Just put in a new starter in my 1980 300td with an 82 engine.
it was a real pain in the ass but at least now my car starts. and boy, does it start. if your starter is on the way out i would Highly recomend putting in the heavy duty starter, its awsome. I could not have done this job without all of the past posts on the subject. also i have to say that fast lane is awsome, because i ordered the starter on sunday evening and it arrived tuesday all for no shipping cost. that is great service.
will

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'73 VW camper
'80 300td wagon

So how hard was it? I've taken a look at mine and it doesn't seem too look like it would be too hard of a job. I have a CA emissions model, maybe that makes some difference. What was in the way of your starter?

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

If you check. The starter is special for the Cal. car. It mount's upside down to give more room for the Trap Oxidizer. It will cost and extra $100 for that starter. Another reason to remove the trap. The Hundred you save on the starter will go a long way to pay a junk yard for the Manifold's, Air cleaner, and oil lines.
Plus then you don't need the big special air cleaner element.
Charlie

it was a royal pain to get the thing off. Mainly because i was not expecting the bolts that hold the starter on to require an allen head. Thus, this required me to hop on my bike and ride to the hardware store during my 10 minutes between classes which turned into 20 minutes and upset professors who "...dont tollerate tardiness". Bla, Bla, Bla.. and there is very little room to turn a wrench
I used: an allen socket, 1-one foot extension, 1-three inch extension and a universial joint. and accessed both bolts, top and bottom from under the car that was jacked up safely on jackstands with the parking brake and bloccked rear wheels.

I first thought i could remove this thing like I have done so many times with volkswagons,umm NO! underneath there is all this stering linkage junk, exaust pipes, transmission cooler lines and tranny fluid filler/level check tube. above the starter there is a huge can that is supposed to fillter air but looks more like an oil filter when i change it a turbo, and exaust pipe.

so after i took off the air filter housing and smashed around some of heater hoses i realized that the exaust pipe just as it takes a turn down to go under the car was rubbing on the bottom coolent pipe used for the heater, and sure enough i found out why i was mistereously loosing coolent with out me knowing it. it was a small leak that would quickly evaporate. thank got it was not a head gasket like i had previosly diagnosed.

any way i disconnected the exaust at the turbo and moved it out of the way, after that it was a piece of cake.

if any one needs details about a particular area feel free to ask but remember my car is NOT origenal it is a 1980 with a 1982 engine.
will

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'73 VW camper
'80 300td wagon

On fastlane, the cali and fed starter are the same price.
will

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'73 VW camper
'80 300td wagon

My starter appears to be the original one in my car but, knock on wood, still turns very energetically after over 225K miles. If I end up having any starter trouble, I will more than likely just go ahead and replace the brushes, solenoid or bushings myself which are usually the most common things to wear out on most starters.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Where will you get the parts?

I didn't give that idea too much thought but I figured it probably shouldn't be too hard since it's possible to get any part for an M-B.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012