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  #1  
Old 01-26-2013, 02:52 AM
sassparilla_kid's Avatar
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Location: Fresno, CA
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w115 tips?

Picked up another diesel Mercedes today, a '74 240D, just wondering if there are any tips or quirks or anything I might need to know about the w115 body cars? I'm familiar with w123 and w116 cars but the w115 seems quite a bit different, I'm hoping simpler and easier to work on.

Thanks folks!

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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint
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  #2  
Old 01-26-2013, 07:55 AM
t walgamuth's Avatar
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Location: Lafayette Indiana
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It is simpler in some ways. Overall I would say it and the 123 are pretty equal in terms of servicability. It has manual start and glow feathres but they rarely give trouble on the 123 so that is not a big thing. The frankenstein bracket for the AC makes servicing the front of the motor a pain, thankfully modern technology makes water pumps last about forever so you aren't any longer changing them every 40K miles any more. A lot of the engine is identical to the 123 along with the transmission and rear end (all are bulletproof on both models).

The interior on the 123 is made a lot better and the 114 is much more rustprone, but overall they are about equal on servicability I think.
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
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  #3  
Old 01-26-2013, 08:31 AM
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This may sound stupid, but it is honest advice: when working under the hood, watch out for hitting you head on the grill. The hood doesn't raise up far enough for my needs, and I am constantly clobbering myself. You would think I would learn.

My trunk seal got folded over slightly and let in water into the trunk. So make sure your trunk is dry.

If your IP has a small red cap with OEL on it, that means it has its own dedicated oil supply. This oil should be changed when you do a normal oil change. You can find directions elsewhere on peachparts.

The IP works slightly differently than on 123 vehicles and is pneumatically governed (there is a line from the intake manifold, behind the engine, over to the IP). If your idle is unsteady, your necessary adjustments will differ a lot from most of the advice you read here for w123 cars.

Similar to a 123, check your vac lines from the vac pump to the intake and from the vac pump to the brake booster. Make sure they don't contain oil.

My early w115 does not use vacuum for the tranny or to shut off the car. I am not sure if yours is the same. So for me, it is confusing to read all this advice about vacuum adjustments when it wasn't actually relevant to my situation.

Set you watch ahead so you aren't late to any important meetings. Rushing is difficult in a w115.
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1968 220D, w115, /8, OM615, Automatic transmission.
My 1987 300TD wagon was sold and my 2003 W210 E320 wagon was totaled (sheds tear).
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  #4  
Old 01-29-2013, 04:17 PM
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Awesome thanks guys. Unfortunately I got rear-ended yesterday and the rear passenger fender is all bent up and terrible looking. May or may not end up getting it fixed, we'll see what insurance says.

Anyway, the car is smoking a lot and burning a lot of oil, which I can't understand, because it does it sporadically. If I am idling on a slope, the car will start burning oil to the point of making a cloud the size of a Volkswagen, it also smokes on star-tup, and it smokes after going from highway speeds to a stop (when getting off the freeway, coming to a stop out in the country, etc.). It also seems to be start smoking a lot when driving over any slopes. When the car is on perfectly level ground it still smokes, although not an abnormal amount for an old diesel.

Any ideas as to why it would smoke so badly while on a slope/or when suddenly slowing to a stop?

If I end up being able to keep the car and get the body all fixed up, I'll probably end up rebuilding the engine but in the meantime I guess I'll go back to driving my w123 and hope the transmission lasts another couple weeks until I'm ready to swap a manual in
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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint
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  #5  
Old 01-29-2013, 04:28 PM
t walgamuth's Avatar
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It sounds like the oil could be overfilled.
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
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Old 01-29-2013, 04:56 PM
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It looks to be just above the middle of the "good" range, also it always has full pressure, I have only seen it drop down once or twice in my 4 days of driving the car, and even then it only dropped down to about 40psi or so. Would a dipstick from a '79 240D be the same length so I could compare them, I'm thinking it maybe could have been replaced at some point with one that was too long.
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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint
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  #7  
Old 01-29-2013, 05:15 PM
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Your vacuum pump can have a break in the rubber diaphragm allowing oil to be sucked into the manifold.

There could be a rip in the leather diaphragm on the governor on the rear of the IP.

You can also have a bad head gasket.

Also your air filter is an oil bath type....this can also be dirty...

You may also need a valve adjustment.

My friend had a w115, it was an awesome car but it had a lot more headaches then a w123. After doing a lot of work on it....the head gasket blew....rebuilding the engine isn't easy....I personally would say a w115 is a around town on the weekend driver....won't last being a commuter...
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Last edited by whunter; 01-29-2013 at 05:57 PM. Reason: spelling
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  #8  
Old 01-29-2013, 05:54 PM
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Awesome I'll look into that stuff. And yeah, this car would definitely not be a daily driver, at least after getting it all up to snuff
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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint
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  #9  
Old 01-29-2013, 06:59 PM
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Since it's happening at idle, I'm going with a failed diaphragm in the IP. There's a butterfly valve in the intake manifold which produces a vacuum at idle, hence the sucking of oil from the IP.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #10  
Old 01-29-2013, 07:36 PM
Admiral-Third World Fleet
 
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Quote:
Also your air filter is an oil bath type....this can also be dirty...
or overfilled?
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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)
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  #11  
Old 01-29-2013, 07:56 PM
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I had a 1977 300D

My biggest irritant was the location of the oil filter. Unlike the W123, the W115 oil filter is only accessible from beneath. The result was hot, filthy diesel oil running down my arm and across my chest with every oil change. It eventually irritated me to the point of taking it to Grease Monkey for my changes. Let the oil run down HIS arm.

I loved the car otherwise. It was baby blue with white interor, sheepskins and wide whitewalls, a real attention-getter. It eventually succumbed to a wiped cam shaft, a congenital defect I was told.

Sold it for my first W123, a 1984 300D and never looked back. The W123 is like more W115. Now drive a 1983 300CD.
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  #12  
Old 01-29-2013, 10:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kerry View Post
Since it's happening at idle, I'm going with a failed diaphragm in the IP. There's a butterfly valve in the intake manifold which produces a vacuum at idle, hence the sucking of oil from the IP.
So if this were the case opening (or possibly removing) the butterfly would clear the smoke up, to help with diagnosing the problem wouldn't it? Also, couldn't this vacuum at idle be sucking oil from the line going from the vacuum pump to the intake, if the vacuum pump has a torn diaphragm?

Also, doesn't the IP have its own oil supply on these cars, an earlier comment mentioned it, so if this is the case wouldn't the IP run out of oil and cause other problems or does it refill itself somehow from the main supply?

Thanks again guys

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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint
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