Gents, today at the junkyard I found a 300sd, chassis w126, that appeared to me to have a recently-purchased turbocharger on it. I decided to remove it to take a better look. The impeller at the front didn't have any play on it, and the blades weren't torn-up like the ones on my turbo



It took me about 15 minutes to remove this. I used only a 13mm wrench, and a 13mm socket. The hardest bolt to remove was the bottom one, as the closed end of my wrench wouldn't fit over the bolt--had to use the open end and risk stripping the bolt, but I manged to remove it.

I bought both the turbo and the down-pipe which leads to the oil pan. How old do you think this turbo is?

The turbo is made by KKK, and has a Mercedes logo badge with part number on it. I haven't seen KKK brand before, and maybe I'm late to the game, but they must have been (maybe still are) an official supplier of the turbo to Mercedes after some year, such that you would get this brand when you bought one from Mercedes directly

Part number 002 096 16 99
Alternate number: 83 158 0269
third line number: 5326 970 6031

Although I removed this from a 300sd, chassis w126, I would like to know if this turbo would work for my 1983 Mercedes 300d turbo, chassis w123.

The one on my car is made by AIR RESEARCH TS. The only appreciable visible difference is that the rubber hose that emanates from a valve at the front of my turbo going to the part that goes directly under the turbo (my ignorance is laughable), is about double the diameter. There is a brass valve that is threaded into a hole in the turbo which accepts this rubber hose. However on the KKK turbo, there is a different metal valve, and a smaller diameter rubber hose.

I was also wondering if the newish looking metal downpipe (tube that leads from turbo to oil pan) is the same for w126 and w123 models, such that I can take advantage of this newer part as well

Final question: the turbo on my car just bolts into the iron bracket, whereas this one has three separate metal brackets, each with two bolts, that bolts the turbo to the iron bracket. Would this bolt up just the same, with the same bolt-pattern?

Thanks,

Sev

__________________

Should fit 123 if it fits 126. IIRC KKK have a different turbine housing and wastegate configuration. I don’t think KKK will work in Garrett turbine housing.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

Yup, great score, best deal I got was a lightly rusted battery tray, W124 ACC unit, and a sunshade clip.

__________________
1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.

The attachments sound much different than the turbo in my 1984 & 85 300D. I have both a KKK and a Garrett. It takes well over an hour to remove, using multiple wrenches. I recall the nuts which attach the flange to the exhaust manifold are 17 mm and it takes much finagling with different wrenches to get all 4 off. Every attachment is a bit$h, due to no room to swing wrenches. The heat shield bolts on the exhaust are even harder on re-install because you must work blind to get them started w/ 1.5 fingers and keep dropping them. Perhaps the W126 engine bay has more room.

__________________
1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

Gents, thanks for the replies

I was wondering if anyone who has had experience interchanging turbos knows whether the turbo I have pictured above would be a bolt-on replacement for the Air Research TS turbo that is currently on my 1983 300d turbo?

I was also wondering, with the turbo out and loose, is it worth disassembling it and servicing any o-rings or other replacement parts inside it, or even just dunking the turbo in a vat of evapo-rust, to loosen any particles that may be lodged inside?

Thanks,

Sev

__________________

Sorry, I couldn't see the photo before. You didn't remove the whole turbo, leaving the exhaust housing and waste gate. The part you removed has less bolts to remove, but the bolts into the exhaust housing can be particularly hard to access (as you found). You were lucky to get them off in the junkyard. I had to use a hammer and wrench, and since must use the open-ended side on some you risk rounding off the head. That was w/ turbo in my garage w/ easier access to the bolts.

Yes, it is worth rebuilding, though adds some risk. There are no seals, other than a large O-ring on the compressor housing. The oil is sealed by a tight metal-metal clearance between bronze bushings and shaft, on each side. I am sure it leaks slightly into the compressor side. When it leaks excessively into the exhaust side, it builds up carbon under the sheet-metal cap behind the turbine blades. If the shaft feels tight w/ no play, swapping bushings probably won't help, but you won't know about the carbon without taking it apart. Be very careful removing the nut which secures the compressor impellor. It is usually a left-hand thread (look closely). Mark the compressor to turbine blade clocking first. Be very careful touching the thin aluminum compressor blades. Rebuild kits are cheap (<$20 ebay) and not M-B specific. They all seem to come w/ an O-ring much too big. One guy here bought the correct size (McMaster-Carr). I just cut the existing one w/ a razor blade and super-glued smaller w/ the joint upward to prevent oil leaking out. Many youtube's and web instructions.

__________________
1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans