Frau Frankenbenz - 1983 240D body with 1984 300SD engine and 1981 240D manual transmission with 2.88 diff - all installed by me and friends/husband in 2005.

So the last time I posted a little over 3 years ago, poor Frau Frankenbenz had been waiting patiently for all the front suspension to get re-done. In fits and starts, and mostly over the last couple of months, we finally got everything replaced. Upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, guide rod mounts, control arms, steering drag link, new bilstein shocks, etc. etc. etc. She has been sitting since 2008, and was very difficult to get started up. So what began as "let's finish this suspension job" has now become more of a "we're all-in" restoration project. She'll never be a beauty queen, but here's what we've done over the last year:
-Front suspension rebuild, and alignment at the Mercedes dealership
-Valve adjustment
-New tires all around
-Replaced all door seals, window seals, and exterior window scrapers (still need to do front and rear windscreen seals)
-Replaced all glow plugs (starts like a champ now!) (3 out of 5 GP were bad)
-Discovered that under load, the upper oil cooler hose started weeping, so replaced that
-Discovered that while lifting the engine to replace oil cooler hose, one of the engine arm bolts had sheared inside the engine arm - got a replacement engine arm and new engine mount bolts.
-Also discovered that all the engine mount rubber was smashed. Will be replacing engine mounts this weekend (front and @ transmission cross member)
-Attempted to put mechanical oil sending unit into threads for SD electronic sending unit - Note to everyone else - don't do that. Thread pitch and diameter match, but doesn't seat properly - resulted in dumping a gallon (literally) of oil on the shop floor. Have to do an adapter of some sort. Replaced electronic sending unit as a plug for now. Really don't like not having an oil pressure gauge.
-Cleaned the bejeezus out of the interior.
-Installed a Kenwood Bluetooth/CD radio. I can haz handzfree now!
-On maiden voyage, realized we had a grounding issue - cleaned up primary grounding connection.
-Attempted to repair the antenna that had been broken off with a used mast+plastic tooth from another w123. Nope. Plastic was too brittle and cracked. So, it's just stuck half up for now. At least I have an antenna.
-have purchased a replacement drivers' side bottom cushion cover and armrest - will swap out when I get to removing the seat
-re-connected drivers' rear window to regulator - regulator works, but need to troubleshoot electric from front switch to rear switch.
-Having a nagging vacuum issue - have troubleshot extensively, and every time it seems to be solved, it comes back up if I move the car under its own power. Results in Engine shutoff only working when brake is NOT depressed. Also, brake pedal gets stiff after moving. If engine is warm, but hasn't moved under its own power, shutoff works regardless of brake depressed or not. Same if engine is cold but running. Replaced the brake booster hose, the o-ring b/t booster and master cylinder, swapped out a lot of soft rubber connectors, checked the check valve on top of the vacuum pump (is fine), getting 20"+ hg from the pump. Tried deleting the EGR circuit, the HVAC circuit, the lock circuit, no change. Don't want to put her on the road til this is solved. But *so. close!* Any thoughts?

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Frau Frankenbenz: 1983 240D manual w/ 1984 300SD engine; 81 240D tranny; 2.88 diff. 317,XXX miles.

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