Primary filter: amzn.to/374N6I9 Secondary filter: amzn.to/2ZbxO1g Disclaimer: Links on my channel may be affiliate links, these allow me a small commission from Amazon, Ebay, or another online store at no additional cost to you, which helps me keep making these videos.
The 90 degree rubber elbows under the over-boost solenoid can crack and leak with age. This happened to me and it caused a huge reduction in maximum power. That solenoid is an electrically-operated switchover valve that sends boost pressure either to the ALDA, which to increase limit on injected fuel, or vents boost pressure (so the ALDA only sees ambient pressure, i.e., no fuel limit increase). The electrical signal to this valve comes from the transmission, supposedly based on excess torque. The ALDA reduces the maximum amount of fuel the injection pump can send to the injectors when intake manifold pressure is not sufficient to burn more fuel (or transmission senses excess torque). I have also had the in-tank fuel strainer plug once when I got one load of bad fuel. In that case the car would drive OK at until debris in the tank is got sucked against the screen filter and restrict flow. After that the car won't go over, perhaps, 30 MPH. Most of the debris will fall off the screen eventually after the engine is stopped. If this happens plan on cleaning the tank, not just the screen filter.
I am loosing patience with my 1983 300sd. It has NO power in D off start, a bit more if you put it in 2 but still very slow. When it passes 15mls it runs but it does nothing off the line. I cant even get up the small hills in my town Do you have an idea what it can be?
If its non-turbo there is an ADA which serves the same purpose but there is lower fuel output to begin with. There are a number of adjustments under the rear cover but it is quite easy to create massive problems in adjusting stuff under there. I'm going to be doing a video soon on what adjustments there are behind there and what the risks of adjusting that stuff is.
Haha, very true! 50-60hp wasnt much when they were new, and by today's standards it's really low. Even my 617 being rated at 123hp new isn't a lot by modern car standards. But it's sure a whole lot more than what a 615 or 616 makes! All three are great engines though, just can't be in a rush, take time to stop and smell the roses!
Take the Alda off and get the delete kit from doomsdaydiesel gave mine not only way more power but it drives like a normal car now instead of slowing down immediately after letting off the throttle. I was truley amazed when I deleted mine.
Yup, just an emissions control device, and after 40 years or so, the injector pumps tend to lose a little efficiency to wear, and aren't injecting enough fuel that even alda-less you won't get any smoke. I've got a video related to this in the works. I found mine had failed internally and was actually reducing fuel when the turbo spooled up and built boost.
Forgot one thing, the system fuel pressure. The spring in the valve gets weak so thus causing a lower pressure and thus not getting enough fuel into the inj piston feed holes. Just stretch it a few mm and it will make a differance.
Absolutely right, I did cover the overflow valve in a later video: ua-cam.com/video/jiPonBwkxeI/v-deo.html but yeah it's been a learning experience, so many things have to be just right in order to get the ideal performance!
Yup, adjusting the ALDA can help, however the one on this car has already been adjusted some time ago, and the car still starves of fuel, I suspect I've found the issue though, there will be a video coming out about that sometime in the near future!
Trythis, on my 300D, I jumped terminals 1 and 3, 2 and 3, and saw the same results on my fuel guage that you showed on your video, but when I installed a good sending unit ( I checked out a webside that gave the correct ohm reading depending where the float is in the tube so I know the sending unit is good) my fuel guage only reads full. I did check for continuity between terminal 3 and metal frame of the car and that checked out as good too. So i'm still trying to figure out what's going on with my situation. One weird thing, my fuel guage will go to empty when I jump 1 and 3, but the little triangle doesn't go on.
That is very odd. Did you try plugging the sender in outside of the tank and rotating it to make the slide move? Also I'm not super clear on where it was but there is an issue with the W123 instrument cluster grounds sometimes I've heard, my Grey car started billowing smoke from behind the cluster one time because of the bad ground. They are brown wires if I recall properly, certainly worth cleaning up the connection points, It helped some of my wonky gauge issues on the grey car, Blue (car that's been in these videos hasn't had that problem yet)
Thank you very much! I love these cars, I've owned a diesel Mercedes since I was 15 years old, and drove that first W116 model I had for 10 years before selling it to someone who had the ability to do it justice and fully restore it, I've got two W123s now, both 82 300D models, the blue one in all the videos, and my grey one that I've converted to 4 speed, 2.88 rear diff, k26 turbo and some other little tidbits here and there that make it a really fun car to cruise around in
Nice. Thanks for sharing. Get one of those vac/pressure gauge w a T piece. Going to need a longer hose to get the gauge into the car. Check vac prior to primary fuel pump and pressure after the pump. Good luck.
@@trythistv They sell handheld vac/press pumps w a vac-press gauge. Real useful for emissions circuits, HVAC flappers, etc. Kit usually comes w a few hoses and t-pieces. U want to see pressure of line going into the inj pump, after the fuel filter. 7 psi min. 10 psi is better. U gotta test this with the engine loaded so u need to get the hose to the inside of the car. IMHO toss the screen in the tank completely.
I just finished a real fiasco with the tank strainer, some vikings came and tightened the thing in there, I thought I was gonna have to replace the tank it was stuck so hard. I'll be working on editing the video but may wait and include more than just the tank strainer, It was clogged solid, the thing had 1/4 inch of crud caked on every side of it. I opted to remove the screen entirely like you suggested, hoping that the lift pump will pull any crud up and into the giant goldenrod filter. The car still acts like its starving for fuel above 2500rpm, surges a little and really doesn't wanna go up hills, yet absolutely rips off the line, screaming fuel delivery to me, I'll be checking the supply pressure to the IP next, if fuel pressure isn't the issue then I'll check the boost pressure and alda for leaks.
@@trythistv Awesome. I've got to get a Goldenrod. U know that Wix sells Goldenrod 10 micron filters? Where did u mount the Goldenrod? Under hood before the primary pump? Merry Christmas!
@@ebutuoyebutouy Sorry! I thought I replied to you, yes the goldenrod I mounted right next to the windshield washer bottle. I'm looking into doing a modification to add a bigger, better, water separating secondary filter as well, stay tuned for that!
Great video! Did this same test. When I bypassed the overboost protection solenoid, my 300D noticed a huge improvement in power. Does this prove entirely that the solenoid was the culprit or is further testing required? If the solenoid is clogged, can it be unclogged? any other tests that can be done on the solenoid to determine if it is faulty or not?
That does prove that the solenoid is either clogged or electrically non functional. My w116 didn't even have an overboost solenoid, so bypassing it is not a huge risk. I accidentally had the wastegate disconnected for a while so there was no boost regulation at all and it didn't hurt anything, but then again I don't drive like too much of a lunatic
I have the 240d without the turbo so it will not take a turbo upgrade but I wonder what would happen if I went from a mechanical radiator fan to an electric Spal fan? How many horsepower would be freed up?
I've heard arguments stating you might free up as much as 5hp, and others that say the extra strain on the alternator and such negates any benefit, but it would seem to me to have the fan thermostatically controlled, so if you had air moving across the radiator it wouldnt need the fan running, so you would gain that little bit of hp. I'm not sure in practice though. If the story's/theories of 5hp gain is true, that is fairly substantial for our engines!
i had one of these for 10 years and I am a mb tech. you will notice a nice improvement by removing the paper air filter and attaching a cone style washable filter to the air intake hose. also that engine really runs good on used atf.
Hi I just bought a 300SD and the engine has seen better days so I was thinking about rebuilding it and was thinking of turning it into more of a performance car. I was curious how much horsepower could I max out while keeping it reliable and safe. With all performance parts going into the engine what would be a reasonable amount of power? I am trying to get around 300-400 hp out of the engine and wanted to know if that was possible?
If you've got a 300SD with an om617, I'd say those HP numbers are not really possible with the reliable and safe qualifiers, with some pump work and injectors you could see 200 or more, which is pretty much double the stock power, the stock 722.3 trans probably won't hold much more than that without upgrades, I'm unsure if there even are any for our transmissions. There are people out there that have pushed the 617 into the 3-400hp range, but they quickly lose the "bulletproof million mile engine" moniker at that kind of performance. Now the more modern 603 and 606 are capable of much more power, with stock 606 engines already making 175hp, or the older 603 making 150ish compared to the 120ish that the 617A made. Blacksmokeracing built a W123 Wagon into a drift car some years back, originally using a 606 and later switching to a 648 I believe it is.
Been a few yrs now. Got a total exhaust and car beating from a broken turbo. Hope you won't mind this....I got my turbo from eastcoast turbo. Been very happy with it.
East coast turbo? I'll keep them in mind, I might just need to replace mine sometime, don't think it's an issue right now but having some names and connections is always a good thing! I just took a 600ish mile trip in this car, never skipped a beat the whole way, cruised beautifully 70+mph the whole way up along I-81, I've got a few things mechanically I want to do to it when we get home and then I want to get it painted this winter, what once was peeling clear coat is basically dust now!
if you adjust the alda screw counter clockwise as much as you can and you will get way more power and turbo spools up quicker but it makes the car a lot louder and run less smooth i found. I recently turned it all the way back clockwise and engine runs smoother and quieter but turbo takes longer to spool up.
Right. The ALDA essentially is the preboost fueling control, so like the "star wheel" on cummins trucks. Turn the screw CCW and you can get more fuel pre-boost, which will tend to spool the turbo faster but also can make nasty clouds of smoke, while turning it CW will restrict fuel more before the turbo spools, making it laggier but less smoky. I've never noticed a difference in smoothness or sound, I'm curious to double check myself on that, the ALDA I showed on the grey car with the rubber cap still intact has no internal parts. Which means full fueling at any throttle position regardless of boost. Can be very very smoky (like black out the interstate brodozer type smoky) but very responsive to throttle input (That car is converted to 4spd manual so I wanted finer control of the engine, just don't lug it and it doesn't smoke)
@@trythistv have you checked to see if the kickdown switch works? Theres a little button behind the gas pedal called a kickdown switch, that gears the engine down a gear when you floor the gas pedal and press down the switch/button, that normally gets the rpms pretty high and the turbo kicks in super quick.
Yup. Kickdown is working properly, I had a blocked secondary filter, which somehow got blocked up super nasty after just 100ish miles so I was convinced something else was wrong since the primary filter was clean as can be.
@@trythistv Nice! I'm having starter motor problems. about a month ago the starter got stuck and i had to tap it with a hammer as a friend turned the key and it worked till yesterday I had to hit it again and now its working again. looks like i need a new solenoid or new starter soon..
I have visually inspected (probably worthless) and it is audibly spooling up, and disconnecting the alda turns the car into a total dog so it is building at least some boost, I will at some point be checking how many PSI it is producing and adjusting the wastegate if needed.
Great video!, I like how you cover this, short and simple. Maybe house from manifold should run to OBP Solenoid and out to Outer not directly to Outer?
Correct, the OBP solenoid would normally be inbetween the manifold and ALDA, but they also are very prone to failing, or plugging up, so they are often bypassed with no real downside, in theory you lose overboost protection, but it is minimal and only limits fuelling, so you can still overspeed the turbo if you try, I haven't had any issue running with it bypassed, I'm familiar enough with my car I could tell when the wastegate hose rotted through. 😅
I'm thinking you got most of that gunk in the secondary filter by running after removing the tank strainer. I had a similar problem with my 300D, it would run out of fuel with several gallons in the tank. The strainer was completely blocked all except for the top 1/4 inch. Cleaning it solved the problem. There were literally 1 inch balls of rubbery looking stuff when I cleaned the tank. Now every fill-up gets a dash of Biobar along with the usual DieselKleen.
I hadn't removed the tank strainer until after this video, and even then, any large gunk would have/should have gotten caught by the primary filter. I got bad diesel from somewhere. The Mercedes had power issues, my backhoe had starting issues, and my dodge truck it wrecked the p-pump, scored the barrels and plungers enough it siezed the rack up entirely. There was water or some other contaminant that got into the station where I got my diesel that caused a lot of trouble.
It's a chore for sure! I'm still fighting with that bad tank of diesel, had to pull my level sender again, it got gunked up and was jammed a 1/4 tank. I have the enormous primary/prefilter now and it works as a water separator as well, and that has saved me more than once. I'm working on more videos too, we just took a 1500 mile trip in this car, we had such a great time!
@@trythistv Nope, not a good idea. you see, Mercedes put a max of 225HP in one of these engines. Their C111 car that got all the diesel speed records. Anyway, after 225 HP the reliability and longevity of this engine diminishes.
I have been suspicious of the lift pumps wearing out, I actually bought a rebuild kit but haven't gotten around to doing it. I know the spring in the overflow valve will make a dramatic difference if you stretch it back to the oem length, it'll squish back to the fatigued length before long but having the ip elements filling at the proper speed is worth investigating on both sides, lift pump output and ofv spring holding the pressure back for sure! Thanks for the reminder that I've got those parts sitting somewhere!
@@trythistv My friend jtwoods41978 did an entire series rebuilding a om617, check it out. #26 is a full rebuild of the lift pump. I make a brief camo in #21... ua-cam.com/video/HC90mwt7IZw/v-deo.html
He has also created a website om617rebuild.com/ and will be offering rental of all the specialty tools needed to perform the tasks. I donated the timing chain crimper to the cause. :)
I'm so sorry, I somehow missed your comment, Yes, I used a goldenrod 470-15 inside of a 496-3/4 housing, and a couple 3/4" npt x 1/2" pex fittings to adapt to the 3/8 rubber fuel line: Filter housing: amzn.to/31lon0T Mesh filter: amzn.to/39VP14r Fittings: amzn.to/2XqYBHq 3/8 fuel line: amzn.to/3gtDdZy Clamps for fuel line: amzn.to/31mavUd
He's sitting at my feet right now, ready to help at a moments notice. Such a great assistant, tends to hog the camera a little bit though, but let's face it, he deserves the camera time 😂
That is on my list of things to check, I have a few real quality of life improvement videos coming up that will make the car much nicer to drive around, then we'll get back to POWAHH lol. I know it is making boost, at least some, and the ALDA is functional because if you unhook the ALDA from the boost line, its dramatically underpowered up top. I need to verify just how much, and ensure the turbo cartridge isn't about to grenade on me. Right now it still feels a tad underpowered in the higher RPMs but this thing is a whole new machine with the SD314 injector nozzles and the other things I've tweaked, there is a unreal amount of low end torque, chirps tires easily.
George is the best little helper there is. He's quite talkative too, sometimes I start filming a video and he hears me talking and comes running and meowing across the driveway like he wants to be a part of the video and he's upset I started without him 😂
bypass that alda solenoid. you also may need to check the pump timing. valves need to be adjusted from time to time on that engine as well. the paper air filters are very restrictive.
The overboost solenoids are known for failure. I'll give you a little sneak preview of an upcoming video, my alda had failed, which was contributing to low top end power. The diaphragm inside the alda had cracked so it would inflate and limit fuelling once the turbo spooled up instead of the diaphragm collapsing and adding more fuel with boost. I'll be making a video of that sometime soon!
@@narcissistinjurygiver2932 I got mine from McMaster Carr. Part numbers are: 98055A105 (0.1mm raises about 50psi) 98055A106 (0.2mm raises about 100psi)
Primary filter: amzn.to/374N6I9
Secondary filter: amzn.to/2ZbxO1g
Disclaimer: Links on my channel may be affiliate links, these allow me a small commission from Amazon, Ebay, or another online store at no additional cost to you, which helps me keep making these videos.
The U tube quip is Norm Macdonald funny!
Now and then I have some humor!
great video! nice wisecracks too 🤣
Haha thanks, I've got a bunch of video plans that Im just trying to find the time to do on my w123
Diesels and cats both purr!
And I've got both!
And take off the overboost switch and vacuum lines, put a bolt with a copper washer in the intake hole
The 90 degree rubber elbows under the over-boost solenoid can crack and leak with age. This happened to me and it caused a huge reduction in maximum power.
That solenoid is an electrically-operated switchover valve that sends boost pressure either to the ALDA, which to increase limit on injected fuel, or vents boost pressure (so the ALDA only sees ambient pressure, i.e., no fuel limit increase). The electrical signal to this valve comes from the transmission, supposedly based on excess torque.
The ALDA reduces the maximum amount of fuel the injection pump can send to the injectors when intake manifold pressure is not sufficient to burn more fuel (or transmission senses excess torque).
I have also had the in-tank fuel strainer plug once when I got one load of bad fuel. In that case the car would drive OK at until debris in the tank is got sucked against the screen filter and restrict flow. After that the car won't go over, perhaps, 30 MPH. Most of the debris will fall off the screen eventually after the engine is stopped. If this happens plan on cleaning the tank, not just the screen filter.
Thank you so much for this very educational clip.
Name of following vid ? Love how i learn from you 🙏🏻
I am loosing patience with my 1983 300sd. It has NO power in D off start, a bit more if you put it in 2 but still very slow. When it passes 15mls it runs but it does nothing off the line. I cant even get up the small hills in my town
Do you have an idea what it can be?
is there a possibility your bowden cable has come disconnected or the throttle linkage is binding? That drastic of low power is bizarre.
Hey I have the 617 but mine doesn't have the ALDA, do you know how to turn up the fuel? Thanks
If its non-turbo there is an ADA which serves the same purpose but there is lower fuel output to begin with.
There are a number of adjustments under the rear cover but it is quite easy to create massive problems in adjusting stuff under there.
I'm going to be doing a video soon on what adjustments there are behind there and what the risks of adjusting that stuff is.
First read the thumbnail "OM615 lacking power" and thought to myself that then theres nothing wrong :Dd
Haha, very true! 50-60hp wasnt much when they were new, and by today's standards it's really low. Even my 617 being rated at 123hp new isn't a lot by modern car standards. But it's sure a whole lot more than what a 615 or 616 makes! All three are great engines though, just can't be in a rush, take time to stop and smell the roses!
Thank you so much.....this fixed half of the probems i am having with my G300!!!!!
Awesome! Glad I could be of help!
Take the Alda off and get the delete kit from doomsdaydiesel gave mine not only way more power but it drives like a normal car now instead of slowing down immediately after letting off the throttle. I was truley amazed when I deleted mine.
Yup, just an emissions control device, and after 40 years or so, the injector pumps tend to lose a little efficiency to wear, and aren't injecting enough fuel that even alda-less you won't get any smoke. I've got a video related to this in the works. I found mine had failed internally and was actually reducing fuel when the turbo spooled up and built boost.
Forgot one thing, the system fuel pressure. The spring in the valve gets weak so thus causing a lower pressure and thus not getting enough fuel into the inj piston feed holes. Just stretch it a few mm and it will make a differance.
Absolutely right, I did cover the overflow valve in a later video: ua-cam.com/video/jiPonBwkxeI/v-deo.html but yeah it's been a learning experience, so many things have to be just right in order to get the ideal performance!
@@trythistv true, as one learns, the process of waking up a sick diesel near becomes second nature.
I need you if you in California to do work my 1985 300td
Sorry, I'm out on the east coast, hope you can get the car sorted!
great video!
What about the tempered alda sensor ? You can try adjusting that until you see smoke coming out.
Yup, adjusting the ALDA can help, however the one on this car has already been adjusted some time ago, and the car still starves of fuel, I suspect I've found the issue though, there will be a video coming out about that sometime in the near future!
Trythis, on my 300D, I jumped terminals 1 and 3, 2 and 3, and saw the same results on my fuel guage that you showed on your video, but when I installed a good sending unit ( I checked out a webside that gave the correct ohm reading depending where the float is in the tube so I know the sending unit is good) my fuel guage only reads full. I did check for continuity between terminal 3 and metal frame of the car and that checked out as good too.
So i'm still trying to figure out what's going on with my situation. One weird thing, my fuel guage will go to empty when I jump 1 and 3, but the little triangle doesn't go on.
That is very odd. Did you try plugging the sender in outside of the tank and rotating it to make the slide move? Also I'm not super clear on where it was but there is an issue with the W123 instrument cluster grounds sometimes I've heard, my Grey car started billowing smoke from behind the cluster one time because of the bad ground. They are brown wires if I recall properly, certainly worth cleaning up the connection points, It helped some of my wonky gauge issues on the grey car, Blue (car that's been in these videos hasn't had that problem yet)
@@trythistv, thanks for the info!
Excellent video!
Thank you very much! I love these cars, I've owned a diesel Mercedes since I was 15 years old, and drove that first W116 model I had for 10 years before selling it to someone who had the ability to do it justice and fully restore it, I've got two W123s now, both 82 300D models, the blue one in all the videos, and my grey one that I've converted to 4 speed, 2.88 rear diff, k26 turbo and some other little tidbits here and there that make it a really fun car to cruise around in
Nice. Thanks for sharing. Get one of those vac/pressure gauge w a T piece. Going to need a longer hose to get the gauge into the car. Check vac prior to primary fuel pump and pressure after the pump. Good luck.
Thats an excellent idea, that would prove if the tank strainer is clogged if the vacuum is very high!
@@trythistv They sell handheld vac/press pumps w a vac-press gauge. Real useful for emissions circuits, HVAC flappers, etc. Kit usually comes w a few hoses and t-pieces. U want to see pressure of line going into the inj pump, after the fuel filter. 7 psi min. 10 psi is better. U gotta test this with the engine loaded so u need to get the hose to the inside of the car. IMHO toss the screen in the tank completely.
I just finished a real fiasco with the tank strainer, some vikings came and tightened the thing in there, I thought I was gonna have to replace the tank it was stuck so hard.
I'll be working on editing the video but may wait and include more than just the tank strainer, It was clogged solid, the thing had 1/4 inch of crud caked on every side of it. I opted to remove the screen entirely like you suggested, hoping that the lift pump will pull any crud up and into the giant goldenrod filter.
The car still acts like its starving for fuel above 2500rpm, surges a little and really doesn't wanna go up hills, yet absolutely rips off the line, screaming fuel delivery to me, I'll be checking the supply pressure to the IP next, if fuel pressure isn't the issue then I'll check the boost pressure and alda for leaks.
@@trythistv Awesome. I've got to get a Goldenrod. U know that Wix sells Goldenrod 10 micron filters? Where did u mount the Goldenrod? Under hood before the primary pump? Merry Christmas!
@@ebutuoyebutouy Sorry! I thought I replied to you, yes the goldenrod I mounted right next to the windshield washer bottle. I'm looking into doing a modification to add a bigger, better, water separating secondary filter as well, stay tuned for that!
OM617's have power?
A very small amount. So losing any is a big deal lol
Got a busted hose looks like
I think my return line has a little seeping problem. I should replace it
Great video! Did this same test. When I bypassed the overboost protection solenoid, my 300D noticed a huge improvement in power. Does this prove entirely that the solenoid was the culprit or is further testing required? If the solenoid is clogged, can it be unclogged? any other tests that can be done on the solenoid to determine if it is faulty or not?
That does prove that the solenoid is either clogged or electrically non functional. My w116 didn't even have an overboost solenoid, so bypassing it is not a huge risk. I accidentally had the wastegate disconnected for a while so there was no boost regulation at all and it didn't hurt anything, but then again I don't drive like too much of a lunatic
Dwight Schrute sold his beet farm?
As much fun as the beets are, a man has to adapt and plan for the next big thing. I'm fairly sure that classic Mercedes is where it's at now. 😁
@@trythistv lol thank you for being a good sport bud! Awesome videos btw.
Lol, I've debated if I look more like Dwight or David Wallace. Probably somewhere in the middle.
I have the 240d without the turbo so it will not take a turbo upgrade but I wonder what would happen if I went from a mechanical radiator fan to an electric Spal fan? How many horsepower would be freed up?
I've heard arguments stating you might free up as much as 5hp, and others that say the extra strain on the alternator and such negates any benefit, but it would seem to me to have the fan thermostatically controlled, so if you had air moving across the radiator it wouldnt need the fan running, so you would gain that little bit of hp. I'm not sure in practice though. If the story's/theories of 5hp gain is true, that is fairly substantial for our engines!
i had one of these for 10 years and I am a mb tech. you will notice a nice improvement by removing the paper air filter and attaching a cone style washable filter to the air intake hose. also that engine really runs good on used atf.
Isn't used atf hella corrosive?
@@mattkrier5856 not at all. it also runs smoother and cleans out everything
@@mattkrier5856 Marvel mystery oil would like a word
What is ATF? Does your advice only apply to turbo cars?
@@Altanox automatic trans fluid
Hi I just bought a 300SD and the engine has seen better days so I was thinking about rebuilding it and was thinking of turning it into more of a performance car. I was curious how much horsepower could I max out while keeping it reliable and safe. With all performance parts going into the engine what would be a reasonable amount of power? I am trying to get around 300-400 hp out of the engine and wanted to know if that was possible?
If you've got a 300SD with an om617, I'd say those HP numbers are not really possible with the reliable and safe qualifiers, with some pump work and injectors you could see 200 or more, which is pretty much double the stock power, the stock 722.3 trans probably won't hold much more than that without upgrades, I'm unsure if there even are any for our transmissions.
There are people out there that have pushed the 617 into the 3-400hp range, but they quickly lose the "bulletproof million mile engine" moniker at that kind of performance.
Now the more modern 603 and 606 are capable of much more power, with stock 606 engines already making 175hp, or the older 603 making 150ish compared to the 120ish that the 617A made.
Blacksmokeracing built a W123 Wagon into a drift car some years back, originally using a 606 and later switching to a 648 I believe it is.
Amazing video following just because of the education you have in such a small time frame
Thanks! Glad the video was useful!
Been a few yrs now. Got a total exhaust and car beating from a broken turbo. Hope you won't mind this....I got my turbo from eastcoast turbo. Been very happy with it.
East coast turbo? I'll keep them in mind, I might just need to replace mine sometime, don't think it's an issue right now but having some names and connections is always a good thing!
I just took a 600ish mile trip in this car, never skipped a beat the whole way, cruised beautifully 70+mph the whole way up along I-81, I've got a few things mechanically I want to do to it when we get home and then I want to get it painted this winter, what once was peeling clear coat is basically dust now!
if you adjust the alda screw counter clockwise as much as you can and you will get way more power and turbo spools up quicker but it makes the car a lot louder and run less smooth i found.
I recently turned it all the way back clockwise and engine runs smoother and quieter but turbo takes longer to spool up.
Right. The ALDA essentially is the preboost fueling control, so like the "star wheel" on cummins trucks.
Turn the screw CCW and you can get more fuel pre-boost, which will tend to spool the turbo faster but also can make nasty clouds of smoke, while turning it CW will restrict fuel more before the turbo spools, making it laggier but less smoky.
I've never noticed a difference in smoothness or sound, I'm curious to double check myself on that, the ALDA I showed on the grey car with the rubber cap still intact has no internal parts.
Which means full fueling at any throttle position regardless of boost. Can be very very smoky (like black out the interstate brodozer type smoky) but very responsive to throttle input (That car is converted to 4spd manual so I wanted finer control of the engine, just don't lug it and it doesn't smoke)
@@trythistv have you checked to see if the kickdown switch works?
Theres a little button behind the gas pedal called a kickdown switch, that gears the engine down a gear when you floor the gas pedal and press down the switch/button, that normally gets the rpms pretty high and the turbo kicks in super quick.
@@trythistv check if the kickdown switch works behind the gas pedal when you floor it
Yup. Kickdown is working properly, I had a blocked secondary filter, which somehow got blocked up super nasty after just 100ish miles so I was convinced something else was wrong since the primary filter was clean as can be.
@@trythistv Nice!
I'm having starter motor problems. about a month ago the starter got stuck and i had to tap it with a hammer as a friend turned the key and it worked till yesterday I had to hit it again and now its working again. looks like i need a new solenoid or new starter soon..
I'm curious. Have you inspected the turbo? Couldnt hear whether or not it was spooling up during the test drive.
I have visually inspected (probably worthless) and it is audibly spooling up, and disconnecting the alda turns the car into a total dog so it is building at least some boost, I will at some point be checking how many PSI it is producing and adjusting the wastegate if needed.
Great video!, I like how you cover this, short and simple. Maybe house from manifold should run to OBP Solenoid and out to Outer not directly to Outer?
Correct, the OBP solenoid would normally be inbetween the manifold and ALDA, but they also are very prone to failing, or plugging up, so they are often bypassed with no real downside, in theory you lose overboost protection, but it is minimal and only limits fuelling, so you can still overspeed the turbo if you try, I haven't had any issue running with it bypassed, I'm familiar enough with my car I could tell when the wastegate hose rotted through. 😅
Very good explanation thanks
You do a superb job in your video. Thank you
I'm thinking you got most of that gunk in the secondary filter by running after removing the tank strainer. I had a similar problem with my 300D, it would run out of fuel with several gallons in the tank. The strainer was completely blocked all except for the top 1/4 inch. Cleaning it solved the problem. There were literally 1 inch balls of rubbery looking stuff when I cleaned the tank. Now every fill-up gets a dash of Biobar along with the usual DieselKleen.
I hadn't removed the tank strainer until after this video, and even then, any large gunk would have/should have gotten caught by the primary filter. I got bad diesel from somewhere. The Mercedes had power issues, my backhoe had starting issues, and my dodge truck it wrecked the p-pump, scored the barrels and plungers enough it siezed the rack up entirely. There was water or some other contaminant that got into the station where I got my diesel that caused a lot of trouble.
@@trythistv I neglected to say thanks, very helpful video. I wish it existed when I did my strainer. 😞
It's a chore for sure! I'm still fighting with that bad tank of diesel, had to pull my level sender again, it got gunked up and was jammed a 1/4 tank. I have the enormous primary/prefilter now and it works as a water separator as well, and that has saved me more than once.
I'm working on more videos too, we just took a 1500 mile trip in this car, we had such a great time!
Cool car. After your done you might wanna call dieselmeken. He’s pretty good troubleshooting diesel power issues.....hahaha
I've got all my stock power back and a touch more thanks to the bigger injectors nozzles but I sure wouldn't mind getting a pump from dieselmeken lol
@@trythistv Nope, not a good idea.
you see, Mercedes put a max of 225HP in one of these engines. Their C111 car that got all the diesel speed records. Anyway, after 225 HP the reliability and longevity of this engine diminishes.
I liked n subscribed
One thing to look at is the lift pump itself, they will fail, and not push enough fuel. Rebuilding them is pretty easy.
I have been suspicious of the lift pumps wearing out, I actually bought a rebuild kit but haven't gotten around to doing it. I know the spring in the overflow valve will make a dramatic difference if you stretch it back to the oem length, it'll squish back to the fatigued length before long but having the ip elements filling at the proper speed is worth investigating on both sides, lift pump output and ofv spring holding the pressure back for sure! Thanks for the reminder that I've got those parts sitting somewhere!
@@trythistv My friend jtwoods41978 did an entire series rebuilding a om617, check it out. #26 is a full rebuild of the lift pump. I make a brief camo in #21... ua-cam.com/video/HC90mwt7IZw/v-deo.html
He has also created a website om617rebuild.com/ and will be offering rental of all the specialty tools needed to perform the tasks. I donated the timing chain crimper to the cause. :)
Very good knowledgeable excellent explanation thanks
You're very welcome! Hopefully it helps you get the most out of your car!
Do you have a part number for your aftermarket primary filter?
I'm so sorry, I somehow missed your comment, Yes, I used a goldenrod 470-15 inside of a 496-3/4 housing, and a couple 3/4" npt x 1/2" pex fittings to adapt to the 3/8 rubber fuel line:
Filter housing: amzn.to/31lon0T
Mesh filter: amzn.to/39VP14r
Fittings: amzn.to/2XqYBHq
3/8 fuel line: amzn.to/3gtDdZy
Clamps for fuel line: amzn.to/31mavUd
Very good intelligent information thanks
Thanks! Glad it was useful for you!
I have the same type of cat, have to check the mekanick when I work on my car! 😁
He's sitting at my feet right now, ready to help at a moments notice. Such a great assistant, tends to hog the camera a little bit though, but let's face it, he deserves the camera time 😂
@@trythistv
🥰😍😛
Check the boost or condition of the turbo
That is on my list of things to check, I have a few real quality of life improvement videos coming up that will make the car much nicer to drive around, then we'll get back to POWAHH lol.
I know it is making boost, at least some, and the ALDA is functional because if you unhook the ALDA from the boost line, its dramatically underpowered up top.
I need to verify just how much, and ensure the turbo cartridge isn't about to grenade on me.
Right now it still feels a tad underpowered in the higher RPMs but this thing is a whole new machine with the SD314 injector nozzles and the other things I've tweaked, there is a unreal amount of low end torque, chirps tires easily.
👍
Perfect!
Love the cat!
George is the best little helper there is. He's quite talkative too, sometimes I start filming a video and he hears me talking and comes running and meowing across the driveway like he wants to be a part of the video and he's upset I started without him 😂
bypass that alda solenoid. you also may need to check the pump timing. valves need to be adjusted from time to time on that engine as well. the paper air filters are very restrictive.
The overboost solenoids are known for failure. I'll give you a little sneak preview of an upcoming video, my alda had failed, which was contributing to low top end power. The diaphragm inside the alda had cracked so it would inflate and limit fuelling once the turbo spooled up instead of the diaphragm collapsing and adding more fuel with boost. I'll be making a video of that sometime soon!
@@trythistv any idea on where to get injector shims for pop pressutre?
@@narcissistinjurygiver2932 I got mine from McMaster Carr.
Part numbers are:
98055A105 (0.1mm raises about 50psi)
98055A106 (0.2mm raises about 100psi)
@@trythistv thanks. i am looking now
@@trythistv what did they charge for shipping?