Keep the advice coming - I need it! This is my first Mercedes and my first diesel.

ctaylor738 - thanks for the tip. i've not worked on a car this old before, but I have the 3-inch thick service manual so I'll see what I can learn.

240Dog- its a floor shift 4 speed. i don't believe the clutch was rebuilt/replaced when my father had the engine rebuilt in '01, but I'll find out. I haven't checked the tranny fluid, much less replaced it. I took the car to a guy who works on old mercedes at the recommendation of a neighbor. I'm not convinced the guy knew what he was doing as I was surprised to hear the bad clutch diagnosis when I haven't noticed a bit of slippage.

The more tips ya'll can offer the better. Thanks in advance.