ALDA ?'s
 

First time posting so hello forum members. I recently got a 1980 300TD. The PO had swapped in the turbo 0617. Not the cleanest swap but happy non the less. MY question about the ALDA is that its not hooked up at all. Also no switch over valve that i can see on the firewall as this was a non turbo to begin with and the banjo fitting on the intake manifold is open with no vac line attached. So my question is should i try to hook up the ALDA or try to delete it? How to delete it as well. Thanks again.

Actually that is not an ALDA. That is the altitude compensation device found on non-turbo motors, and the open tube is supposed to be that way. The ALDA looks quite different.

If I had to guess... the guy installed his old non-turbo injection pump onto the turbocharged motor.

Good to know its an old IP. Does that mean there is no Alda at all? Should I cap the manifold banjo fitting? Thanks.

Does it have a turbo on it? If it does.....you will need to get a turbo injection pump as a non turbo pump doesn't provide enough fuel pressure I believe it is....

It does have the turbo in it. I am starting to worry that the PO did some other things that I would not have. It ha the N/A radiator without a coolant reservoir. So my temp is always a little high. Starting to think he didn't just drop a whole 0617 turbo engine in but rather just added the turbo to the N/A block. Which I know doesn't have the piston oil squirters. It does have all the oil lines to and from the turbo back to the oil pan. Will have to check the block serial numbers to be sure. I still think I should cap the banjo fitting on the intake. Boost pressure must be escaping. Anybody else verify the N/A pump as a problem I should fix. Fuel supply seems to be okay from the butt dyno but not sure. Thanks for the heads up on the N/A pump appreciate it. That's why I love this forum. Asked one question and found another.

Post some more/larger photos of the engine bay and we can probably tell if it was original a na engine......does it have the sls pump on it still or was it deleted? That's not good if he didn't upgrade the radiator....and I believe the rear end would also need to be upgraded to a turbo one.....

He may have put the original injection pump back on because the newer engine didn't have the correct setup for the auto transmission....

This is at the bleeding edge of my experience, but here goes:

- yes, cap the manifold banjo bolt.

- you CAN run the NA engine and pump with a turbo grafted on... assuming that is what is was done (honestly I doubt this is the case, though). People used to install turbo kits on the OM616 four cylinder engines. Is it a great idea? Maybe if you keep the boost turned down to basically give you a low-pressure turbo setup. You have no fuel enrichment under turbo boost, so the benefits of the compressed intake air is pretty limited. And of course the motor is missing the internal turbo upgrades.

- people have got by with leaving the NA rad in place when dropping in a turbocharged motor. Again, good idea? Up to you, but I would probably not. If the car is running hot it may be you have cooling system issues apart from the rad that is installed.

- there is no requirement to upgrade the rear end. There are guys running around with 240Ds with OM617.952 transplants with no such upgrade.

- you should pull an injector and check what you've got in there. Non-turbo injectors have a lower opening pressure, 110 lbs vs. 150 (it should be engraved on the injector body). If you have 150 injectors in there, being fed by a NA pump, the timing is off, which might partly explain your operating temp.

I will post more pic's tomorrow. It still has the SLS and I can tell it still has the original rear end gearing. Freeway speeds it wines but don't see much of the freeway here. In town it scoots. I will be looking for a turbo radiator cause here in the desert I see high temps. Will plug the banjo fitting. Also gonna start looking into IP info. Also I will check the injectors for pop pressure engraving. Don't understand why they would put the old IP on because of auto transmission. Anymore info on that would be great. Cause if its not fuel enriching under boost couldn't it cause detonation or other problems?

When you switch radiators, be aware, you will need the radiator....fan shroud and expansion tank....would also be a good idea to replace the fan clutch while you working in the front of the engine....use zerex g-05 coolant also to help protect the plastic bits.....

If the engine still has the SLS pump on the head, then I would like to think someone just stuck a turbo onto the non turbo...as most people who do an engine swap in a wagon....just place a sedan motor, since the wagon motors are harder to come by...

Your transmission is controlled by vacuum....the vacuum valve is on the injection pump.....if the engine was replaced it may have had the Bowden rod plus vacuum setup....or it may be from a w116 and never had provisions for a vacuum driven transmission....

Dont wanna hijack too much, but would you recommend the same coolant in a om603? Thats the clear/goldish stuff right?

None of which would explain using the NA pump. Not with any degree of logic, anyway.

All of them have a vacuum control valve on the pump.

The w116 turbodiesels had vacuum modulators for the transmission. The only diesels without it were the very early w123s.

As it is a 1980 w123 wagon, if it has its original transmission, then it most likely has the same vacuum-only model as my 1980, a 722.118, which has no Bowden cable or rod.

It just occurred to me that the other possibility here is that the PO put the head off a turbodiesel onto his non-turbo.

It would be helpful to have more photos of the engine compartment.

Well it is a hijack, but the factory recommendation is either the OEM Mercedes coolant or the Xerex G-05.

There was recently a heated thread on here over whether that is really necessary. Use the search engine, it won't be hard to find lots of discussions about whether using the prescribed coolant is a must.

FWIW, I use the Xerex and I use synthetic oil. Many feel that neither has any net benefit. Bottom line, it's a personal choice thing.

I have an expansion tank, radiator (barely used Nissens), and shroud for sale. I'd be happy to make a package deal... PM me.

More pictures of engine bay.

You need to read the block and verify it's a turbo engine with an NA pump. It's a wierd combo and I doubt very much its a turbo engine. If it's not a turbo, change it back to NA. I could do 110mph in my NA and with a stick they are quite peppy.