justinbenson199

Hello I'm new here and I really could use some help I've got a 1987 190d 2.5l and I really want to get some more power out of her because it is terribly sluggish and I was thinking about port and polishing the head and maybe having the head resurfaced to raise compression or putting in a turbo(i know it would be quite a lot of work) but I'm completely open to suggestions so any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated thank you!!

Carsy

Hello Justin,

If you wish to increase the power of any engine noticeably it is a big & expensive job. All bearings , the clutch , transmission, cooling etc will have to be strengthened. Some diesels with turbos have oil cooling sprays directed to under the pistons to control the extra heat generated.

I my humble opinion ,you have a very nice , fuel efficient motor that is designed for long life . If the engine is running sweetly without smoke & starts easily , I would do nothing but maintain it well ie change the oil & filter regularly, air & fuel filters , including coolant, GB & diff.

If you have problems, fix them eg with a valve grind or refurbished injectors.

I would not spend a great deal of money on it as you will probably not get it back in motoring time or resale.

Best to make the most of not having any depreciation & low running costs & put the savings towards a car of your choice later when the 190d is worn out.

marc hanna

I have to agree. With a conventional diesel, you're not going to get any significant power gains without massive and impractical upgrades.

Those engines will benefit a lot from regular air filter replacement. You might even want to consider a K&N or similar to increase change intervals.

Carsy

How's it going Justin, what have you decided ?