From owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Sun Jun 13 11:50:43 2004 From: diesel-benz-digest diesel-benz-digest Sunday, June 13 2004 Volume 01 : Number 1486 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles Derick Amburgey Digest Coordinator Contents: Re: [db] Notice to parts shoppers Re: [db] Katie [db] Katie's brakes Re: [db] Katie's brakes Re: [db] Katie's brakes RE: [db] Katie's brakes [db] Electric Fan? Re: [db] Electric Fan? Re: [db] Electric Fan? [db] Tucson used cars? Diesel Benz Digest Home Page: http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ Send submissions to diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Send administrative requests to diesel-benz-digest-request-at-digest.net To unsubscribe, include the word unsubscribe by itself in the body of the message, unless you are sending the request from a different address than the one that appears on the list. Include the word help in a message to stag-digest-request to get a list of other majordomo commands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 23:56:09 -0700 From: john meister Subject: Re: [db] Notice to parts shoppers a number of factors... parking was a big factor, time, the fact that the car needed some "help", had a turbo issue, for a while it had a title issue and so on and so on... I think he had to move as well... he offered the car to me and I almost went for it... but we never got it together and I'm happy to know that he got more for it parting it out then I was going to give him... happy for him, and happy for me since it's not in the driveway with the other "bent" benz that I got for my son. ;) IF I'm back in Seattle in time for the parts fest I may be heading over there with a torch, no, wait, sawzall.. my body man said NO to the torch idea... ;) (need the left rear quarter and part of the trunk floor... picked up my son's '82 300D Turbo Diesel for $200 because it has some "minor" body damage... ;) http://wagoneers.com/DieselBenz/CARS/Marks-82-300D/all-82-300D.jpg of course dericks' benz looked better in the back end then my son's does... ;) john jasonbassett-at-juno.com wrote: > I'm curious as to why you decided to part it out instead of fix it. What went so horribly wrong? > > Jason > > ________________________________________________________________ > The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! > Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! > Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 02:25:47 -0500 From: Jon Filina Subject: Re: [db] Katie Jason wrote: > My 240D "Katie" is named after one of my sister's friends. I LIKE it! The first time I test drove my '81 240D I kept saying "come on, Mathilde, you can do it!". The name stuck. She was a classy old lady, but a bit slow. She'd still be my gal if some broad in an SUV hadn't killed her... "Katie"....a perfect name! > 1. I have some slack in my accelerator linkage such that I can push the > pedal a bit without affecting the engine at all. I can see the > telescoping linkage which I could adjust to correct this. Will I hurt > anything if I just lengthen the linkage so the slack goes away? It is > annoying to have it, and furthermore I don't think I am actually getting > to the full-throttle stop when I floor it. Maybe a good thing....... Since I don't have Mathilde anymore, I can only reply from memory. I don't remember any major adjustments to do with the throttle cable between the pedal and the injector pump. There IS an assembly on the firewall that transmits the throttle peddle position to the injection pump. I think it's referred to as the "throttle linkage assembly", but may be wrong. With the hood up, you'll see a rod with a ball and cap connection on a "swivel" mounted on the firewall. Have someone press the accelerator pedal and observe how far it transmits the movement to the injection pump throttle plate. If it's worn, which is not obvious from looking at it, flooring the pedal will NOT result in the throttle plate being moved all the way to it's full power position. I had a case of low power with Mathilde which was cured by replacing the assembly. I was only getting about 1/2 throttle when the pedal was floored. Replacing that part restored my "power", such as it is with a 240D. MB played quite a bit with that part, so you'll have to order it by VIN number and, probably, have to get it from the dealer. Mine was $56, but some of the 240D's were only $12. That sounds like the problem you have. > 2. Why must I use C rated oil? I put SL 40-weight in it and it seems > fine. This has already been answered, but I can tell you from personal experience to use Chevron Delo 400, 15w40. It's the best dino oil you can use for these old diesels. Shell Rotella broke down early in our Texas heat, so I quit using it. If you don't have any leaks, try Mobil One or Amsoil. They are both great oils. > 3. My back brakes were dragging a bit when I first got the thing. I don't > think they are now. However, the pedal was also a bit > inconsistent^Wnormally it was very tight, but sometimes it got so sloppy > it worried me (though it still had plenty of stopping power.) I am > assuming that the system is simply having to get "woke up" since it seems > much better now and had sat for a long time. Is this a dangerous > assumption? Food for thought... I had to replace 3 of the 4 calipers on my 240D. That may not be your problem, though. The flexible hoses going to the brakes are known to deteriorate over time. The rubber tends to expand inside the hose and the end result is that the caliper does not fully disengage when you let off the pedal. Does the pedal get spongey and the brake light come on at any time? If so, replace the hoses and see if that cures the problem. The list wisdom, on a different one than this, at the time was to replace all four hoses (about $10 each plus labor) but I only did the one that was causing the problem and everything was fine after that. Take care of "Katie" and she'll take care of you. I would love to own another 240D, with a stick shift, even though this 300SD has so much more power and is so quiet. Alec owes me a favor.... He turned me on to the E-Code lighting that I used on Mathilde and now Bruno. For that I am eternally grateful. I, in turn, got him started on using the Topsider to change his oil. You're welcome, Alec. It's his turn now, and I'm waiting for a forest green 240D, with the palomino MB-Tex interior and a 4 speed to show up in my driveway.... I'm not holding my breath, but you can never tell with Alec... Jon '84 300SD "Bruno" ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 13:25:51 GMT From: Subject: [db] Katie's brakes Hmmmm.....actually, the hose theory sounds pretty plausible. Whatever it is is getting better. The brake light has never come on (that I noticed at least) and they seem to be limbering up with use. I just hope they work to MI.... As for soot, you said "think diamonds." Actually, I was more thinking graphite, and graphite lubricant is useful. But I can see what you mean; the oil does feel a bit "crunchy"....maybe I should just dump it out now and make everybody feel better (including me...) By the way, it is rated SL (and I said that before sometime) so I'm not too concerned about the cam, but thanks for the thought. How is the SuperTech (Wal-mart) 15W-40 CF oil? Better than the Coastal that is in there now, but how is it among the big muckety-mucks? Now if I decide I need hoses, calipers, etc., where will I get these things? Rusty or Randy have them? I shudder to think of paying dealership prices......would AutoZone have them? They actually do have a lot of import parts, and these would be fairly common.....maybe? Anyway, your helpfulness cannot be appreciated enough. Keep up the good work. Jason 1981 240D "Katie" ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 08:20:36 -0700 From: Greg Fiorentino Subject: Re: [db] Katie's brakes At 06:25 AM 6/12/04 , jasonbassett-at-juno.com wrote: >Now if I decide I need hoses, calipers, etc., where will I get these >things? Rusty or Randy have them? I shudder to think of paying dealership >prices......would AutoZone have them? They actually do have a lot of >import parts, and these would be fairly common.....maybe? Autozone is a good source for waxes and such and possibly glowplugs. Other than that, I would stick to Rusty or one of the other Internet/phone/mail sources. The prices are probably better than Autozone and you can be sure that the parts are the best. The Delo 400 oil recommendation is almost universal. I get mine by the 6-gallon case at Costco. I and many others believe this is the best of the Dino oils and well worth the small price premium over other brands. When you figure the cost of owning and operating one of these cars and the time spent working on them, the cost of the quality materials is insignificant. Greg Fiorentino Vancouver USA gfior-at-dslnorthwest.net '86 300SDL Turbo '84 300D Turbo '79 300TD '85 F-350 6.9 crew cab ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 09:23:56 -0700 From: john meister Subject: Re: [db] Katie's brakes the 15w40 Diesel oil sounds like a better plan... as far as the brake parts, check out rusty... I think his info is correct on this page: http://www.wagoneers.com/DieselBenz/PARTS-SVC/parts-sources.html jasonbassett-at-juno.com wrote: > Hmmmm.....actually, the hose theory sounds pretty plausible. Whatever it is is getting better. The brake light has never come on (that I noticed at least) and they seem to be limbering up with use. I just hope they work to MI.... > > As for soot, you said "think diamonds." Actually, I was more thinking graphite, and graphite lubricant is useful. But I can see what you mean; the oil does feel a bit "crunchy"....maybe I should just dump it out now and make everybody feel better (including me...) By the way, it is rated SL (and I said that before sometime) so I'm not too concerned about the cam, but thanks for the thought. How is the SuperTech (Wal-mart) 15W-40 CF oil? Better than the Coastal that is in there now, but how is it among the big muckety-mucks? > > Now if I decide I need hoses, calipers, etc., where will I get these things? Rusty or Randy have them? I shudder to think of paying dealership prices......would AutoZone have them? They actually do have a lot of import parts, and these would be fairly common.....maybe? > > Anyway, your helpfulness cannot be appreciated enough. Keep up the good work. > > Jason > > 1981 240D "Katie" > > ________________________________________________________________ > The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! > Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! > Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 11:52:55 -0500 From: "Sam Williams" <1sam-at-io.com> Subject: RE: [db] Katie's brakes Jason, I strongly agree with Greg. There is a good chance that when you replace a part on this car, it will never have to be replaced again as long as you own the car--if you use good quality parts. MB, Randy and Rusty sell the good stuff. AutoShack, etc. sometimes have good parts, often sell junk. Also, their prices are frequently higher than buying good parts at the dealer. As Greg said, the cost of using the best parts vs. McParts bargains is insignificant. It only becomes significant when the 'bargain' parts fail early. Before you buy something that 'might work OK' at Parts-R-US, check prices at the dealer. Often their prices aren't as high as you fear. Randy and Rusty are consistently less expensive than the dealer--if you can wait a day or two for shipping. Using bargain-bin vs. Delo oil (or my favorite, AmsOil) is probably cheaper until you must replace the engine. There are documented differences between 'cheap' oil filters and the ones you get from MB, Randy or Rusty--and they ain't trivial. Also, the filters that don't filter often sell for more than real ones, even at the dealer's parts counter. Change your brake fluid soon. Change your oil soon. Then, you can enjoy driving Katie and her repairs/maintenance will cease being major worries. Have a good trip, Sam - -----Original Message----- From: owner-diesel-benz-at-digest.net [mailto:owner-diesel-benz-at-digest.net] On Behalf Of Greg Fiorentino Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 10:21 AM To: jasonbassett-at-juno.com; diesel-benz-at-digest.net Subject: Re: [db] Katie's brakes At 06:25 AM 6/12/04 , jasonbassett-at-juno.com wrote: >Now if I decide I need hoses, calipers, etc., where will I get these >things? Rusty or Randy have them? I shudder to think of paying dealership >prices......would AutoZone have them? They actually do have a lot of >import parts, and these would be fairly common.....maybe? Autozone is a good source for waxes and such and possibly glowplugs. Other than that, I would stick to Rusty or one of the other Internet/phone/mail sources. The prices are probably better than Autozone and you can be sure that the parts are the best. The Delo 400 oil recommendation is almost universal. I get mine by the 6-gallon case at Costco. I and many others believe this is the best of the Dino oils and well worth the small price premium over other brands. When you figure the cost of owning and operating one of these cars and the time spent working on them, the cost of the quality materials is insignificant. Greg Fiorentino Vancouver USA gfior-at-dslnorthwest.net '86 300SDL Turbo '84 300D Turbo '79 300TD '85 F-350 6.9 crew cab ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 16:31:48 -0700 From: Eric Ditwiler Subject: [db] Electric Fan? Anybody ever remove the stock fan and replace it with an electric one? How many CFM will it take? Can the alternator handle it? I want to make room for an intercooler and it looks like the easiest thing is to ditch the fan and move the radiator back. Eric Ditwiler, Assistant Dean Harvey Mudd College 301 E. 12 Street, Claremont, CA 91711 909-607-3134 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 17:58:27 -0700 From: john meister Subject: Re: [db] Electric Fan? been there done that won't do it again... picture yourself sitting in heavy traffic near Mt. Shasta in 80 degree weather no place to go and the electric fan switch fails... water is seeping, thankfully, from the thermostat housing instead of the head or block... there are other ways of making room for an intercooler... if you do disregard this sage advice, install two or three smaller fans, two pushers in front (already there, right?) and one puller inside... have them wired, fused and relayed separately... triple redundancy isn't too much... ;) john Eric Ditwiler wrote: > Anybody ever remove the stock fan and replace it with an electric one? > > How many CFM will it take? > > Can the alternator handle it? > > I want to make room for an intercooler and it looks like the easiest > thing is to ditch the fan and move the radiator back. > > Eric Ditwiler, Assistant Dean > Harvey Mudd College > 301 E. 12 Street, Claremont, CA 91711 > > 909-607-3134 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 23:11:33 -0400 From: Mike Frank Subject: Re: [db] Electric Fan? I manufacture electric fans, but not for Mercedes applications. In general, an electric fan will be more efficient than an engine driven fan, since the electric fan will run only when needed. A mechanical fan always places some drag on the engine, even if it has a viscous coupling. As for sizing, a 3L Diesel engine would probably do quite well with a 1500 CFM fan. You have a few things to consider: - - You need to either use a shroud or else use a fan with a slinger ring design. Most aftermarket fans are self contained, with one or the other of those designs. - - You need to get the shroud (or slinger ring) as close to the radiator core as possible. Most aftermarket fans come with plastic rivets that hold the assembly to the radiator core. This is an abominable design. Spend some time with the fan and figure out how to build a proper support. - - You will need to find a way to control the fan. There are any number of aftermarket switches that will work beautifully, and won't require tapping the block.The slickest is made by Permacool. It senses the temperature of the core, and manages the speed of the fan to provide the best compromise of cooling and noise. - - Given a choice between a small diameter fan and a large diameter fan, both of which pull the same amount of air, go for the largest fan that doesn't exceed the size of your radiator. - - Aftermarket fans can draw anywhere from 6 amps to 60 amps. Current draw has little relation to advertised airflow. This is not a conclusion you would reach based on the science, but it's a fact. This is because published ratings are usually at zero static pressure, which has no relation to how the fan will operate in your car. The fan you should be looking for would be rated at 1500 CFM, and would probably draw around 12-18 amps. Since there's not much electrical demand in a Diesel, you shouldn't have a problem with the alternator. In the worst case, it's easy enough to find a more powerful alternator. - - I did a write up for the Jaguar club on generic aftermarket fans, which might help: http://www.jcna.com/library/tech/tech0008.html Mike Frank At 07:31 PM 6/12/2004, Eric Ditwiler wrote: >Anybody ever remove the stock fan and replace it with an electric one? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 12:06:27 -0700 From: john meister Subject: [db] Tucson used cars? My son has decided to go to his new duty station directly and then come home on leave later... which is causing him to think about finding an inexpensive used Jeep or Mercedes Diesel down in Tucson, AZ. Anyone on the list down there that could provide suggestions, caveats, ideas? I think he'd really like a full size Jeep again, but the right XJ would work too... If he does pick up something down there that probably means that I'll fix and sell his '82 300D Turbo Diesel up in Washington state... :) Unless of course that engine happens to find it's way into my '87 Cherokee... ;) I can hear Alec and Jon right now... where's the popcorn... like father, like son... ;) rofl... believe it or not he's got a rash of indecision worse than I have... :) later, john ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #1486 **********************************