I have a 1987 300TD that will not get out of it's own way. It acts like it's starving for fuel, or air. Once it gets up to speed it will maintain speed , but good luck getting it there, especilly on an incline like a highway on ramp. I haven't checked anything yet, my question, besides the obvious fuel/air filters, is there anything else I might need to look at. I was thinking that there might be a turbocharger waste gate hanging up or something along those lines. This car is new to me, and I am new to Mercedes Benz, not having a book on it yet, I thought I might ask, because I don't think, by the way it's acting, it's going to be as simple as a filter change, but I also don't think it's anything serious.

 

Thanks ForcedInduction, I changed the fuel filters, and it is considerably better, but still not where I think it should be. It may be that I'm used to much bigger diesel engines. or a little injector cleaner in the fuel tank might be in order. I usually don't do that, but this engine sat still for a long time, smelled like varnish out the tail pipe. This is the second filter change since I bought it, I thought the first one would take care of it-I guess not. I'm thinking that Sea Foam or something along those lines might prevent the removal of the injectors and pump, if just running the p--- out of it dosen't work.

 

Thanks they're about a two hour drive east of me

 

I got to looking around under the car, and found a catalytic converter, after I used my special catalytic converter repair tool on it the car runs like it should, still a little slow on the uptake, but after I get my manual I might try a little injecror, and/or injector pump tuning, but NOT until I know what will happen when I turn that screw or push this button

 

I think that now I might have found my reason for still not being real happy with the way the car responds. Yesterday while letting it warm up it developed a light miss, with a ticking noise similar to a loose valve tappet. Listening with the hillbilly stethescope (screwdeiver handle against the ear) I don't hear any noise anywhere except from the fuel line nut on the #6 injector, worn injector, or just air? I'm not sure. I will be taking that injector in to have it bench tested. My question is; Is there anything that can tick that way in the pre compression chamber? I don't hear the noise at all in the valve ports, or under the valve cover, or in any of the other injectors. My book arrived the other day, but I don't see anything in any of the descriptions, or in any of the exploded views of the head.