does the instrument cluster for a 78 300sd (w116) go up to 125 mph? i saw one on ebay saying it is from a 300sd but i goes up to 85 and i always thought it should go up to 125,..thxs

Ive seen it both ways - I had the 85 MPH version in my 80 and was in a junkyard and picked up one out of a 79 300 that went upto 120.($5!!!) The drive gear was the proper ratio, either speedo works in the car W/O modification.

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1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

The 78 and 79 models had a 125mph speedo. In 1980 the US gov't made a law that ALL cars in the US must have 85mph max. speedos (even porches and ferrari's).. In 1983 they went back to 125mph..

Does that mean on my 82 300D I could stick a 125mph Speedo in and have it work properly?

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2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-cars-sale/119226-1982-300d-sale.html#post852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP

Capt Kirk, by "work properly" do you mean would it make your car GO 125 mph ? You trying to cut some time off the trip to Mckinney Park ? Greg

lol

I'm sure with a big enough tail wind I could hit 125, regardless the speedometer.

I'm just concerned that it would register the proper speed on a 125mph speedometer, if I replaced my 85mph one.

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2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP

FWIW, I don't see any reason another speedo wouldn't work correctly, regardless if it reads to 85, or 120. It would still tell you the correct speed.

FWIW addendum;
I needed to replace the drive unit on my 85mph speedo as the part where the cable plugs into the speedo was broken. I pulled a 120 gauge from another car and took it apart to use just the drive unit and put it into the 85. The gauge worked, but it read slow.(not something you really need to see on a 240 )
Dumb idea I guess, but I couldn't find any 85 speedos in my PNP yards at the time (2 months ago). Of course now, this is ALL I can find!:p

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Ed
1981 300CD (Benzina)
1968 250 S (Gina) 266,000 miles!
1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 (Guido)
1976 Jaguar XJS-saved a V-12 from the chevy curse, what a great engine!
1988 Cadillac Eldorado (better car than you might think!)
1988 Yamaha Venture (better than a Wing!)
1977 Suzuki GS750B
1976 Yamaha XS 650 (sold)
1991 Suzuki GSX1100G (Shafty Gixser)
1981 Yamaha VX920RH (Euro "Virago")
Solex Moped
1975 Dodge P/U camper


"Time spent in the company of a cat, a beer, and this forum, is not time wasted!"

well Ed, that does make sense that the 120 gears would read slower on an 85 face since a 120 speedo has less distance between speeds then an 85 speedo. (Did that make sense?)


But I guess that it sorta implies that one could swap out the speedos since the gearing comes with the speedometer, not the transmission.

__________________
2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP