I would like to see what the verdict is...do you guys and gals prefer a carburated 200 series or a fuel injected series and why....also. I have a 250s runs great looks great. was wondering which you preferred I know the 280 and 250 have differences but which would you rather work on...

Love the fuel injection. To me, nothing says German engineering, and vintage mercedes, like a big straight six and mechanical fuel injection.

That said, a 190, 200, or 230 gasser with single or duel (little) Solex's is also fantastic.

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I guess I am biased but I would rather work on the mechanicial fuel injection system. It's a lot less complicated than the carburated system IMO seems to be control and keep in tune.

You're joking, right?

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

The carbs are ok as long as they are working correctly. They are complicated though and unless your car has been converted to webers the oe carbs are not very high quality and not easy to get right.

The fuel injection also offers more power and better fuel economy.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

As the proud owner of a dual carbed six, I'd reluctantly agree that I'd rather have fuel injection. While the carbs are pretty darn good, at least until the 70's when the solex 4a1 monster came along, the fuel injection is simply a better solution for any engine.

Some advantages, however, of carbs are that they can be very cheap to deal with if you know their common (usually minor) ailments. On the other hand old fuel injection parts are generally NOT cheap.

For a general rule of thumb, the older the model year, the more trouble free the carbs will be. If you're looking for anything up through the late 60's, carbs will be fine and you'd hardly notice a difference with condition and care being equal. Both of these systems are very sensitive to dirty fuel tanks and crud in the gas and it's a common problem.

It is a different kind of person who likes working with the carbs. A good parallel would be to someone who enjoys fixing old mechanical clocks. Inherently the carbs are very simple devices and as such, ought to be dead reliable. If you have the patience to learn about them and get them running as designed, they'll stay that way for a long time. That said, if you can find an injected car in similar shape, take that one instead.

In regards to fuel economy, I'd have to disagree in this case. In the same chassis, with the same engine a fuel injected car should get better economy. In the case of most old mercedes, the fuel injected models were more expensive and larger cars with bigger engines and as such got worse fuel economy than most of the carbed cars which were lighter with smaller engines.

As an example to my reasoning, it'd be hard to argue that a 190c is a more complicated car than a 300SE, despite the fact that the latter has fuel injection.

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1967 230S automatic
Boston, MA

I think that's what the original posted meant. So a 220SE, 250SE, 280SE should be more economical that a 220S, 250S, 280S etc. Not sure if the difference is all that large though. I'd prefer fuel injection as well but condition is the most important factor with any car of this vintage.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

This is true. In addition to economy, driveability is improved in terms of starting, throttle response, and performance. Plus the intakes look really cool :-)

I have a feeling M-B tuned them more for performance than economy though.

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1967 230S automatic
Boston, MA

Hello,

In general, all my mechjanically fuel injected MBs have gotten slightly better fuel mileage than the same carbureted models. All were dead reliable when put right. Most problematic models were those cobbled up by unexperiennced hands. I have owned, driven and worked on both form many years.

It is true that the carbureted models became were much more complicated and problematic as emmission devices were added. I drove a euro 230 for years. It was equipped with the emission device free Stromburg carb, standard timing, high compression and no cat. It had great power ran and idled perfectly, fuel economy was good and was simple to work on. The same model with all the US emission was a nightmare of complexity, mileage was poor and with much less power.

Fuel injected engines required less radical modifications to meet emission standards, because they did a better job of metering fuel at all speed ranges and conditions, especially during engine warm up periods. You can simply reach in the window of your mechanically injected MB, turn the key and the engine will start instantly, cold idle is smooth, and the system automatically changes the fuel and air mixture as the engine warms. Engine rpms are controlled during the warm up period also. This kind of functionallity is just not possible with carbs. In addition the mechanically fuel injected cars continuously monitor altitiude / barometric pressure, engine coolant temperature, and adjust fuel mixture to suite. Besides all of this, the fuel injected cars produce 20 to 40 more HP than the same carbureted models.

I have lived with and driven many carbureted models and fuel injected models over the years. I loved the carbureted models I have owned (when finally put right) and they mostly stayed reliable.

I would not hesitate to own a good example of either (fuel injected or carbed) when the opportunity presents. However If given the choice I prefere the extra power, and sophistication of the fuel injected models.

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Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio
1964 220SE Rally (La Carrera Panamericana someday)
1966 Unimog 404s (Swedish Army)
1969 300SEL 6.3 (sold)
1969 280SL Pagoda
1973 280SEL 4.5
1974 450SLC FIA Rally car (standard trans)
1982 300D turbo (winter driver)
1986 560SEC
1989 Unimog FLU419 (US Army)
1991 300TE (wife)
2002 SLK 32 AMG (350 hp)

Yes.

When I mentioned the carbs are complicated, I meant complicated in their details. There are lots of little passages that flow air or fuel here and there depending on throttle plate condition and other things that might change. Any of these getting clogged with dirt or old gas can put you out of business.

A carb is simple in overall concept, uses a low pressure fuel pump and in superficial ways is pretty simple to work with and so forth, but if you have one acting up it can get complicated to fix especially the later versrons which were trying to meet emission standards.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Given well-maintained, properly tuned vehicles, fuel injection is superior, but maintenance and repair costs could be much higher. For example, I believe a replacement electric fuel pump for one of the old mechanically-injected Mercedes is now in the $1000 range, wheras, worst-case with a carb model, one can substitute an aftermarket electric pump for the OE mechanical one, for under $100.
And if you find a vintage Mercedes in neglected, run-down condition, as many of mine were, I still prefer the more DIY-friendly carburetors, compared to an aged FI system that may require an expert to fix.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

As the owner of a couple of diesels and a carbed gasser, I say diesel injection is the way to go. My gas Benz has confirmed that gasser Benzes are nothing special and more trouble than they are worth.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Hmmm.

I've owned quite a few diesels and vergassers, and currently have a 71 250C, among others. The M130 engine in my coupe is a wonderful engine, starts instantly, runs smoothly, and has sufficient power for the car. Of course, it has the weber conversion, but much as I love diesels, I'm not selling the car....

When dealing with old cars, your experience may vary. Lots of old cars are neglected, so if you pick up a neglected car (especially one that has been donated or junked), your experience will be considerably different from the person who picks up a nice, well maintained example from a caring owner.

While I enjoy the personality of both diesel and vergasser cars, it's the condition of the car that matters when they get older. I'm finding it increasingly hard to find a top condition diesel (I do have one, the 83 300D), whilst the vergasser cars still pop up.

So, whether injected or carbed, diesel or vergasser, what matters most is the condition of the car. I've learned to buy on condition, not color, not engine.

I've learned over 35+ years of MB ownership that you can never buy a cheap MB and make it as nice as a well maintained one, without spending considerably more money than it would have taken to purchase the nice one at the outset. If you enjoy spending little and driving junk, well that's one thing (I did that for years), but the better value is to spend more and get the nicer car. If you can drop the cash up front, you'll never regret buying the nicer car.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles