For what it's worth, my 83 300SD has 2 positions for the throttle.....on and off. I run this thing in the 3500 to 4000 rpm range almost daily and routinely put 1,000 miles per week on her. Currently it has just over 337,000 miles. I run the s**t out of it, I'm sure it will fail someday but they are cheap to fix and replace. Just keep the oil changed every 3,000 or so, adjust the valves once a year or so, add whatever diesel injector clean is on sale every few thousand miles or so and keep the throttle hammered.

Oh yea....this will probably piss a few people off but who cares!! As far as oil and filters go buy whatever is on sale at walmart or local parts house. As long as it is 15-40 and diesel rated IT DOES NOT MATTER NO MATTER WHO TELLS YOU DIFFERENTLY. Oil is oil is oil is oil, prove there is one superior to another and you will be a VERY wealthy man. I say show me one person who has had a failure due to "inferior" oil and can prove it was the oil.

Thats my rant and 2 cents worth............let the remarks begin.