Yes.. I did buy a '85 MB 300SD for 10 dollars.

Obviously... the previous owner is a friend. He is no longer able (due to a strange nerve problem) to get in and out of the car. He had used it at his summer home. It has mostly sat around the last 5 years. It has been driven on occasion.. but I would guess that it has less than a thousand miles per year the last few years.

I drove it a couple weeks ago. I had always told my friend that I wanted to buy it when they were ready to get rid of it. I explained to them how I would convert it to WVO use.

Well, he sold it to me last week. He just asked me to keep him posted on the WVO progress. I haven't picked it up yet. I will do that on Tuesday. Of course I will time a 0-60 as a benchmark.. and give it a good "italian tune up" on the way home.

I purchased the "diesel extreme makeover" kit at dieselgiant. I also purchased a new tank screen, and fuel lines, and injector return lines.

On to the question....

What First?

I do have access to a shop and lift. My plan was to run it way down on fuel, and then drop the screen, and drain the tank. I'd replace all the fuel lines, and do a diesel purge and filters.

That sounds like a pretty full day one.

Anyone disagree? What order should I try to do these things.

I plan on doing a good vacuum check, oil service, valve service, coolant flush, power steering service, transmission service, belts?,

I would like to drive it for a month before I invest in the WVO kit.

I would appreciate any thoughts and opinions.

JP

wvo conversions but enough folks have trouble that is somewhat related that it might be a good idea to drive the car for a few tanks at least before going down that road so that you can sort any problems that are not related.

then after you are confident that it is in good running order do the conversion so that if you have problems it is clear if it is wvo related or not.

sorry for your friends health problem. sounds like you have been given a great deal.

tom w

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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.

Egads, man. What a terrible waste of $10.00. Let me mitigate your loss by offering double what you've paid for it

Seriously, check to see if there are any unresolved recalls for the car. Let Benz make those good first. Change the oil and filters(engine and tranny). Do a valve adjustment. Un-clog the banjo bolt. Plug the egr valve vacuum line with a small ball bearing. Reset the alda. Oh yeah, if you've a boost guage...check the turbo boost pressure...if it is down from the 13.2 lbs/inch factory setting, reset the waste gate or get an external manual boost control valve off of e-bay and just put that into the waste gate line.

Regards

Run-em - 1983 300SD -aka - SPARKY THE DIESEL

got any pics of this 10$ wonder

Sounds like you are on the right track.
I second t walgamuth's motion. Drive the car for a while before putting in a veggie kit. Most of the veggie people that I know wish they had driven their new mercedes diesel for a while before installing a veggie kit, so they could tell veggie problems from other problems. There are lots of goor veggie forums out there, take a look at those and you can finds lots of good info.

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yup drive it for a while on diesel. My dad's recently aquired 300D has been on diesel for about 458miles since he has owned it and only problems he is having is the tranny that leaks. Soon we are going to run it on a 20%gas and 80%wvo mix once the tranny is fixed.

Ive been driving my 83 300SD for a while on a "one tank" wvo/rug mix or i use the kit when i dont have the cash to pay for gas and im still learning new tricks to this veggie thing. But i love the car! and the diesel purge i did yesterday was a big improvement! So run it on diesel for a while get a feel to it and when ready move onto wvo.

good luck!

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Current:
05 E320 CDI
07 GL320 CDI
08 Sprinter
05 Dodge Cummins
01 Dodge Cummins

Previous
2004 E55 AMG
2002 C32 AMG (#2)
1995 E300
1978 300D
1987 300D
2002 C32 AMG(blown motor :[
1981 300SD
1983 300SD
1987 300SDL
2002 Jetta TDI
1996 S420
1995 S500
1993 190E 2.6
1992 190E 2.3
1985 190E 2.3 5-Speed

I will post the pics when I get it.

It really is a beautiful car. I wasn't looking over it with a "buyer's eye" when I drove it last. If I remember.. It's got no rust. It was all repainted a couple of years ago when his wife had a close encounter with a big rock next to the garage.

The only problem that I know of is a saggy seat, and a stereo that doesnt work. Noodles to the rescue for the seat.

I have all the records from service from 90k to it's present 150 or so. I don't think it's had a service in the last 20k.. If it has, it was at the summer home, and not at the MB dealership. Maybe it will have a window sticker from the last service.

And I do plan to drive it thru a few tanks of fuel before the WVO switchover.

JP

Pick up some vacuum hose and start replacing the connectors, a few bucks more and easy to do. I didn't see air filter on your list or chase oil leaks.

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Mark
1983 300TD Wagon
Even a broken watch is right twice a day

When i Bought my 300 SD it had been mostly sitting for a few years and i found all the calipers dragging... the hoses dried out... and then after fixing all that and the constant bleeding of the brakes the Master clyinder went. Wasnt a whole lot of money to replace it all. I went to Autozone and got everything but the brake lines there and got a lifetime warrenty on the parts.

If you do drop the screen from the tank, you may want to clean the sender unit on top at the same time. It's easily accessable once you remove the rear seat, and both the sender and strainer take a 46mm socket.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

How about running some biodiesel through it before you clean the tank screen I have read here that bio works well at removing all the crap in an old fuel tank.

I got the "big box o parts" from dieselgiant. They were waiting for me when I got home. Air filter is in there.

I called up a guy that lives next to where the car is.. He went and plugged it in for me. (it's going to be below zero up there tomorrow)

Picking it up tomorrow.. the journey begins.

Planning on doing the air filter, oil change and filter, tranny filter. Not sure if I will have enough time this week to get to much more.

Going to run the tank down to near empty, and do the screen, fuel lines and filters, and diesel purge. Not sure If I will get to this or not. Depends I guess on how much fuel is in it when I pick it up. If it's close to empty.... what do you think.. Is it more than 5 or 6 hours work for a guy that is mechanically inclined.. but no diesel or MB experience to get all of the above done?

JP

I got it home. Milked it all the way.

It would fall flat on it's face with any hills at all!

It was -15C up there. Started and idled fine.

Would only get to 50 degrees idling.

Car stayed about 60 to 65 running down the road. Guess I need a new T stat.

Hottest I saw it all day was 70. Granted, it was -5C at the hottest point.

Windows, door locks, cruise control.. all work great. Even the air driven lumbar supports work in the seats.

Radio doesn't work. antenna doesnt work.

Tomorrow morning will be diesel purge and fuel filters.. hope that smartens it up. Going to clean the banjo bolt too. Then we'll see how it goes. I took the wife to our puppy class in it. We called it "turtle"

I tried to time a 0 to 60... I gave up at over a minute !!!

I did put in come conditioner to boost cetane, and put in some K-1 as it was most likely summer fuel in it.

JP

You are having fun now!!!

I know you have a lot to do, but you need to snap some pictures, the suspense is killing me and many others.

"Turtle" that is cute, but I presume that name will not stick for long.

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raMBow

1999 E300DT Obsydian Black Metallic, Heated Full Leather Parchment options, E2, K2, 136,000+, best 36.5 mpg - GP's 12-04 & 11-12 Zero Stuck
2010 Honda Odyssey - The BrideMobile - best 26.5
(2) 2005 Honday Accord- (1 -Corporate 1 - Personal) - 110,000 4-cyl 30mpg
2000 VW Golf GLS TDI, Upsolute Chip (sold to Brother, now 300+k on it) 48.5 mpg like clock work
1987 Honda CRX HF - Sold 87,000 always over 50 mpg Max 67 mpg

I had to run out to the car and get the camera. BUTT COLD out there.

Here are the two I snapped.

Car has 168k on it.

JP

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