Prices for someone who is involved with auto racing/engine rebuilding etc., and who has the "inside track" with machine shops and gets special prices, just can't be compared fairly to someone who pulled a head off a car for the very first time, ran into problems, worked through them, did some checking and found a reputable shop, and finally got the job done right. Also, I suspect the auto repair/machine shop market in Michigan is much different than in Massachusetts.

And no I DONT have money to donate to machine shops. And I dont care about special grind angles or polishing or porting the heads. The work was done to MBZ specs.

Valves??? waste of money?? Could be. I looked at the valves, discussed it with the machinist, and finally went with his recommendation.

Oh yes...at two bucks apiece, I did replace the valve springs...how about that!

Why the insults?

Mark

__________________
1984 300TD Wagon, 407,800 mi (current daily driver)
1985 300DT Sedan, 330,000 mi (gone to that great autobahn in the sky)

omegabenz - someone with some actual common sense and actual logic! Buddy, you don't know how rare you are!

As to actual, a 240D has somewhere between 65 and 67 hp. (depends on which book or manual you look at)

So yes, a few extra ponies is a lot! I don't have a clue how much horsepower I added to my car, but what I do know is that instead of downshifting to 2nd gear I can leave in 3rd gear and actually step on the throttle and actually "feel" an increase in speed. (going around a city street corner)

I was watching Speed channel and they were checking out the preformance of different tuned exhaust for a Harley Davidson motorcycle. It was pretty neat to see what different exhaust pipes make on a 2 cylinder engine. Some made a lot of noise but didn't do much, Hooker makes an exhaust that prouces a lot of torque and horsepower over a much larger ban on the scale from low to higher rpm's.

They used to think that it didn't make any difference as to the heat and so they (header compaines) made the Tubes out of real thin metal.
I don't know if it was NASCAR or who, but they found out that the old cast iron manifolds were producing more torque and they found out why, keeping the heat near the head produced more Torque and also more horsepower! Sounds pretty simple, huh? But every minute amount of neat-o stuff adds to the over all performance.
I love Dirt Track racing. I also know the importance of setup. You can take a dog of an engined car and be fast on the track by having a super setup. How fast you can take the corners is where the speed over-all is! And speed is fast and low seconds!
I have seen Late models with hughe amounts of horsepower and have low track times, I have seen a hobby stock car with a stock 350 chevy motor and a super setup win a race!

Small amounts of increases in the over-all is a lot! It is the difference between winning and loosing.
But it also corresponds with fuel mileage and performance. I was quite impressed with how the japanese engines are so well machined inside the engines.
Many of the internal surfaces are like chrome, those same surfaces in most other engines are just a rough casting surface.
And one engine I would have not ever figured on, a small Tecumseh engine.
I was quite impressed to find out that the 3 1/2 hp Tecumseh engine has more torque than a 3 1/2 horse B&S engine. And the Tecumseh has a better carb adjustment than B&S. Now, come on, we are talking a pittiful 3.5 hp engine and yet just a few improvements makes a lot of difference!


As to pricing over the USA, I guess you are right. And right because of some common logical sense that I was blind to and thanks for point it out to me!

I have seen some people (including friends) who are very college smart, they know a lot of technical stuff, but when it comes to everyday common sense or logical sense, they are out to lunch and brain dead!
Have you ever noticed that people in the medical field are very smart people, but when it comes to everyday common sense, they haven't got a clue!
Things that probably 65% of the US population just take for granted, they have not got a clue.
A friend of mine and also my doctor. There sets a $7500+ dollar John Deere Lawn tractor. 54" cut. There it sets, needs maybe $350-$500 dollars in engine repairs. What does he do? go out and buy a new Craftsman rider mower. The amount of money he spent on that 19.5 hp Craftsman he could have had a brand new engine! Done solely by JD with their highly inflated prices and still came out cheaper!

Common sense? logical? not hardly! Medical wise? smart!

It upsets me when I see other people being taken advantage of. This fellow with the 5 cyl head having it re-done. He may be a millionaire and can afford it, but the bottom line is still the same with me, I dislike anyone being taken advange of, irregardless as to whether they can afford it or not!

And the initial reason for making the remarks I did. But, what I didn't see (that you pointed out to me) was that he may very well have gotten a super deal.
And what I also didn't see, was that to him, this may have been a really big challenge to over-come. And some real accomplishment!

On the other hand, had to hired it done, it may have been a whole lot more than the $800+ dollars.

Benz240D, :EDIT: removed dead link :EDIT: sounds like a good place for you to post. Those guys are after all the performance, both real and imagined, that they can get through modding their Mercedes. They would probably get a real kick out of your hot rod 240D LOL!


Upon the first time I drove that 1978 240D versese trying different things, what I stated is what I experienced. This was my very first ever Mercedes Benz car.

so I didn't know what was good or bad, what was fast or slow. I had nothing to compare with.

What I did know, was that Premium fuel does make a difference. I had experienced that from a Catapillar Dozer and from driving semi over the road.
I also knew that the pump needs to have a supplement to give lubicity to the precious pump.
And so I had been running Amoco and Shell Premium Diesel fuel and "Diesel Supplement" by Power Service. (white container)

Going around the corner I would always have to drop to 2nd gear. Leaving it in third gear, it would fall flat on its' face and chugga-chug!
Then I saw this Diesel Kleen made by the same maker at A-1 Truck Parts.
Silver container, thought, well I'd give this a try, has most everything this other stuff has plus some other stuff too!

At the time I bought it, I had ZERO Idea it would do what it did. For the first 150 miles it didn't seem to do anything any differently, and infact, I wasn't expecting it to do anything differently.
Then after about 350 miles or so, I noticed by accident I could leave in 3rd gear and go around the corner and step on the throttle and gain speed!
Whoa, this is cool! Then I started noticing the car would go faster than it had before. Whoa, this is really cool! I statrted noticing it starting better.
One day I opened it up just to see how fast it'd go. Now prior to this Diesel Kleen, about 84 mph was about all she wrote! And it'd take a few miles to get it there!
Now all of a sudden I can get to 85 within a mile! Now that as you know is a real noticeable increase.
When you are only working with a 67 rated hp engine, any slight increase is noticed right away.
I found I could get up to 90mph without a Windbreak vehicle in front of me! oooh this is neat stuff!
And I have been up to 94mph several times. That motor is screamin! so I don't do it very often.
But it'll get there by around the 2nd mile sometimes a 3 mile stretch.

I then started finding it had power I didn't have before. And so I typed on this formum to find out if I had an oddball car or if other cars done this too. Remember - I had nothing to compare with. and so a forum would give me input from other owners.

What I never expected though was, so much Negativce feedback, and the more I tried to explain what I had experienced, the more hate mail reply I got!

And if someone would just read, knowing that all I say is from actual Life experiences. Then they might know I am not going by some book filled with dreams of impossiblities!

Then I make a comment about how someone spent too much money on a repair, too much as far as I was concerned, not taking into account that prices vary a lot from state to state and area to area.
At almost 50, I have probably gotten a lot of experience, maybe more than most. And in many different areas. There are people out there with more experience than me.
I base my facts by what I see, by what I experience. Not by half cocked dreams of hopefuls that are not reality.

Now I get people complaining I am talking too much performance. But, itsn't that the reason why we fix our cars, performance?

You went through the true pain of DIYs and educated us on every detailed step, for that you have my "thanks".

Wow. what a trip.

My 85 300D Euro was getting to 115-118 degrees everytime out.

I bought one of the Auto-Zone thermostats and while taking out the old one, I noticed it had been installed backwards. I turned it around and BINGO, I can't make it get over 90 degrees, whew.

A question, anyone: What makes the Aux fan come on? After a five mile trip (75-80 mph) the fan is not running.

Harry
86 300SDL
85 300D Euro

You went through the true pain of DIYs and educated us on every detailed step, for that you have my "thanks".

Wow. what a trip.

My 85 300D Euro was getting to 115-118 degrees everytime out.

I bought one of the Auto-Zone thermostats and while taking out the old one, I noticed it had been installed backwards. I turned it around and BINGO, I can't make it get over 90 degrees, whew.

A question, anyone: What makes the Aux fan come on? After a five mile trip (75-80 mph) the fan is not running.

Harry
86 300SDL
85 300D Euro

In the 300D 123 cars, the auxiliary fan does NOT start due to high engine/coolant temp. The aux. fan is part of the air conditioning system, and goes on when refridgerant temp. exceeds a certain maximum limit....there is a temp. sensor on the reciever drier that does this. This condition is likely to occur when you drive the car at highway speeds, get it all heated up, on a hot day with the AC on, then get off highway and stop at red light...idling....then freon does not cool enough because car is not moving to draw air across the condenser....when freon temp. exceeds the max. temp., the aux. fan comes on.

I understand that in some Mercedes, the Aux. fan is linked to both the AC system AND the enging coolant temp., but on the 123's it is linked ONLY to the AC system.


If aux. fan still does not come on, check the fuse...in my experience, the aux. fan blows a few fuses a year due to high current draw upon startup, and also because it is common to have leaves or other debris caught in the fan, so when it starts, fan gets caught or drags, causing fuse to blow.

Finally, if is still does not work, follow the electric wires from the fan to the plug...disconnect the plug and connect with wire leads directly to the car battery (12 volts)...if it doesnt start, fan motor is ng.

__________________
1984 300TD Wagon, 407,800 mi (current daily driver)
1985 300DT Sedan, 330,000 mi (gone to that great autobahn in the sky)