The procedure(s) I have for tweaking ALDA contain reference(s) to things like for looking for slight puff of black smoke as an indicator. Look here for one such procedure.

What I've accomplished thus far regarding cleaning out banjo fittings, pressure lines, and actual ALDA adjustment have produced results that are nothing short of ASTOUNDING!

Having said that, are there any more precise ways of knowing when you've got fuel enrichment where it optimally should be other than seat-of-the-pants methods like this and drive tests?

Thanks!

__________________
-Ken Harris
1984 Mercedes 300SD
2001 VW Passat 1.8T
2004 Harley Davidson FLHRSI
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Der Dieselfanatiker

Hey Ken:
I'm about to do the same job you just did and hope I get the same results. I just read a few pages of posts which answer your question...the opinions regarding optimal setting all say that seat-o-the-pants is the ONLY way because after time and mileage, calibration depends on the level of engine wear and the level of compensation necessary to overcome like 20 different variables...just wing it, back it off when you see the smoke and be glad it helped. Of course I don't know squat and will be learning the hard way just like you, hopefully tomorrow evening, around 5:46 PM, with a beer and a good woman by my side...but my woman just told me she has a crush on another guy and that's why I'm up at 1:45 in the morning...so...I guess I'll just settle for the beer. Not a real good night all of the sudden ...why am I saying all this?? hmmm...shock and the realisation that my car will give me some warning before it takes a **** on me, I guess....hmmm. never liked that ***** anyway,,,NEXT!

__________________
1983 300SD... 269,000 miles, nearly 2,500 on my B-100, Faded Grey, Ugly in an elegant sort of way...Duh-Benz


If any of this has been a blasphemy to you, then good, because it's been a blast for me to...A.Whitney Brown

Thanks... That's pretty much what I thought after having likely perusing many of the same threads as you. Good enough for me than...

Since your post, however, I did edit my opening post to add a link to the procedure I use. It comes from the old diesel-heads at MercedesList.com which was my primary resource of info prior to learning of this forum. I love this forum, but I'll continue my subscription with MercedesList as well...lots of good stuff there too!

You can also get a fairly decent little guide entitled Diesel Performance Tuning and Repair from **************.com. It's a little spendy at $22.95+S/H, but has a lot of good information in it.

Anyway, take care and hang in there dude...
At the risk of sounding cliché, there really are plenty of fish in the sea (just don't get 'em too fishy )

Later...

__________________
-Ken Harris
1984 Mercedes 300SD
2001 VW Passat 1.8T
2004 Harley Davidson FLHRSI
-----------------------------
Der Dieselfanatiker

Nah, not too cliche. The country boys round here just say "you right"...I'm thinking that about covers the issue right now but anyhow...thanks for adding the link. It's pretty much what I was thinking but it's good to hear it actually works...my SD is so gutless off the line it's fright to drive in traffic and that's gotta change so, we'll see shortly if it does me like it did you..fingers crossed. Thanks man and take care out there...CYA

__________________
1983 300SD... 269,000 miles, nearly 2,500 on my B-100, Faded Grey, Ugly in an elegant sort of way...Duh-Benz


If any of this has been a blasphemy to you, then good, because it's been a blast for me to...A.Whitney Brown

With 260k on the clock if the plastic cap is still there...its defintely due.

It brought my 300SD to life.

Then again so did some other things

You won't regret the adjustment...

I have read many post about adjusting the ALDA. Some give procedures that check for smoke at WOT and 4000RPM (like above post). Some say it has no effect after boost comes up and is adjusted for off the line power. Could someone help me understand which one or both are correct.
Thanks

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84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)

Keep adjusting up until your takeoff/0-60 times aren't any faster. Then go back an adjustment (like 1/2 turn or whatever).

If you want to do it in the driveway, bump the accel. linkage after each adjustment. Look for smokey smoke...

Test drive...and then adjust more.

To pmckechnie's point, if you were tweaking the ALDA on a chassis dyno, would you maximize hp at 4000 rpm in third or is there another objective?

Sixto
87 300SDL

That little S.O.Bs tough to get to on a 603.

__________________
Owen

87 300TD 603 I-6
94 Jeep XJ I-6 4.0 (see the pattern)
89 750il
seventy-two hundred feet above sea level (kinda cold up here)

DaveM/gsxr outlined a method of stacking shims between the ALDA and the IP. No need to remove the intake manifold. Otherwise I recommend drilling through the intake manifold and fitting plugs when you're done tweaking the ALDA Seriously, you could probably get away with a screw similar to the tranny drain plug for the bottom and a bolt similar to the IP RIV timing hole plug for the top. Slip a tube into the hole before fitting the lower plug (through the upper hole) so you don't risk losing the plug into the #4 runner. The open question is sucking out the shavings from drilling and tapping the lower hole.

Sixto
87 300SDL

I've been trying to get information on shimming myself, from what I can gather the inner diameter needs to be 14mm. I may go dig through my stuff and see if I can find something to fit mine and try that today, maybe even put the mbc on and 'kick it up a notch'

__________________


1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

So ;

I can / should do this on my old 300CD ? I just finished a major service , only the valve adjust left and it's running sweetly but slow off the line....

My old car has no tach either .

NOTE : NON turbo model I'm asking about here .

TIA ,


-Nate

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Non-turbos do have something similiar on top of the IP, but it isn't the same thing really. You don't have the added intake from the turbo, which you compensate the fuel delivery for via the alda. You also don't have turbo lag, and have a lower rear end gear setup, so your acceleration off the line will actually be better up to about 30mph or so. Or it "should" be better off the line. My '80 sure was....

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

The adjustment of the ALDA affects fuel delivery at all points in the operating range with the exception of idle and maximum fuel. It will affect off the line power and it will affect power when the turbo begins to provide boost. It can't affect the power at full rack, AFAIK, because of the full load adjustment limiting screw on the IP.

So, adjusting it is largely a matter of watching for excessive smoke at any point in the operating range. The smoke should also cause a drop in fuel economy. So, if you are watching the fuel economy, adjust the ALDA, incrementally, maybe 1/4 turn counterclockwise per adjustment, and see if the economy remains the same. When the economy drops, the turn it back 1/4 turn clockwise and leave it there.

Don't even think about adjusting it on the vehicle. It can be removed in two minutes (GSXR time) with a set of wrenches. One wrench loosens the locknut and the other wrench holds the nut on the top of the IP.

Make the adjustment after you remove it and then reinstall it onto the IP.

Check out GSXR's posts regarding this.