If it's stumbling, you have other hidden issues. Adjusting the ALDA should not cause anything like that.

Adjusting (or removing) the ALDA on an otherwise stock injection pump is not going to give remotely enough fuel to quench the flame front.

That's what I thought too, but try maxing out the ALDA on a new IP an see how it feels. Aside from LOTS of smoke, it feels a little like a flooded gasser. This would not happen with my worn out IP.

Find a suitable bolt and plug the intake manifold. Dont forget the crush washer.

__________________
'85 300D Cal 280,000 miles
'14 GLK 350 60000 miles

I've got a suspicion that you're onto something here. There is significant variability in the "smoke" that various members get when the ALDA is removed.

With a brand new IP, that puts out fuel to the proper specs, the ALDA is probably mandatory to keep the smoke levels down for most drivers.

With the older IP's that we all have, and especially with the M pumps on the 603's, they appear to put out considerably less fuel than a brand new calibrated pump and the removal of the ALDA doesn't seem to make much difference in the smoke condition. The engine gets too much fuel only at the very edge of the envelope..........full rack at low rpm's.

That sounds right, I don't know much about the 603, but if I turn up the ALDA on the 617 it's still "normal" at higher rpms, it only feels "flooded" at low rpms (before the turbo really comes in) with at least a moderate "throttle" position. It seems to bog down off the line, and giving it more "throttle" makes it worse for a few seconds until it gets some air, then it generates a giant black cloud and runs normally. It's probably just over-fueling due to a combination of a new IP and an old engine. It runs great at all rpms with the correct adjustment. I have never checked the compression on this engine, but the cold starting is normal.

I suspect the 603 design just "breaths" better at low rpm and is less susceptible to this low-rpm over-fueling condition.

Went for a drive today through the neighborhood and on the highway. It is definitely more sluggish than it was before all this. On the plus side, I have very little smoke, and I have hardly anymore transmission flare. It used to flare 1-2 and 2-3, not it seems like it stays in 1 a little longer, shifts slightly hard into 2, and no flare from 2 to 3.

This is all weird.

I thought with this setup I would have MORE power - I have less - and puff out black clouds - my smoke has extremely diminished.

See the pics. Do I have to stick a tee in the line from the shutoff to the alda, or is it ok like this?

Attached Thumbnails

   

__________________
1983 MB 300SD Turbo Diesel

Your tranny is shifting more firmly and later because you are applying more throttle to get the power you are used to.

The pictures show that your ALDA is destroyed. You will get almost not boost enrichment after the screw has been broken off. You will need to get a different ALDA and replace yours.

I thought there wasn't much difference between running like this and running with no alda at all...

So my options are:
take the alda off, have more power and probably more smoke
or, get a new alda and go back to the way it was...smoky

I like the lack of smoke and the trans shift now. I assume this will change when I take the alda off?

I don't think the trans is shifting better because I'm throttling more. If I gave it more throttle before I took the alda screw out, the rpm's would just race higher when it flared. ?

__________________
1983 MB 300SD Turbo Diesel

The more throttle you give it the less vacuum the tranny will see, firmer shift. The more throttle you give it the more you pull on the tranny bowden cable, making it stay in the gears longer.

You are not consciously giving it more throttle, you are pushing it enough to get the power output you are used to.

"I thought there wasn't much difference between running like this and running with no alda at all... "
With the ALDA broken like yours, it's running like you are getting half of your boost pressure. With the ALDA removed, it runs like you are at full boost all the time.


"So my options are:
take the alda off, have more power and probably more smoke
or, get a new alda and go back to the way it was...smoky"

Take the ALDA off and you will get more smoke if you drive like a maniac all the time with the pedal to the floor. Get a new ALDA, tune it properly, and you will not get any smoke but you will have all the power the engine is supposed to get.

Wouldn't you think Home Depot would sell wrenches? Well, they don't. At least nothing other than an 8-pack where the largest size is 19mm.

Gotta buy a big wrench and then I'm taking the alda out. I don't ever drive pedal to the metal like a maniac, so hopefully it won't be too smoky. It was, however, almost constantly smoky with an untouched alda.

Can I get a definite size wrench to buy for this? I've read 24mm, 25mm, 1 1/8" and 1 1/16"...

Thanks!

__________________
1983 MB 300SD Turbo Diesel

24mm for sure.

dude.. mine is still stuck on it... im working on removing it

Have you tried getting the engine hot and trying it then?

no... i have an issue with turning the wrench... i cant get enough of a swing... ill get it eventually

you need the 24mm in a real wrench, then you can get by with an adjustable, but I think 25mm would be best. Shorter would be better.
Remove the vacuum modulator control, put both wrenches on their nuts so that you can either squize them together or pry them apart. If you can not get them like that, turn the whole mess a quarter turn and try again.

Mine did not smoke much but the gain in throttle response was not worth the loose in performance once the turbo kicked in.
My 82 has 135K and appears to have been proffesionaly maintained. NOTHING I have done makes it run better than when I bought it. It did have a vacuum leak that made it shift hard. So hard that when you floored it that the turbo would kick in as it shifted to 2nd causing the tires to cherp.
I hate the turbo lag, but adjusting the ALDA causes it not to wind through the RPM range as well, decreasing my smiles per gallon.
Many on this fourm say it is my perciption, but if I can back the adjustment off and tell where it winds the way it should, it "aint" in my head.

On the positive side, this simple power plant still holds a challange to those exsperts and us novices, alike.
My goals are to reduce the turbo lag to that of my 603, get better than 24 MPG, fix my oil leaks. I thought I had out grown this!

__________________
1982 300D 135K
1986 300SDL 145K
1996 GMC Suburban 4x4 winter/tow vechicle
1989 Sunsation 24(ft) 454 65 MPH :fork_off:
1997 Aurora 82K