Newbie that wants to buy a diesel MB to run on WVO. I'm looking at the mid 80s 300SD, TDs but would like a late 80s 190D. Only thing is I'm to impatient for a non-turbo. Can a turbo be added to the 2.5 liter? Any advice on the 300SD or TD (what are the differences)?

 

none that i know of. in december i bought a 190TD (87, the onloy year made) and 2 weeks later i got hit. bummer. i was gonna convert it. oggd luck finding a 190td, but warning: tey fetcha VERRRY high price b/c they are so rare

 

Well A 300SD is a W126 sedan short wheel-base s-class made from 81-85 and a 5-cylinder turbo. I have a 300sdl is W126 sedan long wheel wheel base s-class made in 1986-87 had the 6-cylinder turbo the 87's had a recall because of the trap oxidizer but i have heard that Mercedes will still honor this recall if it has never been preformed and if the turbo was damaged because of it they will replace that also. The there is the 90-91 350sdl and 91 350sd but those are known as "rod benders" due to to them having problems. Then of couse u have the 300td which is a W124 station wagon and then u have the 300d which is the the W124 sedan. In 87 300d and the 300td used the engine as the 300sdl and from 90-93 there was the 300d that used a 2.5 turbo. And then there is the 190s but the only one with the turbo was the 87 with the 2.5 turbo. But from 84-85 there was the 2.2 non-turbo and then from 86-89 there was the 2.5 non-turbo.

 

you can't add a turbo for a couple reasons, one the non turbo engine wasn't designed for a turbo. You can add one, but you would destroy the engine in short order, I do believe the heads were just a little different in order to handle the EGT's assosiated with a turbo, in which exhaust temps can get upwards of 1000 degrees, point of fact, non treated aluminium melts around 1400 degrees and gets plastic around 600 I do believe, I might be wrong about that, but the end result is the same. Wait, get the turbo, or get an n/a and put a 2.25 " exhaust under for a bit more power.