Thanks for all the info. There is nothing wrong with the car perse. It seems a little sluggish at lower RPM but I suppose there is only so much power to work with. Just wanted to see how an adjustment to the injector pump would affect the power. I found the screw you were talking about. It's kind of a bear to get to, but worth a try.

 

There's a tradeoff between exhaust smoke and power, which that little screw will allow you to experiment with. My book suggests that at full throttle and road speed, smoke should be visible out to six feet from the tailpipe. Hopefully the 1972 was more civilized than the '59 (following drivers hate me) but if you aren't visibly smokin' you aren't running at full power.

On the other hand, somewhat leisurely performance is something we owners of elderly diesels pretty much have to learn to live with.

--Allen Moore

 

Hey there, did your book say which way to turn the screw? It sure is tough finding any kind of manual for this car. Maybe I should just learn to speak German!

 

OK, I figured it out. Turning the screw in is less fuel/power and turning it out is more fuel/power. Thanks for all the information.

 

i have a '73 220D that the benz shop, MBI here in portland, has yet to determine the cause of it's excessive smoking. it burns too much fuel, and not oil. i am going to pull the vaccum pump and check the diaphram. can i, safely, experiment with the injection pump after doing the vaccum inspection to try to tone down the use of fuel? maybe the ip diaphram has quit on me as well? until this thread, i have left the injection pump alone...