Thanks for the help

What I want to know is what is the base minimum vacuum setup you can have and still have everything work