I guess this means we have to start listening to you......
Nice job!

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Oh Boy, Oh boy, Oh boy! It isn't my I.P.!(I hope)
I know what I am doing this afternoon. I'll unclip the bowden cable and run some light oil down it ... maybe I ought to use ATF? From what I've read here a lot of you use ATF for a general lubricant anyway and I never have.
Kerry I do appreciate your earlier comment.
The way it has felt is that the trany was shifting up because of the lack of power the engine was producing....rather than the other way around. But I am certainly going to check this out. I hope now to get some improvement from lubing the bowden cable and if I do but not a total cure, I will replace it. (though finances will dictate that I do it myself)
I certainly will post results for others who may have the same problem.

__________________
Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

Thanx Kerry! It was the Bowden Cable!
How high rpms should the engine go before it shifts with just light pressure on the accelerator? Presently it goes to about 1500 before it will shift if the acceleration is very light.

I would still like better acceleration at lower Rpms, but I think I am running normal now. It does start out in 2nd if the selector is in the D position. I think that is sort of normal though. I will also be tweaking the throttle linkage so that the WOT position on the I.P. coincides with the kickdown switch a bit better (It's close)
I sure appreciate all the guidance here...

__________________
Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

I think it all depends. For instance my 79SD shifts very early even after adjusting the Bowden cable. I think this improves fuel economy. My 85TD shifts much later than the 79. I wonder if MB set the transmissions up differently intentionally. The 85/79 comparison is not really valid anyway since there is some kind of electronic control of the shifting on the 85 based on an electronic sensor which detects rack position.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I was checking it out more carefully on my 300SD, 2nd to 3rd is about 1800 3rd to 4rth is about 1300 both with very light acceleration. What's odd is my other car a 300cd with a 2.47 diff comes off the line much better, I guess because 1st is so much more usable. It shifts around 1650-1700 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd, but 3rd to 4rth is more like 1400-1500. When I fixed a vaccum leak for the door/trunk locks my trany shifts smoothed right out too. These are sort of weird tranys when you are fairly new to them. Sure wish they had made more manuals, and lots more 5 speed manuals.
Anyway Thanx for diagnosing my Bowden Cable problem.

__________________
Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR