There is a universal choke cable that all the parts stores carry... Personally, I think that the only reason there is the vacuum shutoff system is because mercedes was trying really hard to make it so that the normal people just turn the key counterclockwise and the car turns off... if they did not have that constraint, there would've been a cable pull shutoff.

Having said that, chances are that your vacuum leak is in the 2/3 vacuum switch on top of the valve cover and that can be replaced for about $20 bucks.

Also, no vacuum pump => no brake booster...

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'82 300D (project)
'46 Willys (project)
"Nothing seems to be the way it should in this garage." -jt20
"Smarter than an engine, dumber than a hoodlatch..." -jt20
"Start jumping up and down to smoosh down those engine mounts" -DeliveryValve
"no" -kerry
"At this rate, you may have it done by winter" -layback40