I've filled up every once in a while with biodiesel over the past year. For the short period I had the fuel lines swapped, my primary filter collected a lot of gunk.

Tank strainer seems like a pretty common problem from the search I've done. 250 threads on the subject in a year and a half.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Please excuse Ol' Turbo's dirtiness. I got caught in the rain today.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

(I know I'm a "Broken Record" on this subject...But it really does work)

Attached Thumbnails

 

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

I know you will hate to hear about this after the fact. When I drained my tank, my hands didn't even have a diesel smell afterwards. How?

Get ~5' of clear tubing from Home Depot, etc. that is just large enough to fit over the flex line coming from the bottom of the tank. (a splice fitting and same size line will work as well)

Pinch off the fuel line with either vise-grips or hemostats then remove the clamp at the hard line. Slip the clear tubing over the end and insert the other end into your fuel container. Release the hemostats and let her flow. If you need more than one fuel jug, pinch the line and swap it out. I did nearly 15 gal. of fuel with this method.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

It's probably too late now, but temporarily running the engine from a jug of fuel instead of the fuel tank could have confirmed or eliminated the suspected strainer...

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'83 300D Turrrbo 295K miles

The problem with that, Magoo, is the car idles normally. I don't feel comfortable getting up to 40 with the fuel tank in my lap.

Its not too late; I'm a dummy even further because the line I pulled was the return line.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

My friend has thankfully has a 46mm socket I can borrow that he thinks is short enought. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

If you cant get the socket,just try putting a wrench on the line fitting and the whole thing may turn,worked twice for me even though i do have the big socket. Don

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Red Green "This is only temporary,Unless it works!"

97 E300D 157000 miles
87 300TD ?141k? miles

If you pull the supply line and you get good flow like from the return, then it will not be the strainer.

If it flows like Jimmy's prostate, as Jimmy says, then time to clean/replace the strainer.

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

Okay, now I'm confused...

Which one is the return line and which one is the outgoing line?

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Supply has the larger "nut" screwed into the tank, with the fuel line screwed into it, versus the return line just screwed into the tank?

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-Josh
Testing the cheap Mercedes axiom, one bolt at a time...

What I had in mind was to have the jug located under the hood right next to the IP. It could be held in place with tyraps or a bungee while you take it for a spin. -Not the safest arrangement, but diesel isn't nearly as flammable as gasoline if it spills...
However, as rrgrassi stated, simply checking the flow should tell the story.

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'83 300D Turrrbo 295K miles

On the bottom, center????

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Yep

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

Ol' Turbo has NEVER been easy to work on... Then again, I have no other cars I've DIY'd to compare it with... other than Norm who has been great so far. (knock on wood)

Drained the fuel... Easy peasy...


The bolt going into the strainer will not budge, spent 30 minutes trying to get it to move; same goes for about every other bolt on the damn car.



So, I hook up the fuel line to a 1 gallon tank and drive around, just to make sure its the strainer before I cut the rubber line and yank the whole thing out. NO CHANGE... The car acts exactly the same on the little tank!

So... I'm off to get baloons and rubber bands to block off the primer pump. Another area that looks questionable is the connection of the primary filter. It sits on tight with no leaks, but the rubber is very cracked. One thing I did notice was every time I shut off the car, it would not maintain its prime. I could hear a sucking noise from the primer pump area and bubbles going up the clear part of the line. Is this expected?

Ah and the Diesel bath, it happened. A cashier at Taco Bell asked if I was a mechanic. My answer, "Well, I'm trying to be one today, and doing a horrible job at it."

Her comeback, "Well at least you smell like one."

*edit*

I forgot to mention that I tried a condom to seal the primer pump. As I was rolling it down the shaft it tore...

Guess I dodged a bullet there.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!