Per the tach on on my 83 240 D w 4spd manual transmission, the rpm is 3K @ 60 mph. Does anyone know what the rpm would be at 60 for a 5 spd?

Also, at what rpm is peak torque for the 240D motor?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Betcha the 5 spd lugs like a pig at 60mph. Hell, I drop into 3rd at 57 on mine and consider anything south of 70mph in 4th to bottom the torque band. Low rpm's are not a good thing, less combustion efficiency will soon foul the chambers.

Shift points on the speedometer are not redline, I treat em like 'bottom line' marks for the next higher gear.

Do you have a 4 spd or 5 spd? I certainly don't want to lug the engine nor do I think I am lugging the engine. That is why I put the tach in. At the 1st dot, which is approx 21 mph, in 1st gear the engine is @ 4000 RPM. At the 2nd dot (approx 37 mph) in 2nd gear, the engine is @ 4200 RPM. The engine is screaming at 4000 and power definitely has flatened out.

Per the owner's manual for 240D with manual transmission: "Do not exceed the maximum speed in the individual gears. See line markings on the speedometer."

Those dots are not to exceed marks. To me that means redline. Are you saying you routinely exceed them? That can't be good for the engine.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Then from what you're sayin I'm constantly keepin the engine at/near 3800 rpm's, sounds about right to me. I always exceed shift points grabbing gears, anticipating 3mph drop in speed while making the shift. Like I've said, they're 'bottom lines' for next highest gear to me. For example, optimum performance/engine speed is 55 mph in 3rd for me, great for windey country roads, probly 3700-3800 rpms. Can drive in that range all day long. Car's a 4-spd that I've driven like bat outa hell the last 100k miles, now shows 210+ on the clock. Best performance upgrade was switching to synthetic oil when i bought the car for $500 on ebay. Every drive is an Italian tune-up, keeps it running clean. Have beaten n/a 300D's in races that include highways. Drove it from Kentucky to Arizona rarely doing less than 80mph.

Luggin em is worst abuse you can do. Seen this among diesel truck commercial fleet vehicles. Every fleet of identical models has couple of pigs with fouled chambers - and couple of hotrods that run like race horses. Its like grandma's diesel thats never been driven hard will always be a slug. I think individual diesel engines each find their own optimum power band depending on how they've been driven the past 80k miles or so.

And optimum power band is narrow: probly between 3400 and 3900 rpm for mine. Strikes me anything below 3200 is lugging the engine. 60mph in 5th gear (if i had one)?? Hell, that sounds like pitiful 26-2800rpm engine abuse. For me 5th would never see anything south of 75-80, same as the rest of my gears rarely see anything more than 3-5mph below bottom line marks before I drop into lower gear. LOL, in everyday traffic between 32 and 48mph on busy roads that include red lights I'm constantly paddling through gears. Dont even have time to light a cigarette between shifts.

240D 4-spd's are hellacious little cars that work the driver to death if kept within their power band, providing all kinds of special effects. Gotten to the point where I dont want to drive anything else. Owned and sold '77 Euro 280SEL 4-spd land yacht, thinkin the 4-spd 240D provided better sport and more challenge with narrower power band.

Yep, 240D 4-spd is last of its kind before automobiles became idiot-proof point and shoot without taxing the driver to actually operate the car.

I wouldn't say "lugs like a pig" but at 60 mph I down shift at the slightest rise with my 5 spds. They love it at 70-75. I never get into 5th around here, not till we go "off shore"

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

They're diesel engines... they will run at 2200 rpm no problem.

In a 240 you can cruise at 60 mph in top gear, just dont expect any acceleration without dropping it down a gear.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

The dot's are the highest speed where its safe to down shift. The dots are at about 4200rpm.

I shift mine at the dots and am always at WOT. The car runs fantastic.

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)

I found the following info in the 1981 Technical data passenger car manual.

For the 81 240D 123.123 chassis with 616.912 engine

max speed no load 5300 rpm
Output (at clutch) 52 KW (72 HP) @ 4400 rpm
Torque 137 NM @ 2400 rpm

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked