In my opinion, it is so easy to make diesel, especially if you are on a farm, that these cars will outlast many of their owners.

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

Great thoughts.

I was wondering what I’d do when my VCV goes out. I still see 300ds and 300sds at the yard with valves. It’s still easier to find a beat up one than to make a VCV. I’ve thought about it because I designed a flow control system for a vacuum system in 2006. All it takes is a throttle position sensor, a proportioning valve and a microprocessor. A high school nerd with an Arduino could do it. But it hasn’t gotten that hard yet. I can still get one at the yard.

But as you guys have pointed out that is changing. I now watch for the cars arriving at my local yards using internet notifications rather than just showing up and picking the three or more 300ds I’d find on the ground twenty years ago at any random time.

Makes me happy I was able to change my window seals with fresh rubber from
URO. I love and hate URO but it’s what we’ve got ya know?

Here’s one to think about. I just had my 51st birthday. We are not forever. The way I have my diesels sorted they may just be my last cars if I don’t make an effort to replace them.

My dad is legally blind and paralyzed at 84. My uncle just died in November at 82.

Let’s not worry about all this. Drive now. It’s Saturday gents, time to glow the plugs.

__________________
79 300TD “Old Smokey” AKA “The Mistake” (SOLD)
82 240D stick shift 335k miles (SOLD)
82 300SD 300k miles
85 300D Turbodiesel 170k miles

Jay Leno has kept his legendary Duesenberg automobile running by making parts himself. With today's 3-D printers, anything is possible. If we want to keep these old diesels running, we can.

I don't see this happening. There are too many other bigger environmental issues to tackle first. Perhaps CARB will declare a rule at some point that will apply to CA, but I don't see it being implemented federally. When I think about the volume of diesel emissions, it's 1) older or non-compliant OTR trucks, 2) people with modern vehicles but DPF deletes, 3) antique vehicle owners are a distant third due to the reasons listed above.

Are you comparing a POS Mercedes beater to a one of 481 Duesenberg J? There's a lot of vanity here, but objectively, these cars will never be Duesenbergs.

True enough but you could never really use a Duesenberg. I saw one of the giant ones at the Palo Alto Concourse some years back. Big classic beauty all right but holy crap, had less seat space than a Honda Accord. Different era of course.

An issue that comes up in my thinking, what to do when the supply of these engines that still have decent compression starts to dry up? I've only rebuilt one engine in my storied career, it was a V-4 in a '67 Saab 96. The old cutie. I'm guessing that compared to rebuilding a 617 or a 603 would be slightly harder than rebuilding a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine.

Our buddy Kent talks about more or less discarding 300Ds with poor compression, either that or, as he puts it, do a very costly overhaul. And it would be pretty costly, money and labor. I gather that rebuilding a diesel is quite a bit harder than a gasser. Higher compression, more that can go wrong.

Looking at my SDL's 603, just pulling it looks daunting all by itself. If I had Leno's money and facilities would be a different matter.

A former stalwart here told me about dropping a 606 into one of his cars. I understand the motor mount issue is doable, but speaking of daunting... Just finding a donor and giving it an out of the car compression test is a not small order.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

A lot of these cars can be converted to another drive train. Im collecting parts for an LS conversion that is going into one of mine at some point.

That could be tempting and dicey at the same time in California, or any smog state I guess, at least for a diesel registered car. One could have a gas engine and not need to get smogged. I’m guessing the penalty if you got caught would not be small.

Are you talking about a carbureted LS? Seems that in the old days, dropping in a new engine wasn’t quite as big a deal as it is now. I read about guys putting an S54 into their E30s. Oh my God, serious rocket science. Ideally, you get 300 hp plus without a turbo, but you need to buy a custom ECU and adapt the drive by wire thing.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I never looked at the wiper motor, windshield or lights. (W126's) what should be done about the lube? thanks

I have an injected 6.0 with the ECM and harness. It isnt as complicated as it sounds to make it a stand alone system. Plenty of programmers available to set it up as needed. My 420 would be lightyears ahead in reliability with this and a 4L trans.

This engine is light enough and small enough to fit in my 124 and 123.

Change the oil regularily and some of the old 123 engines will still last a long time. Just check the timing chain from time to time and keep an eye of the oil cooler lines.

At this age a lot of them have components needing a going-through. The chain guides are a big one, on both the main timing chain and the oil pump.

A lot of them also need injector work, and vacuum pumps inspected or replaced.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I've not dealt with an LS in any way but I've noted the compactness of other detroit overhead valve engines. OHC and DOHC seems sexy and all that but all the glitters is not gold methinks. More complexity and size. I was goofy about DOHC for a long time because the dad of my best buddy in jr. high bought a 2+2 XKE, '65 or '66 IIRC. I got to ride it in a few times. Pretty heady stuff for a 14 year old kid. We used to sit in it in the driveway to smell the leather and go through the gears. Good thing the old man never knew about that.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

A big problem is the lack of incentive for MB to keep parts in stock when so many owners will buy URO or other Chinese crap to save a few bucks. In a way, they're speeding up the decline.

Pierre has a point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOU9zICDqoA

__________________
Why I will never do business with "DieselKraut" again

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-used-parts-sale-wanted/378935-why-i-will-never-do-business-dieselkraut-again.html

If it wasn't for URO, you'd have no parts supply whatsoever.