I got my boost gauge somewhat installed on my 300D Turbo (california model) It's a VDO and unfortunately didn't come with any ferrules or anything to get it all connected. Didnt come with a fitting to screw into the intake manifold either. I did find a brass fitting from Pep Boys that worked though. It did come with an adapter that screws onto the gauge itself and two nuts that you use to mount it. Thats it. I was pretty disappointed, especially for about 40 bucks. It came in its packaging though so I'm sure it wasn't the fault of the place I ordered from.

So I just tried to jam the plastic lines I bought into the boost gauge and intake fitting and wrap them up with blue tape. Kind of worked. I saw that the boost would top out at 8 PSI, then I would hear a whoosh sound indicating a leak at the line that hooks into the gauge.

So, kinda annoyed and frustrated, anyone know where to buy the correct "ferrules" and "sealing nuts" that are shown in the instructions/diagram that came with my gauge?

Also, is it odd that there's oil that comes out of that plug that I took out on the intake manifold? It wasn't thick or sludgy, just black and runny oil. Will this get sucked into the gauge and possibly ruin it?

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

Why bother to connect to the intake manifold?

Just use a T in the line to the ALDA. Works just as well and you don't need any special fittings.

I guess that works. But I still need the fittings for the boost gauge end of it.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

The gauge kit needs to be the brass compression type with the little compression washer. Sun-pro makes a kit (for mechanical oil gauge) that is available at Pep Boys, Autozone, etc. It works great for this.

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The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

I got all my fittings at a hardware store. I think VDO doesn't include any because everyone has a different application and each requires different fittings.

The plug you removed from the manifold was crudded up because of the EGR and other smog things. Stuff like that could get pushed -- not sucked -- into the boost gauge but what you really want to check is the nearby banjo bolt that connects to the ALDA via the overboost relay. If that one gets crudded up your ALDA won't work correctly.

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

I guess I'll try an ACE Hardware store. The auto parts stores are useless as far as I'm concerned. They only sell junk marketed towards adolescents trying to tune their Hondas with chrome pulley kits and fake chrome hubcaps. Plus the employees at some of the stores don't even pretend to be interested in you or what you need. Yippee for $8 an hour.

Anywho, rants aside, Jeremy, did you just get a nut and a ferrule? I'm going to end up going to the damn store 10 times in one day, mark my words.

Ara

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

There are pictures on this forum somewhere from when I installed the gauge and line but I can't find them so I've attached two new ones. The labeling should make your parts buying trip easier. Just print out the photos and take them with your gauge to the hardware store. Probably no need to take the intake manifold into the store.

The tubing came from a kit that egauges sells. Any 1/8 tubing will do, the stuff that Mercedes uses for the vacuum lines is fine.

You can also use 1/8 inch hose barbs and rubber tubing but the plastic stuff is easier to get through the firewall -- you don't need to make as big a hole.

Jeremy

Attached Thumbnails

   

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

you need to find a better parts store. napa's are usually good.

also- what is wrong with finishing the install right in the parking lot?
save 9 trips

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1984 123.193 372,xxx miles, room for Seven.

1999 Dodge Durango Cummins 4BTAA 47RE 5k lb 4x4 getting 25+mpgs, room for Seven.

Here's a shot of the compression fitting ferrule on the plastic line. It's what keeps it from leaking or blowing off.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

^ that didnt work for me it leaked like a mother...

so i spent 10$ on some 1/8" ID line brass hose nipples(correct threads for the manifold, and a reducer to fit the guage)

If you're in need of fittings (and just about any fastener or piece of material), check out McMaster-Carr: http://www.mcmaster.com/.

Anyways, It needed a few trips to Ace Hardware. Man oh man do they overprice their stuff. I needed a bunch of different adapters and such since they didnt have exactly what I needed, it almost didn't clear the exhaust downpipe. But I got it installed. I did end up using those ferrules, and they work very well. No leakage it seems.

After driving it and letting the oil warm up, I stomped on it on the highway and it seems the boost peters out at 7.5-8 PSI.

Still waiting on the boost controller so I can up it. Does anyone think it will solve my lack of power on the highway if I up it to 12 psi? Does 4.5 psi make that much of a difference? Or maybe thats how these unaerodynamic, bricks of cars run on the highway??

Thank you all for the pictures and advice. I really appreciate it.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

Well, I'd advise you to bring it up to about 10.5 psi, because anything above that level is unlikely to generate any difference in performance.

Additionally, from info gathered recently, it may be a situation that the CA vehicles are dogs because they are underfueled.

You can quickly determine if this is the case. Just take the ALDA off the IP and drive it. If you get some decent black smoke above 3000 rpm, then the additional boost will assist you. If you don't, then raising the boost level is just wasting time. You'd need to increase the full load stop setting inside the IP to get the power. This is normally done with a pyrometer..........dangerous trying to fly blind without one.

Mine doesnt seem underfueled. Gets 20 mpg and puts out a good amount of black smoke at full throttle. Zero smoke at idle. Smoke output seems normal to me.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

Definitely not underfueled.

The increase in boost pressure is definitely appropriate. Try 10.5 and see if the black smoke is eliminated. If not, then increase it to 12.0.

Please report back with your results.