Warning...
They way I read your description of oil in the air cleaner...
may mean the vacuum pump has a tear in it..
this is a classic sign...
and can give way fast.. like between one stop sign and another..
and the pressure needed without the brake booster can allow you to MISS stopping at the stop sign..... I was lucky.... only rolled a little way through and no traffic..and drove the car home... but was amazed at how hard the car was to stop... if it caught you unprepared it really could be bad...
lots of threads about replacing that diaphram if that is what has happened...

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

Great warning!. I'll read up how to check it and order what I need tomorrow. I'm putting together a parts list of must do's right now.

It needs brakes. (front pass sounds like it rubbing). Also the tie rod ends need replacing. looks like there are 6 total? does anyone just offer a kit with all of them? Finding it very confusing to order the correct parts.

Also in the parts list so far are a new power antenna, new headlight, new fog lens, new hood release cable.

When you put the car into drive, the back end squats. The shocks back there don't seem bad... is this normal?

There seems to be quite a bit of play in the actual shifter. Not even sure where to begin with that... You actually have to put it into Drive, then down a little further like your going into 2nd before drive actually engages. Going to park, you have to really give it a hard push forward to get park to actually engage or the car stays in neutral...

The parts place sent the wrong trans gasket today, so I didn't get it serviced yet. Had already removed the lines etc, so lost about 2 quarts of that coffee black trans fluid... replaced that missing fluid with lucas for now, until I can get the right gaskets and filters to service it correctly.

Fixed the Dash lights today. Was the rheostat. As dim as the dashes are to begin with, I can't see ever wanting to "dim" them, so I just jumped it.

Found the Idle control switch under the dash console. Doesn't seem to actually do anything.

Put a good solid 300 miles on the car so far. It actually runs great. kick down works good. it will hold 60 going up some of the steepest grades in chattanooga. I'm wondering if there would be any way to put a little taller gear in the rear end, and lower the RPMS... let me drive 70+ without sounding like a jet.

Made an offer on a 87 TD today... it was really low, so I'm doubting he'll take it but worth a shot. (The same TD that was for sale in that thread I started about it almost 4 months ago.) It's god some bad rust, but seems to run great.... If I get it, maybe I swap it's engine into my 87 300D. Or if the rust looks repairable, use the my 87 300D as a donor. I would rather have a TD in the end.

Not sure if there's a front end kit or not, but you have two tie rods, and a center link with ball joints.

A bit of a squat shouldn't hurt. It seems you may need new shifter bushings, being plastic, they do degrade over time.

Transmission fluid should be red, no other color.

You may be able to find a higher (numerically) gear rear end.

Happy wrenching.

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83 SD

84 CD

Every automatic Mercedes I've ever owned/driven has done this. Some more so than others. Might not be the case when new, I wouldn't know as I've never had the money to even think of buying one new, but it didnt' seem to be an issue on the older ones.

You need to replace all the shifter bushings before you can start to get an idea of what's really going on.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Did your wife buy this line ?? I didn't !!

Great Buy, Good Luck and Enjoy the ride.

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Gary
Experience is something you get, Just after you needed it....
'99 E300 295K, '83 300D 220K, '75 240D 185K sold
'80 MCI Bus Conv DD 6V92TA, w/4 cyl. Kubota diesel GenSet 12.5KW

BAWHAAA HAAA....

Ya, she knows better.

my .02....
you don't wanna change the diff ratio. you have a 3.46 now, so the next step would be 3.07. if you have decent hills, you will be disappointed. I had no issues at 75+ in my NA... and if the kick down is working well, 1st gear starts REALLY get you moving. but you have issues accelerating from the 55+ range. as it's too fast for 3rd, and any hills that force you to slow down SUCK!!! possibly a taller ratio could help that, as it'd let you hold 3rd longer... not sure of the tradeoff. I guess adjusting the bowden for longer shifts may help... or manually shifting with the taller gears... hmmm...
you try it and report for us!
the guy with the 3.07 in the 240 seems to like it.
the odo is an easy fix. search with my user name and the word odometer in an advanced search. plenty of info.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

If you are concerned about the vacuum pump being the source of the oil in the air filter it might (just might) be worthwhile getting your wife to pump the brakes - engine off - whilst you listen under the hood for leaks. If there is something really leaking then you'll probably hear where air is being sucked in / blown out. This isn't a definitive way of checking your vacuum system by any means but it gives you a simple heads up.

My guess after seeing your video, however, is that you are getting oil through the valve cover breather tube as a result of that fantastic blow by.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Ordered a few new parts for it, a starter, cause the one on it wants to continue to try and start when cold. (If I leave the car plugged in or after the car has warmed up its fine) have a tube coming to replace that one that goes from valve cover to air cleaner, brakes, Replacing the tie rods etc. new headlight and 1 fog lamp, they work, both have holes in them. Replaced the radiator cap, it was shot. put a 16# in, it had a 13# on. Tossed on new wipers today cause it was raining. Picked up 3 new muffler hangers that where missing and have new trans seals and filter coming next week. The lucas actually has been making a difference in that crappy black trans fluid. Would have been changed already but Orily's sent the wrong gaskets to my mechanic.

Still looking for a back seat and drivers seat, then I 'll test the vac pods. The fan heater blower in VERY strong... but I get LOTS of heat... no matter what. So much I have to drive with the blower off and the vents closed. altering the temp gauge on the controls does little. I'm guessing I have some vac pods out that's not allowing the heat to turn off.

Been driving the crap out of it. It's actually a very peppy car, much more responsive than I would have guessed. on interstate It does 65 70 without issue, and would do more but it just sounds like the engines revving up so high at that point and I don't really want to push it to hard. Hence the idea of a taller rear.

Have a few mystery vac lines etc I need to figure out, looks like the PO really tore into the car but didn't actually finish anything he was doing to it...

But, like I said before, I'm not going to do too much the car, just get it to be a good clean driver.

New starters on, all new front suspensions on, the new trans kit's in. Will be picking it up in the morning. Still looking for a rear seat and drivers seat for it.

Got a bunch of little parts from that 300D being parted out locally... Super nice guy, going to head back over and get things I forgot, but replaced my drivers seat today. It's blue... but feels a LOT better on the butt. I used the bottom section of his passenger seat and switched over my top and the rails. Also got the mono valve, and it works great! Finally, I can drive with the air on and not blow heat. Also grabbed the air con control and put it in my car, as his looked new. even the dial looked new.

Is there an intact blue first aid kit?

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83 SD

84 CD

as a matter of fact... yes. and an almost perfect blue back seat. I can grab it if I go over there tomorrow.

I paid $1000 for our 81 300D 4 years ago and have been very happy (not counting the busted knuckle adventures) with it ever since. Just because someone else doesn't know how much it's worth doesn't mean it's worth less. BTW, mine had 200K on it (now 239k). hvac may be a vac leak, but I just changed my control head last summer. Works great now. (I also replaced the guts of the monovalve right after I bought it when all it would do is produce furnace-worthy heat (it fixed it). One thing is guaranteed with these cars--when it's summer, the heater works great, and when it's winter, the AC will really keep you cool!!

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"Knowing is not enough, we must apply.
Willing is not enough, we must do." Goethe

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1951 Chevy 3100

2003 Indian Chief Roadmaster

1983 GMC 1 ton Dually

1982 Chevy 1 ton Dually, service body (sold)

'90 GMC Suburban 6.2 "SS Veg-Burban"
(single tank WVO\diesel conversion) SOLD

'81 300D ~ Mama's car...my job (now my car)(but still my job) SOLD

'83 300sd ~ rescue car SOLD

2005 Ford Taurus (Mama's new car)(NOT my job!)

LOL!

I'm really liking the 81 300D so far. Just about have all the bugs worked out of her, still hunting for that top back seat, might just go and put the blue one in I found for now. Using it as a kid hauler everyday... and other than the blowby.... it's great. Gets amazing milage. About the only thing I still have to really do to it is replace the drives door seal, which I ordered tonight, and get the thing over and alined good now that I have the new suspension parts in. But, other that the cruise control, and the air, everything else on this car works now.