So, I checked the valves, none of them really needed adjusting. I replaced the 15W-40 with Rotella T6 5W-40. I also found that the new glowplugs were ****ty autolite plugs that didn't even glow during a bench test. The GP holes were also so plugged to **** with carbon that I couldn't even fit new bosch plugs in.

Anyway, reamed the holes and put in four new and one used bosch plugs that I had lying around and starting has improved immensely.

Once started, however, she is not happy at all. Lots of missing and shaking. If I run at higher rpms for a few seconds, idle smoothes out, but I never saw my 616 this unhappy. What gives?

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

Does the idle smooth out after the engine is fully warmed up? If so, sounds like still a gp issue.

Some folks recommend pulling the pre chambers and cleaning the carbon out completely.

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83 SD

84 CD

Is this a potential case where doing an italian tune up would help the engine?

When I had a glow plug go out, I found that after I replaced it my engine was still relatively unhappy with rough starts and mis fires. I decided to drove it hard and fast and the next cold start up was about as perfect as I'd come to expect.

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

Are you adjusting the ilde knob? Its on the dash to the left of the steering wheel. Mine isn't presently working, though. I was having problem with my 240D starting. Some of it is GPs and GP relay. I went with a lower viscosity oil 10W-40 or 10W-30 Rotella. I would go with synthetic oil year round if my engine didn't leak or use oil.
Tom

The turbo motors have an automatic idle speed adjuster in the IP, so that's not it, unless the idle is set too low.

As for the italian tune-up, I've still got the 3.69 rear end in from the 240, so I've been running reasonably high RPMs since i installed the engine in August. Could it be that I need one after after changing the GPs?

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

After doing all that reaming and fiddling, it couldn't hurt to do an Italian tune-up to blow any of the carbon debris that fell in, out of the engine.

Might not hurt to double check to make sure all the new glow plugs are connected and conducting as well. (To find a nut backing off due to vibration, new plug failed, etc...)

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-Josh
Testing the cheap Mercedes axiom, one bolt at a time...

I just switched my 300k 617 over to synthetic. Man does it ever spin faster now. I would suggest it even with leaks. Mine leaks..but I don't think it burns much oil. The difference in price 12 vs 19...3000 vs 5000 miles....I'm probably just going to keep doing synthetic. Much happy about it.

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

Do you know that 10W-40 or 10W-30 Rotella is not diesel rated oil?

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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

Look for the
"C" in the little ratings emblem. C for Compression S for Spark.

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

Is your car a w116 or a w126?

The 116 SDs don't have that automatic idle adjuster.

And on 126s, as the cars age some of them don't work properly (voice of experience). I had to reset the idle adjustment in the fall and spring on my '82 high-miler.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

my 126 idles at about 600. It feels low. Should I bring it up to 7 or 800?

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

It is low, rpm spec is on a sticker near the driver's head light.

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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

yeah, there is a gluey square where that sticker used to be.

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

If it's smooth and it doesn't stall in the cold, it's fine. My previous engine was set to idle at 500-550, and it was perfectly happy. My current engine is about 750 (which is correct by the book) but it feels to high, I'll probably turn it down to about 650.

The engine is from an '81 W126. Unfortunately, I have yet to install a tach, so I don't even know what the idle is. Doesn't the IP change the idle speed from cold engine to warm engine? I can hear it changing the idle a little bit from time to time.

I'll try driving it hard, but I used grease on the reamer to catch the falling carbon and also cycled the engine a few times with all the GPs out to blow out as much of the carbon as I could.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition