Hello everyone. Thanks again in advance for the advice.

I own a 1983 Mercedes 300sd. The car is very slow in acceleration and can barely make it up hills. It will only start if I do full throttle. Once started it purrs like a kitten.

I have tuned the valves twice. Each time, I admit, I use the crank bolt. I know now to use the lower bolt. I have cleaned and replaced the injectors with new nozzles. I have also cleaned the fuel tank strainer. I have run the car with a makeshift gas tank to rule out the filters.

I have enclosed this youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE4tfZgp9PI

The video shows that I have taken off the ALDA to rule it out. I am throttling the vehicle to show that the RPMS are slow at the beginning. This is how the car runs. It is slow as molasses and then gets more speed as the turbo kicks in. The video also shows the waste gate. I have taken its vacuum tubes off while running and can not feel any vacuum. The car idles like a dream. I am certain it is not the throttle linkage. Thanks for the help….Goldveg

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1985 W126 300sd

How did you run a makeshift take to rule out the filters? I'm trying to think of how you'd route it around the filters...since the lift pump flows through the large spin-on filter even if you bypass the small clear filter.

Any time I've run in to this problem on someone's car it's been a clogged spin-on filter.

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1979 300D 040 Black on Black - 1985 300D Maaco job (sadly sprayed over 199 Black Pearl Metallic) on Palamino

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Thanks for the reply. I hope others do as well. I run veg oil through my system. I live in a tropical climate and the car has run very for the last two years. I have drilled three 1/8 inch holes at an angle in the spin on filter. This is so that I can run a metal mesh micron filter as the main filter. Those paper filters clog too fast.The metal mesh is able to be cleaned every 300 miles with a high pressure garden hose.
The video shows blowzy. Is that what is draining my power? I hope not. It seams as if I am not getting enough fuel when starting and when accelerating. I have run a separate tank to verify that it is not the main fuel tank nor air from long lines. I was hoping it could be the injection pump timing. I have checked the chain stretch. It is dead on. Thanks again for those that reply…Goldveg

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1985 W126 300sd

First of all, what is blowzy? You used the term twice so it is not a typo I assume. The idle response to throttle sounds normal- maybe just a tad slow. Can't tell much at idle, engine must be under load.

Need to know more about your veg system. Single tank, dual tank? Need more info on that metal mesh filter with the drilled holes. Sounds strange. Any pics? Having to clean the filter every 300 miles suggests your fuel is not well filtered and may be a clue to your problems.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

x2.

This wouldn't happen to be a Lovecraft setup, would it? Your mods sound awfully like what they used to market.

Poor quality WVO has been known to mess up the lift pump over time. Aside from the other range of problems from unheated and/or improperly filtered WVO.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Assuming it is not a VO WVO issue and your Filters are not restricted you (Engine Cold and not running) might want to grab a hold of your Thottle Arm at the Fuel Injection Pump and have someone step slowly on the Accelerator Pedal and watch to see how much play is in all of those linkages.

I had the sloppy Throttle Linkage issue on My Car when I first got it and the acceleration was so poor it was scary in traffice. However, once it was up to speed like on the Freeway it drove nromally.
Taking some of the play out of the linkages solved the issue.

Later I found that in the Mercedes Service Manual the Linkages have specific Lengths they are supposed to be.

Also it is common for the Part of the Linkage between the Accelerator Pedal where it comes off of the Fire Wall to rot out or the Plastic Ball/Busing behind the Plate falls apart.

Your Fuel Supply/Lift Pump could be shot or need rebuilding or cleaning.

Then there is the below link:
Long Fuel Pressure Relief Valve/Overflow Valve Thread
Fuel pressure relief valve adjustment - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Hello gang. Thanks for the response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiTZTmlDgsw My spell check has been switching blow by to blowzy. I just checked the throttle linkage. The arm hits the throttle stop bar. When starting I have to go full throttle. When in 1st gear if you press the pedal to the floor then the car still goes slow until 2nd and and third gear and full throttle. I have taken my fuel pump out of my other 300sd. I swapped them and cleaned them with the kit. No change. I have taken the spring out of the bolt and stretched it to 27mm. No change. I have taken out the air filter and started the car. No change. I have completely removed the Alda. No change.
I have now read what a Lovecraft is. No that is not exactly what I have. This is my fourth mercedes running on veg oil. The two that I have here in Puerto Rico do run on the one tank system. I get away with this because I have the tools to clean out the fuel tank, injectors, glow plug holes, and filters. The filter I use is the same that they use on the jet planes. Kelly Tidwell of Purepower is a very knowledgable man. Its a reusable micron metal mesh filter. It has a lifetime warranty (250). Summit racing also has a comparable filter. I also use a 20 plate heat exchanger on my vehicles. Here in Puerto Rico this is sufficient. In the states (Maryland) I use two w123 with two tank systems made by Frybrid. Anyway, I hope I have not rambled. Here is my 300sd starting up at full throttle. It gives off some black smoke them tempers out. I am hoping that the rings are not shot. I have NOT checked compression. I am thinking that the fuel injection is not timed correctly. Please watch the video and see if its too much smoke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiTZTmlDgsw Thanks fellas for your help….Goldveg

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1985 W126 300sd

I am interested to know what Micron the Fuel Filter Filters Down to. The Stock Spin-on Filter is a 10 Nominal Micron Fuel Filter.

While Oil Filter generally are from 20-40 Nominal Microns; 25-27 nominal Microns are what most seem to be; there are some that go down as far as 15 nominal Microns.

So an Oil Filter is not good enough to sub as a Fuel Filter.

I am looking at the below from their site.

"9400 Series Pure Power! Lifetime Diesel Oil Filter®

9400 Series Pure Power! Lifetime Diesel Oil Filter® is a CLEANABLE and REUSABLE, Direct Spin-on Replacement for GM, Ford, Cummins, Mack, Freighliner, Caterpillar, Peterbilt, Detroit, Volvo, Mercedes and other Diesel Engines and Industrial Applications. Outstanding quality American made 6061 T6 Aluminum Billet Housing, duplex woven Stainless Steel filter media and Viton® O-Rings. Improves fuel mileage and horsepower. NEVER BUY ANOTHER OIL OR FUEL FILTER AGAIN!".
There is no mention of what Micron level of filtraition it does nor which specification it is going by. There is to spec; one is Nominal Micron and the other is Beta Rating to rate filtration.

I copied the spec sheet from the part that had the Fuel Filter info and it seems not to mention what the Fuel Filter can do???

Attached Files

filter.pdf (149.1 KB, 84 views)

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

It could be that something has gotten passed the Fuel Filter or simply have solidified around the Fuel Feed Holes in the Fuel Injection Pump Elements.

Below is a picture of one of the Elements pulled out of a Fuel Injection Pump. {Don't pull the Element out of the Pump as it alters the amount of Fuel that the Element will put out if you don't get it back exactly in the position it came out of.}

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

A filter used on a Jet plane means nothing, lifetime warranty also means nothing. What matters is that you are using veg, which has very different properties than Jet fuel. I think you have a fuel restriction problem in the fuel circuit.

You can:

1. Measure the restriction with pressure gauges.

or

2. Bypass the metal mesh filter and see if it improves. If not, it can still be restrictions/ clogs in the injection pump or elsewhere in the fuel ciscuit due to veg use.

I would suggest not messing with timing for now since it was running fine before this. Timing don't usally change all of a sudden.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will be running straight diesel without filter in the next hour. I will post the results. Has anyone looked at my youtube video of the hard startup and black smoke at muffler? Is this conclusive for worn rings and no power? Sorry I did not impress you funola. I am very proud of Kelly Tidwell (Purepower) and his filters. The type of fuel used in these filters is not the point. The nominal micron rating is up to the purchaser. The filters are great and should be mandated to be used in all cars. The paper filters by Fram and all else are a waste of materials. Furthermore, when these cheap filters clog up it ends up bypassing the filter altogether.

Has anybody taken out and cleaned the injection pump elements? I saw in the previous post that this is a bad idea. Hope to get to the bottom of this soon…Thanks everyone…Goldveg

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1985 W126 300sd

I did not read the cleaning proceedures on the site. But, I think the average Car owner is not going to have the stuff to Clean the Filter Properly and it is going to be time consuming for them.
If they had to Pay a Mechanic to clean the Filters it would be more expensive then a new Filter.

I have not read anything since 2007 that would indicate that Diesel Fuel will dissolve WVO Deposits.

Diesel Fuel can be used to flush out the WVO just before you are going to shut the Engine off. And, the reason for doing that is so that the gunk has less chance to solifify inside of the Fuel Injection Pump.

Concerning the reuable Filters in My quick look at the site I did not see and choice of Microns offered. I guess you have to call to ask.

I was also curious about some of the Claims. I have the same 2 absolute Micron fuel Filter on My Car for over 4 Years now and I only change it when there is an issue.

One of the claims is from a Government (City or County) that they saved X amount of $$$ because they don't have to change the Fuel Filters on each vehicle X time per year.

I think they change the Filter that often because the Change the Filter on a schedual instead of Waiting until the Filter needs to be changed. That is part of what is causing the great expense they have.

The other unreported cost is that a Mechanic has to perodically clean the reusable Fuel Filter. That takes longer then changing the Filter unless they have some automated way to clean the Filters.
That means that the Mechanics time taken to clean the Filter is not being recorded and taken into account.
Way back 25 a new less experienced Mechanics for the County started off at $17/Hour it is likely closer to $25 now.
So I agree that they are saving some money but not as much as they think because they are not sutracting the cost to have the Mechanic clean the Filter.

However, I actually believe the cleanable Filter is a good idea. I have Fram reusable/washable Air Filters on all of My Vehicles.
However, it does take about 30minutes to round up the stuff needed to clean one Filter and to do the Job. And, in the case of the Air Filters they need to Air Dry.
The Air drying issue is why I have 2 Filter Per Car. I sway them and clean the dirty one and it has months and months to dry.

The place that sells the Filters is out here in CA in the Los Angeles area so sometime if I work up enough intrest I could drop buy.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Well I just used a plastic jug and ran my car on diesel for 30 minutes. I did not use a filter. It is still lethargic in 1st gear. It does speed up nicely halfway from 1st to 2nd and so forth. The initial start up is like molasses. Also, I took the air filter off for good measure. Still nothing. Diesel 911 thanks for the interest in the filters. The micron rating is set when you call in the order. He can make the filters to fill your size. IE 4 inch diameter by 9 inches long. The filter that I use is of course for the vegetable oil. I clean it with a garden hose. The filters are rated to a certain large air pressure psi for cleaning. I have put gasoline in sometime and shaken it. But, all it really needs is the garden hose and a good shake to get the water off. Diesel911 I hope you do stop in and visit him. I think these filters have a future.

Fellas, I hope someone has watched the youtube videos. My car is really slow. I have ordered the drip tube. If this doesn't work then I am likely to get hit in the rear by a mom mom racing home for Wheel of fortune. Hope someone can help. Thanks again, Goldveg

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1985 W126 300sd

Although this is an ebay example of the Purepower Filter it is the type of Ad I do not like.

"The ORIGINAL 6061 T6 Billet Cleanable and Reusable Oil Filter
Fits Small and Big Block Chevy Engines Thread Size 13/16"
•American made using certified premium materials.(Beware of inferior knock-offs!)
•100% Filtration through T304 Stainless Steel Media
•Improved particle removal (up to 90%)
•Increased Flow (our smallest filter tested at 20+ gpm)
•Lab tested SAE Burst Rate 1,000 psi
•Cooler operating temperatures
•Easy Monitoring of the engine
•Easy Cleaning
•No disposal charge
•Extended Oil Drain
•Used in all major racing venues on land, sea and air
•This unique system is the ONLY cleanable/reusable oil filter proven to be so effective and reliable that it passed stringent F.A.A. testing with flying colors
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PurePower-Cleanable-Reuseable-6061-Billet-Oil-Filter-New-/331151355211?pt=Race_Car_Parts&hash=item4d1a28ad4b&vxp=mtr"

Please note that eBay sellers typically copy the Specs from the Makers.

Improved particle removal (up to 90%). 90% of what sized particles? Why can't the sized particles in the Ad so that you can compare it to what the Stock Filter can do???

Increased Flow (our smallest filter tested at 20+ gpm). That only makes a difference if your are modifying the Engine for some special use like racing.
The Stock Factory Oil Filter is not going to restruct the Flow. In fact I have not read any evidence that a dirty Stock Oil Filter if changed with in the time the Car Maker wants the changed is restricting flow.

Here is the WIX Filter Look UP site. If you have a Car with a Spin-on Filter you can plug in the Number of Your Filter and it will bring up the WIX version and 95% of the time in the specs you are going to find the Nominal Micron, Beta Ratio or Both on the Filter. And, that is going to tell what micron the Filter can filter down to.
(Note: for some reason Air Filters for Cars don't list the microns.)

I sent the eBay seller the following: What Micron level does this Filter filter 90% of?
Most Oil Filters have their Filtraion listed at the Makers website in Nominal Microns or a Beta Ration or sometimes the Maker gives both. I would be happy if you could give me either the Nomina Micron or Beta Ratio.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I sent an Email to the Pure Power company: I have looked at you site and have not seen anyplace where it stated the Nominal Micron or Beta Ratio of any of Your Filters???

If I wanted the Oil Filter for a Big Block Chevey I blelieve that is a 6061 Filter. What would either the Nominal Micron Rating or Beta Ratio of Your Oil Filter for that application be?

I also sent an Email to System 1 Reusable Oil Filters and the eBay Seller asking what micron level the Filters are.

I also noticed something else. When the Filter is taken apart there is an O-ring kit. I realize that for Personal use you would not change the O-rings till they are found to be leaking.

But, I think that someone useing the Reusable Filters on a Fleet of Trucks is going to replace the O-rings each time the Filter is taken apart. That is also an expense that is not mentioned.

I lost track of which seller was selling which Filter but I got an answer from one of the ebay Sellers. He said his Filter was a 40 Micron Filter.
That is not as good as normal stock Filter that run about 25-27 Microns.

I ask Him what was the lowest Micron Filter there was. He said he did not sell them but the lowest Micron one available from the company's filter he sold was 30 microns.
30 microns is not a really great Oil Filter.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel