83 240d with no oil cooler?
 

I just picked up an 83 240d 4 speed with 155k miles. I noticed the oil cooler was missing on first inspection and i drove it home 4 hours away. It ran great and no overheating as I watched the temp on the drive home . Is it ok to drive it without the oil cooler?

Well...??? Probably. If I were to do that it would be on synthetic oil with at least 1200 ppm of ZDDP e.g. Valvoline VR1. I wouldn't do it on dino oil unless I had an oil temperature gauge. Wouldn't consider it on a turbo car but you're safe in that aspect.

The coolant temperature gauge will significantly lag behind actual oil temps.

Well...??? Probably. If I were to do that it would be on synthetic oil with at least 1200 ppm of ZDDP e.g. Valvoline VR1. I wouldn't do it on dino oil unless I had an oil temperature gauge. Wouldn't consider it on a turbo car but you're safe in that aspect.

The coolant temperature gauge will significantly lag behind actual oil temps.

So in summary...driving it is ok you are saying? With fully synthetic oil only?

I think it would be ok but of course there is some risk and in other ways there is less risk e.g., no oil cooler or hoses to fail.

Where would you operate it, what ambient temp?.

Yes I'd only use synthetic oil that has sufficient ZDDP.

IIRC 220D's with a similar engine didn't have oil coolers from the factory.

I seem to remember reading that M-B installed oil coolers on cars that were originally equipped with AC.

My '78 240D no AC had one but it was about half the height of the 300D Turbos. My '76 240D w/AC had the full size cooler.

Dad's 380SEL euro w/AC had a full size cooler. When I changed the radiator I eliminated it to be able to fit a US radiator.

I don't know MBZ's criteria for cooler or not???

I am in connecticut. So not that bad temp wise

If I read your initial post correctly, your 240d is a manual 4 speed.

If so, we've had 2 of those over the years, and neither had an oil cooler, nor had problems running on dino oil, in the mid Atlantic state heat. I don't think they were installed unless the trans was an automatic IIRC.

I believe my 72 220d had an oil cooler. I believe they built them without coolers for cars destined for cooler climates. I would not worry about it.

Hey, my 84 240d engine i have in my 123 hasnt got one either, the filterhousing is designed without it. In addition i have added a turbocharger ;) so you will be fine.

Not sure we'll figure out which versions got factory coolers...my '78 240D manual transmission, no A/C, sunroof had a half/tall factory cooler without a cooler drain plug. Go figure.

May well have been decided by climate expectations and I won't go down that future "rabbit hole".

My 84 grey market 240 has no oil cooler.

Shadetree, How did the factory cap, loop or eliminate the hoses at the filter housing?