From owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Thu Oct 13 08:14:35 2005 From: diesel-benz-digest diesel-benz-digest Thursday, October 13 2005 Volume 01 : Number 1985 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles Derick Amburgey Digest Coordinator Contents: [db] Mileage?? Re: [db] Mileage?? Re: [db] Third World Car Repair Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars Re: [db] Mileage?? Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars Re: [db] 300D Vacuum pump Re: [db] Third World Car Repair Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars 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: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 22:34:17 -0500 From: "Randy Bennell" Subject: [db] Mileage?? What mileage should I expect from my 300D? It is 1976 so a 115 non turbo with a 3 speed automatic. I acquired it this past July and so far have put about 1500 miles on it. On the one road trip that I did of about 325 miles it did about 28 mpg (but that is on imperial gallons so deduct about 20% to calculate US mpg). The last tank was pretty well all driving in town and it did about 24 mpg (again imperial gallons). I sort of thought it should do better than that based upon comments I have read over time on this list and others. By the way diesel was $1.039 per litre here this morning so multiply by about 3.8 to get a US gallon and then calculate on the basis of the Cdn dollar being somewhere around $0.85 right now to compare with what you are paying. It is about the same price as regular unleaded gasoline right now. Randy in Winnipeg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:34:20 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: Re: [db] Mileage?? my 80 300d with 3.0L got around 23 to 24 in town, and about 27-28 on the road... non-turbo. my 83 300SD with a 3.0L turbo did 25-26 in town and 28-29 on the road. my 91 300d with a 2.5L td gets 30mpg in town and has hit 38+ on the road. john On Wed, 12 Oct 2005, Randy Bennell wrote: >-->What mileage should I expect from my 300D? It is 1976 so a 115 non turbo >-->with a 3 speed automatic. I acquired it this past July and so far have put >-->about 1500 miles on it. On the one road trip that I did of about 325 miles >-->it did about 28 mpg (but that is on imperial gallons so deduct about 20% to >-->calculate US mpg). >-->The last tank was pretty well all driving in town and it did about 24 mpg >-->(again imperial gallons). >-->I sort of thought it should do better than that based upon comments I have >-->read over time on this list and others. >--> >-->By the way diesel was $1.039 per litre here this morning so multiply by >-->about 3.8 to get a US gallon and then calculate on the basis of the Cdn >-->dollar being somewhere around $0.85 right now to compare with what you are >-->paying. It is about the same price as regular unleaded gasoline right now. >--> >-->Randy in Winnipeg >--> ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** http://JohnMeister.com **** http://wagoneers.com ** Snohomish, Washington USA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold ** http://freegift.net *** http://greatcom.org/laws/languages.html ** - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:44:31 -0700 From: Eric Ditwiler Subject: Re: [db] Third World Car Repair Third World? Sounds more like good old American ingenuity to me! On Oct 12, 2005, at 8:25 PM, Jerry Kaidor wrote: > BOY, > > Am I tired.... I'm not used to this stuff anymore. After running > around > doing errands all morning I set to work on the 300D around noontime. > The > vacuum gauge told a sad tale: when you tap on the brake, the vacuum > went > to zilch - and took its sweet time coming back up again. > > So the vacuum pump was (almost) TU. I pulled out my spare. The > spare > was the finest kind - the two-piston version. The pump in there was > the worst kind - the single-diaphragm one. So the replacement would be > an improvement. > > Popped the old pump out with some difficulty - had to run down to > the > store for a set of metric allen wrenches. The old pump came out with a > broken gasket. So down to the Mercedes dealer for a new gasket > "Oh, I'm sorry, we don't have any of those. And it looks like L.A. > doesn't have'm either. We'll have to order it from Germany. > > Urk. What do you do when you want the car NOW, and the gasket is in > Germany? You make one, that's what! According to the manual, the > gasket > was supposed to be 0.2mm thick - which is about .007 inches. The > thinnest > gasket stock I could get at the store was .030". I think it actually > matters, because the innards of the engine actually PUSH on a lever in > the > pump. > > So I made a gasket out of some .008" dead soft aluminum sheet that I > had > laying around. Punched the holes with the ole Roper Whitney and > nibbled > out the inside with a nibbler. Hope it works - I "helped" it with a > liberal > coating of Permatex Hi-Tack. > > Next challenge was that the manifold hose end was not appropriate > for the > new pump - bent the wrong way. So I vised it and battered it into > submission. Just in case any of the bash marks were too deep, I > slathered > them with hitemp silicone and wrapped the pipe with electrical tape. > Want > the car NOW, dammit! > > Then the radiator shroud broke - so I laced it back together with > steel > wire. > > Car is back together, vacuum is healthy. Beddie-bye time for > Jerry... > > - Jerry "3rd World Mech" Kaidor ( jerry-at-tr2.com ) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 04:52:24 +0000 From: Bruce Caruthers Subject: Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars Well, after my little W124 adventure, I can say I've driven from Downer's Grove (outside Chicago) to the small town of very nice folks in Edgerton, Wisconsin (40 miles south of Madison) on one old battery, then from there to Minneapolis on a new battery (which I am still using) while using headlights for several hours of the drive. Kind of nervewracking during it all, though... Of course, the dealership in Minneapolis reamed me on the alternator ($340 *after* I complained that Phil Smart in Seattle was only asking $273 [I called and asked] -- plus labor, of course!) - -bkc Lynnwood, WA '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] '00 MB ML320 [W163.154/M112.942] '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] On Sat Oct 08, 2005, john wrote: > > > -->> Did you get your alternator yet? > > -->Yes. You can read all about that in my blog: > > wow, your Jag only made it that far? I drove a J10 up from the bay area > and went through two alternators... blew the first one in Shasta, drove > to Medford on battery... replaced alternator and battery in Medford then > blew the 2nd alternator just crossing into Vancouver... drove the rest > of the way home on battery... engine never died, and it was at night... > I ran with parking lights or no lights as much as I could... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 22:24:28 -0700 From: Kevin Subject: Re: [db] Mileage?? On Wed, Oct 12, 2005 at 10:34:17PM -0500, Randy Bennell wrote: > What mileage should I expect from my 300D? It is 1976 so a 115 non turbo > with a 3 speed automatic. I acquired it this past July and so far have put > about 1500 miles on it. On the one road trip that I did of about 325 miles > it did about 28 mpg (but that is on imperial gallons so deduct about 20% to > calculate US mpg). > The last tank was pretty well all driving in town and it did about 24 mpg > (again imperial gallons). > I sort of thought it should do better than that based upon comments I have > read over time on this list and others. If it's any consolation, my brother's 78 300D doesn't do a whole lot better than that. I'd expect better out of your car too (like I expect better from my brother's). I'd probably consider checking the valves if you haven't yet and adjust as necessary. If you have a hard time starting and it smokes in the morning, might be time to ream out the glow plug holes - that little bit seemed to make a difference in my brother's car - he doesn't drive far, and wasn't getting the engine to proper temperature fast enough because of the plug that wasn't working right. Other than that, the usual suspects are calipers slightly dragging, tired wheel bearings, tires that are underinflated, etc. Sam had (has?) one of those if he's still out there and can give you mileage numbers from the same engine in the same chassis. K ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 22:43:48 -0700 From: chuck goolsbee Subject: Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars >Of course, the dealership in Minneapolis reamed me >on the alternator ($340 *after* I complained that >Phil Smart in Seattle was only asking $273 [I called >and asked] -- plus labor, of course!) Ouch! I thought the $260 for a reconditioned 40 year old Lucas alternator was expensive! I can literally burn diodes in a half dozen Hitachi's and still be better off financially. Gotta love easy to install, $45 alternators. Good to hear you made it home though. Welcome back. - -- - --chuck goolsbee 02 Jetta TDi (but also looking for a 300SD or SDL) arlington, wa, usa ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 09:16:08 -0400 From: "Jim Hoffman" Subject: Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars Bruce, Did you tell the list of your pending adventure before you left? If you did, I missed it... but I live about 50 miles east of Edgerton. Would have been nice to meet another list member! And DanG lives somewhere near Downer's Grove. We coulda had a party! ;) Jim > > Well, after my little W124 adventure, I can say I've > driven from Downer's Grove (outside Chicago) to the > small town of very nice folks in Edgerton, Wisconsin > (40 miles south of Madison) on one old battery, then > from there to Minneapolis on a new battery (which I > am still using) while using headlights for several > hours of the drive. Kind of nervewracking during it > all, though... > > Of course, the dealership in Minneapolis reamed me > on the alternator ($340 *after* I complained that > Phil Smart in Seattle was only asking $273 [I called > and asked] -- plus labor, of course!) > > -bkc > Lynnwood, WA > '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] > '00 MB ML320 [W163.154/M112.942] > '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] > > On Sat Oct 08, 2005, john wrote: > > > > > -->> Did you get your alternator yet? > > > -->Yes. You can read all about that in my blog: <http://www.goolsbee.org> > > > > wow, your Jag only made it that far? I drove a J10 up from the bay area > > and went through two alternators... blew the first one in Shasta, drove > > to Medford on battery... replaced alternator and battery in Medford then > > blew the 2nd alternator just crossing into Vancouver... drove the rest > > of the way home on battery... engine never died, and it was at night... > > I ran with parking lights or no lights as much as I could... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 06:24:39 -0700 From: Greg Fiorentino Subject: Re: [db] 300D Vacuum pump Jerry Kaidor wrote: Hi guys, It's not out of the realm of possibility that I will have to remove & replace the vacuum pump on my '85 300D tomorrow. Luckily, I have a spare. One quick question - if anybody's done it, I notice that the pump is pretty low on the block. Does the engine oil fall out when you remove it? - Jerry Kaidor ( jerry-at-tr2.com ) Hi Jerry: Sorry, I have no experience with the later model 5-cyl vacuum pump. I did R&R and rebuild the one on my '79 TD, and in my research discovered that the later models are reputed to last forever. This as opposed to the one in my '79 needing to be rebuilt after only 24 years ;-) . Engine oil stayed in the pan when I removed the pump. I would look at other possibilities, like check valves and brake boosters. What are your symptoms? Greg Greg Fiorentino Vancouver USA '86 300 SDL '84 300D Turbo '79 300TD '85 6.9L F350 Crew Cab ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 06:28:42 -0700 From: Greg Fiorentino Subject: Re: [db] Third World Car Repair Jerry Kaidor wrote: BOY, Am I tired.... I'm not used to this stuff anymore. After running around doing errands all morning I set to work on the 300D around noontime. The vacuum gauge told a sad tale: when you tap on the brake, the vacuum went to zilch - and took its sweet time coming back up again.... <> Isn't that where the term "haywire" came from? Greg Fiorentino Vancouver USA '86 300 SDL '84 300D Turbo '79 300TD '85 6.9L F350 Crew Cab ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:03:48 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars I posted last week that he was in Edgerton, south of Madison... ;) but by the time it hit the list/digest he was probably in the twin cities... ;) john On Thu, 13 Oct 2005, Jim Hoffman wrote: >-->Bruce, >--> >--> Did you tell the list of your pending adventure before you left? >-->If you did, I missed it... but I live about 50 miles east of >-->Edgerton. Would have been nice to meet another list member! And >-->DanG lives somewhere near Downer's Grove. We coulda had a party! >--> >-->;) >--> >-->Jim >--> >-->> >-->> Well, after my little W124 adventure, I can say I've >-->> driven from Downer's Grove (outside Chicago) to the >-->> small town of very nice folks in Edgerton, Wisconsin >-->> (40 miles south of Madison) on one old battery, then >-->> from there to Minneapolis on a new battery (which I >-->> am still using) while using headlights for several >-->> hours of the drive. Kind of nervewracking during it >-->> all, though... >-->> >-->> Of course, the dealership in Minneapolis reamed me >-->> on the alternator ($340 *after* I complained that >-->> Phil Smart in Seattle was only asking $273 [I called >-->> and asked] -- plus labor, of course!) >-->> >-->> -bkc >-->> Lynnwood, WA >-->> '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] >-->> '00 MB ML320 [W163.154/M112.942] >-->> '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] >-->> >-->> On Sat Oct 08, 2005, john wrote: >-->> > >-->> > > -->> Did you get your alternator yet? >-->> > > -->Yes. You can read all about that in my blog: <http://www.goolsbee.org> >-->> > >-->> > wow, your Jag only made it that far? I drove a J10 up from the bay area >-->> > and went through two alternators... blew the first one in Shasta, drove >-->> > to Medford on battery... replaced alternator and battery in Medford then >-->> > blew the 2nd alternator just crossing into Vancouver... drove the rest >-->> > of the way home on battery... engine never died, and it was at night... >-->> > I ran with parking lights or no lights as much as I could... >--> ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** http://JohnMeister.com **** http://wagoneers.com ** Snohomish, Washington USA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold ** http://freegift.net *** http://greatcom.org/laws/languages.html ** - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 11:02:48 -0400 From: "Jim Hoffman" Subject: Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars Well, exactly... I saw that and said to myself, dang! I would have helped if I'd known! Jim > I posted last week that he was in Edgerton, south of Madison... ;) > but by the time it hit the list/digest he was probably in > the twin cities... ;) > > john > > On Thu, 13 Oct 2005, Jim Hoffman wrote: > > >-->Bruce, > >--> > >--> Did you tell the list of your pending adventure before you left? > >-->If you did, I missed it... but I live about 50 miles east of > >-->Edgerton. Would have been nice to meet another list member! And > >-->DanG lives somewhere near Downer's Grove. We coulda had a party! > >--> > >-->;) > >--> > >-->Jim > >--> > >-->> > >-->> Well, after my little W124 adventure, I can say I've > >-->> driven from Downer's Grove (outside Chicago) to the > >-->> small town of very nice folks in Edgerton, Wisconsin > >-->> (40 miles south of Madison) on one old battery, then > >-->> from there to Minneapolis on a new battery (which I > >-->> am still using) while using headlights for several > >-->> hours of the drive. Kind of nervewracking during it > >-->> all, though... > >-->> > >-->> Of course, the dealership in Minneapolis reamed me > >-->> on the alternator ($340 *after* I complained that > >-->> Phil Smart in Seattle was only asking $273 [I called > >-->> and asked] -- plus labor, of course!) > >-->> > >-->> -bkc > >-->> Lynnwood, WA > >-->> '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] > >-->> '00 MB ML320 [W163.154/M112.942] > >-->> '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] > >-->> > >-->> On Sat Oct 08, 2005, john wrote: > >-->> > > >-->> > > -->> Did you get your alternator yet? > >-->> > > -->Yes. You can read all about that in my blog: <http://www.goolsbee.org" target="_blank">http://www.goolsbee.org> > >-->> > > >-->> > wow, your Jag only made it that far? I drove a J10 up from the bay area > >-->> > and went through two alternators... blew the first one in Shasta, drove > >-->> > to Medford on battery... replaced alternator and battery in Medford then > >-->> > blew the 2nd alternator just crossing into Vancouver... drove the rest > >-->> > of the way home on battery... engine never died, and it was at night... > >-->> > I ran with parking lights or no lights as much as I could... > >--> ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:13:47 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: Re: [db] veggie oil, alternators and calendars see this is what happens when nice people don't put stuff on the list... bruce is just too nice and polite... ;) rofl... but he's ok, he's back... going to get together with him to check out his new 124 sometime this week and hopefully get another "quiet" list member over to take a picture of all three 124's... and then we'll find out there might be six or seven OTHER list members in the area... ;) this list has a surprising number of folks on it... I'll check the server stats when I hang up. ;) john On Thu, 13 Oct 2005, Jim Hoffman wrote: >-->Well, exactly... I saw that and said to myself, dang! I would have >-->helped if I'd known! >--> >-->Jim >--> >--> >-->> I posted last week that he was in Edgerton, south of Madison... ;) >-->> but by the time it hit the list/digest he was probably in >-->> the twin cities... ;) >-->> >-->> john >-->> >-->> On Thu, 13 Oct 2005, Jim Hoffman wrote: >-->> >-->> >-->Bruce, >-->> >--> >-->> >--> Did you tell the list of your pending adventure before you left? >-->> >-->If you did, I missed it... but I live about 50 miles east of >-->> >-->Edgerton. Would have been nice to meet another list member! And >-->> >-->DanG lives somewhere near Downer's Grove. We coulda had a party! >-->> >--> >-->> >-->;) >-->> >--> >-->> >-->Jim >-->> >--> >-->> >-->> >-->> >-->> Well, after my little W124 adventure, I can say I've >-->> >-->> driven from Downer's Grove (outside Chicago) to the >-->> >-->> small town of very nice folks in Edgerton, Wisconsin >-->> >-->> (40 miles south of Madison) on one old battery, then >-->> >-->> from there to Minneapolis on a new battery (which I >-->> >-->> am still using) while using headlights for several >-->> >-->> hours of the drive. Kind of nervewracking during it >-->> >-->> all, though... >-->> >-->> >-->> >-->> Of course, the dealership in Minneapolis reamed me >-->> >-->> on the alternator ($340 *after* I complained that >-->> >-->> Phil Smart in Seattle was only asking $273 [I called >-->> >-->> and asked] -- plus labor, of course!) >-->> >-->> >-->> >-->> -bkc >-->> >-->> Lynnwood, WA >-->> >-->> '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] >-->> >-->> '00 MB ML320 [W163.154/M112.942] >-->> >-->> '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] >-->> >-->> >-->> >-->> On Sat Oct 08, 2005, john wrote: >-->> >-->> > >-->> >-->> > > -->> Did you get your alternator yet? >-->> >-->> > > -->Yes. You can read all about that in my blog: <http://www.goolsbee.org" target="_blank">http://www.goolsbee.org> >-->> >-->> > >-->> >-->> > wow, your Jag only made it that far? I drove a J10 up from the bay area >-->> >-->> > and went through two alternators... blew the first one in Shasta, drove >-->> >-->> > to Medford on battery... replaced alternator and battery in Medford then >-->> >-->> > blew the 2nd alternator just crossing into Vancouver... drove the rest >-->> >-->> > of the way home on battery... engine never died, and it was at night... >-->> >-->> > I ran with parking lights or no lights as much as I could... >-->> >--> >--> ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** http://JohnMeister.com **** http://wagoneers.com ** Snohomish, Washington USA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold ** http://freegift.net *** http://greatcom.org/laws/languages.html ** - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #1985 **********************************