What data do you have to support this assumption?

__________________

The wonderful world of physics! Where there is no nonsense and numbers matter.

__________________
'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

On my 1983 240D. There is so much flywheel inertia that I can literally let out the clutch without giving any gas pedal in 1st gear. This is on flat ground, with stock rear end gearing (3.69 I think). Unless you are driving in San Francisco or Pittsburgh I would think lower (3.09 or 2.88) would make 1st gear more usable in most driving situations. This assumes you have proper clutch- gas pedal technique. I have known some drivers who have destroyed their clutch multiple times, (10,000 mile increments) because of improper technique. I' am hoping to make this change to my car in the near future.

3.28 is not an MB ratio... 2.24, 2.47, 2.69, 2.88, 3.06, 3.07, 3.46, 3.58, 3.69, and 3.92 are the ratios that I can think of that might be in your car.
But do you have numbers? I think you're relying more on conventional wisdom than physics here.
Please report back! I have a 240D turbo and am going to try throwing in a 3.07 with a 717.400 5-speed, which would give me an effective first gear that would be the same as a 4-speed in first with the 2.88.

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

You can do that with most vehicles if you're careful. I can even do it with my Street Triple that has such a tall first gear that it goes all the way to 67 mph before it hits the rev limiter.

I have the stock 3.07 in my 300D with a 240D manual transmission. I generally run 1st gear up to about 20 before shifting, unless I'm in a hurry to get somewhere, in which case it gets run up to the dots. When I had a 240D I usually floored it and shifted at the dots. I recall first gear was good for about 21 mph in that car.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.