The 300D intake system is ugly and big, plus the 180 degree bend doesn't help airflow. The larger straighter tubing in his kit is much less restrictive. The replacement separator was part of the kit. Removing that ugly stock intake made room for my dual stage vegoil filter.

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85 300D, PlantDrive VO kit, Stage 2 performance intake
Tampa, FL

i'd stick with the oem/stock air filter. the reason these mb engines lasted for 20+ years is because of the highly efficient stock/oem filters that it has been using for 20+ years. if mb installed a high flow air filters like k&n 20 years ago, i don't think that these mb diesels will still run today. those are racing filters were you drive your car on a race track where almost no dust and road particles and debris, and those race cars engines are beaing overhauled and rebuilt after each race and some of them can't even reach the finish line.

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'85 300D Turbo - CA Version

I agree, but we were all young and foolish once. I hacked up my share of cars too. They'll get bored and move on to something else.

yeah! i'll hack mine too if it was not my daily driver and i have one more of this. but unfortunately, i'm stuck with her. she's my one and only. i would hate her to leave me for something that i did.

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'85 300D Turbo - CA Version

I'm not sure that replacing an air filter amounts to "hacking up a car". I guess I could have run the engine how I got it (no air filter at all), or better yet I could have just sent the car to the crusher when the 240D engine died, rather than putting in a used turbo engine. The engine transplant required much more "hacking" than the air filter.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Ugly, it may be, but it is much superior to the system you have on there now. The bend may restrict airflow, but even with the stock setup, you're still taking in more than enough air than the engine needs due to the turbocharger.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Or you could have just rebuilt/replaced the correct engine for the car...

They usually have a heat shield surround on the filter to isolate cold air from the engine. so far, none of the filter pics show a heat shield surround.
to make this more efficeient than the stock, you would need to hack the radiator mount to allow forced cold air into the area.
I do like the seperate oil seperator, but Hacking up my front end seems excessive.
John

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I have used K&N style performance air filters on all of my vehicles for over a decade now. I have not once had any problems. They flow better but they filter better too; they're just a better design. I know guys with over 300k miles on their Powerstrokes running [similar] performance systems and they see PLENTY of off road conditions - WAY, WAY more than my 300D ever will. But unfortunately as vstech pointed out, something should be done to get colder air directly to it. With that stock mess removed I had plenty of room to mount my veg oil filter system; no way I could have put it in there with that in the way.

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85 300D, PlantDrive VO kit, Stage 2 performance intake
Tampa, FL

That statement that they filter better is flat wrong. They do not. I've never had any problems with K&N, hell I use one on my 12 second 280Z, but I don't expect to put 200k miles on it either.

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'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg

If they're doing this to make room for WVO junk, the lack of a decent air cleaner is the least of their problems, they're not going to see another 200K anyway.

Boy I'm surprised no old schoolers here have told you to do a search yet. This subject has been hashed and rehashed and put in scrambled eggs. The simple test is this- take a 0-60 test with the stock filter. Due the same test with the "ricer" filter, then do the same test with no filter at all. It's been done and the results? NO DIFFERENCE. Now due a search on K&N and you'll find multiple indie tests which show that oiled gauze filters are inferior at stopping dust. Try this testfor yourself- take a tiny amount of heavy grease and put it inside your stock housing with a K&N. Check it a few days later. Note the amount of debris. Now do the same with a paper filter. The paper filter will have less debris. I think the people that know this are tired of explaining things that have been told and retold. But do what you want... it takes all kinds to power the planet.

Oh man, I was hoping to beat some of the 11 second Finnish cars with my new filter.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Yes that is the truth! Filtration is key to longevity in these engines. Bypass oil filters, double fuel filters, very effective air filters. If you want more performance then I would look to another car, the MB were designed for fuel mileage, safety and reliability, not speed.

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1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair

I guess someone forgot to inform the Fins of this.

Louis.

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Not always the smartest but certainly not dumb?