Here are mine. Your description of cupped, concave nozzles caught my eye. Mine don't seem to have any of that, but these are the first MB injectors I've seen. What do you think?

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

It’s really hard to tell by looking. They look normal but you need to pop them if you really want to check them. I thought your Vietnamese mechanic “checked” them already? Checked should mean popping them on a tester and looking at the spray pattern.

Ive read over your posts and you haven’t mentioned checking out your fuel tank strainer and your two fuel filters. Sorry if I missed it. If you haven’t you need to check and replace filters. This is a must when acquiring one of these diesels without a maintenance history. Top end power issues scream fuel filters to me.

I got my 300d with low power. It was really neglected. It was different though, it was weak off the line but had good top end power. I did all the basics boost line, valves, fuel filters, timing, rack damper adjustment, linkage adjustment, cleaned sticky turbo, removed clogged trap oxidizer. It seemed everything gave it some power back. Now it is a pleasure to drive and drives normally.

Then after all that, I tested my injectors. They were perfect and I put them right back.

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

Mine were definitely worse looking. It's kinda hard to see from the lighting. My fingernail would easily get stuck on the lip of the cupping. Now that you have them out, pop-test them. If only you were in Atlanta, I'd lend you my pop tester.

-Henry

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1976 Mercedes-Benz 300D, Colorado Beige / Mahogany
www.hmclever.com

He did test them, I called him, he said he has a machine for it, his English is fairly good but he doesn't use some of the terms that others use. When I told him I was thinking about getting them tested he said to bring them in as long as I have them out, he'll show me. Will do that in the next couple of days.

Oh man, rust. I was having huge trouble with the primary filter clogging up in short order. I was taking them out almost every day to clean them with WD-40. Probably other ways to do it. I bought about 4 or 5 before I realized I could clean them out. I also replaced the secondary filter.

I finally took the tank out and cleaned it. Used purple degreaser, acid, pea gravel. I think I did it about 95% effective, if I did it over I might have done a few things better but it was a huge improvement. I put in another new secondary filter. I had a thread about maybe putting in a new tank. Here's the post after I pulled it.

I've done a few other things as well. New oil cooler lines. THAT was a tough job. One of the existing was leaking, not a small leak. My Mechanic, Ky, spotted a badly worn fan clutch, put in a new one. If you're ever in a bind in the Bay Area: Ky's Auto Repair, Redwood City, south of SF, north of Palo Alto.

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

Thanks! Nah, Atlanta's a bit far.

I hitchhiked through Georgia in Dec. '73. Camped out at a rest stop. Maybe the starriest night I ever saw.

I'll take them to my buddy, pretty sure that's the sort of device he has. Will get a kick out of seeing it. He wants to keep me happy. If I ever get rich and famous I'm going to have him put in new seals on my SDL tranny. He wants to do it. Says he can stop all the leaks. Might do it myself someday. Whoa, big job.

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

Do not waste the opportunity to inspect the glow plugs heating up with the injectors out. The tips should get really hot visually. If they do I would not put in a new set. As you would have no ideal on most acquisitions of the time they have been in service. They could have been replaced not that many miles ago for example. Also have a look for possible carbon buildup in the pre chambers. Many of the aquisitions have not seen highway service for years.

Of note was one poster on this thread mentioned that every thing he did seemed to make some difference. I have advocated going through the fuel system at least partially on any new acquisition for years. How extensive depends on your 0-60 times for the version you have.

At a minumim enough to reduce the chances of an issue while away from home. It is usually very cheap to do yourself. All my versions of 123s are on the faster side of most other similar ones I have driven. Especially the 240ds.

I have another bone to examine as well. I expect these engines to light off as soon as they start to turn over. If they do not something is not right. In reasonable temperatures of course. If they will not do this they are going to be harder to start in cold weather if you need that ability.

A road breakdown can be expected to become ever more expensive to deal with. Every year. Many mechanics have no working experience on these engines. Plus there are other factors that can impact the situation. You want to reduce the probability as much as you can yourself. Doing it all cost less than all the components of just one road breakdown. When far from home.

We are also driving cars that a wait for parts of even just a secondary filter or belt can take time. Mind things like your lift pump is bad. To me it is simply preventative maintenance on antique vehicles.

Our 77 N/A 300d even is not too bad for what it is. The 84 300d has passing ability like a gas car. Or at least feels that way to me. It does so well in that area I am almost positive that the whole system must be functioning like new. I call it just making certain that all components of the system are working well. Not a true restoration .Expected Zero to sixty times are well documented in the archives on each version.

I love going up to Berkeley and seeing all the diesel Benzes driving around. I used to live across from Fat Apples...uhm 30 years ago.

Good luck with the search. I was amazed at getting my 300d back to making power. It wasn’t any one thing that was robbing power. It was half a dozen things each eating a few HP and once I went through it all it finally ran properly.

Putting a boost gauge (just a T, some hose and a cheap air gauge) on my ALDL line gave me an idea just how much boost I was getting. I had a lot of goo on the inlet side of my turbo.

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

Is that something that needs attention?

Speaking of goo, I pulled the ALDA line from the manifold, that was on advice from this one:

Oh man, not sure I'd call it soot, but it was black and residue like, that's certain.



I got the right size drill bit (loose fit) and cleaned the junk out of the long skinny part, then used WD-40 and brake cleaner to clean the rest and the line as well. Blew compressed air through it. Good thing I found that. My fix of the other broken line probably wouldn't have gone so good.

One thing I wonder about is the little relay hub where the lines converge. Tonight, to take off the manifold banjo bolt I took the hub/junction off the firewall as I couldn't see where that hose hooked in. I noticed an electric line coming off of it. I'm curious just what goes on in that little hub thingy.

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

That's the one we've been telling you to clean out, it must not have any resistance to being blown through .

Get the proper de greaser, not brake clean and drill bits .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

that's overboost protection valve.


if it gets continuity through the pressure sensor on the intake manifold it then vents this line to atmosphere therefore limiting fuel by not sending pressure to ALDA

I used mostly WD-40 as that tiny nozzle was good for getting into the plastic line as well as the end of the part in the photo I'm guessing the two pieces together are the banjo bolt. I got into it pretty good. I had clean solvent coming off it at the end. The brake cleaner was a brief thing to finish.

I blew compressed air through the various pieces to remove any WD-40 residue before hitting it with the brake cleaner. It's good.

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

It's near rocket science to me at this point. It sure seems like an electric line leading from it. Not sure what that's doing.

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

It's open until it gets an electric signal fro a pressure switch on the intake manifold, then it opens and dumps the boost pressure to atmosphere, why it's important to properly connect the plastic lines .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

This is the first time I've had injectors off of one of these motors. Looked like a fair amount of carbon buildup down in there but what do I know.

Even though it's low miles, pretty sure it was mostly city miles. So just as many startups as a car with say 400k and lot of highway miles. I've already ordered the glow plugs, a little over $60. If I'm going to take them out and ream them (have a reamer on the way) I may as well put new ones in. Would be interesting to test them though.

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

On my departed 300SD, a buddy of mine with two 123 617s back then, about 12 years ago, told me that I could take the cap off the ALDA and turn it, I forget which direction, to get more power. He clamed it was adjusted to a conservative position for emissions control or something. So, MB gods forgive me, I did it and did seem to get more power. I've since read of course of the danger in doing that. Not planning to do it now, at least not without knowing more.

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