Diesel Forum Forum for Diesel engine vehicle related discussion
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

240d upgrades

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old May 10, 2010 | 10:11 PM
  #1  
aquatwerp's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
1979 240d
240d upgrades

I'm a new MB owner. I just bought a 1979 240d from a neighbor who had it sitting in his garage for 10 years and started it up every other year just to hear it purr. Before starting it I drained and replaced all of the fluids and filters, and replaced the battery and it started right up. Now that it runs the next step is to see what modifications/upgrades I can make to improve the vehicle's performance. I fully understand that the 240d was never made to be a screamer off the line, but I'd like to spice it up as much as possible.
Reply
Old May 11, 2010 | 02:48 AM
  #2  
blowfish's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Republic of Canuckstan
81 300sd, 83 300dT, F350, 250 diesel & 16 ft car trailer
it has less than 80 hp, I had 3 of them, no amount of lipstick will make this piggy pretty,
u can always stick a 300 turbo diesel in her. my fnd did that. or plain less work if u just by a TD.
other than that u mind as well enjoy the way its gong to be moving at a glacial pace.
once rolling they're not slow, mines did went up to 83 MPH.
Reply
Old May 11, 2010 | 04:46 AM
  #3  
240D 3.0T's Avatar
Banned
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 5
From: Federal Heights, CO
1982 300D VNT, 1980 240D 3.0T, 1982 300TD
Originally Posted by aquatwerp
Now that it runs the next step is to see what modifications/upgrades I can make to improve the vehicle's performance.
If its an automatic, upgrade to manual.
If its manual, you're SOL for more power. You're stuck at 69hp.
Reply
Old May 11, 2010 | 01:10 PM
  #4  
blowfish's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Republic of Canuckstan
81 300sd, 83 300dT, F350, 250 diesel & 16 ft car trailer
In the early days of Turbo folks had put Turbo in 240d, but is a small engine plus was not designed to have more power output.

TD has oil spray from under the piston as to cool off a bit, plus other designs right from the start.

Or fix her up nicely trade her for a TD.

I have seen folks shoehorn a 302/ 5.0 litre ford engine into a w123 body too.
U can just find a 123 with dead engine then do the work.
Reply
Old May 11, 2010 | 07:17 PM
  #5  
lkchris's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,189
Likes: 242
From: Albuquerque
'10 CL550, '12 GL550
Thing you might do that might make you feel good is update the glowplugs to later, faster versions.
Reply
Old May 12, 2010 | 02:26 PM
  #6  
blowfish's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Republic of Canuckstan
81 300sd, 83 300dT, F350, 250 diesel & 16 ft car trailer
u might want to drive her for a few mths and see if the Escargot pace is something for u.
I drove my 240d for 6 weeks recently kind of left me mixed feeling.
With lack of power u're kind of the 4th class citizens on the road, kind of the also ran.
Changing lanes is as critical as a F 14 taking off from a flat top. As they have a pretty narrow window of stall speed, the higher the head wind the better.

U need to put turn signals on sooner the better, so forewarn the blokes behind your friendly diplomatic intention. Usually when they see a Diesel sign on your trunk lid they let u in.

Worse moment is moving the car from a stop, once moving is not all bad.
Driving on the hwy /freeway u need to know your limit just like they warn u before u enter a Casino.
60 Mph is not hard to attain, anything beyond u need to be patient.
A fnd had rebuild one of these engine, he said the cyl sleeve was badly scored, kind of a sign of driving her at prolonged high speed on the autobahn.

The best bet perhaps wait till u totally happy with the car before sink $$ into it.
They hold their value because of simplicity, easy to work on.
Driving in heavy traffic is not bad as u just move along at crawling speed, even if u had 500 HP u still need to wait for the same line up. Not long ago I saw one of these Lambo with the DSg gear box, he was just not happy at all, the rev just went up & down like a Yo yo. The car was designed to go pedal to the metal. So your car maybe slow u can have the last laugh though when u wave at them.
Reply
Old May 15, 2010 | 06:54 PM
  #7  
240hag's Avatar
Newbie
 
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
240 diesel
my clutch jus burn out how much will this cost me?
Reply
Old May 15, 2010 | 06:54 PM
  #8  
240hag's Avatar
Newbie
 
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
240 diesel
sorry about that its a 240d. how much will the parts run me??
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
Old May 16, 2010 | 03:03 AM
  #9  
blowfish's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Republic of Canuckstan
81 300sd, 83 300dT, F350, 250 diesel & 16 ft car trailer
A new clutch probably cost 6-700 or more, go get several quotes.
Reply
Old May 16, 2010 | 11:14 PM
  #10  
harkgar's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,332
Likes: 4
From: Toronto
2006 E320 CDi, 2008 3/4 Ton Suburban, 2007 "rice rickshaw" Accord 5 speed
Originally Posted by blowfish
In the early days of Turbo folks had put Turbo in 240d, but is a small engine plus was not designed to have more power output.

TD has oil spray from under the piston as to cool off a bit, plus other designs right from the start.

Or fix her up nicely trade her for a TD.

I have seen folks shoehorn a 302/ 5.0 litre ford engine into a w123 body too.
U can just find a 123 with dead engine then do the work.
David Letterman had a Volvo 700 series car equipped with a Ford 302 cubic inch iron lump as a daily driver. There is a company in the US that does kits specifically for Volvos.
Reply
Old May 18, 2010 | 03:46 AM
  #11  
blowfish's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Republic of Canuckstan
81 300sd, 83 300dT, F350, 250 diesel & 16 ft car trailer
Late Paul Newman also has one of these, real sleeper too.

Volvo never put any V8 in any of her cars, perhaps that may make some money for them.
Reply
Old May 19, 2010 | 06:14 AM
  #12  
240D 3.0T's Avatar
Banned
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 5
From: Federal Heights, CO
1982 300D VNT, 1980 240D 3.0T, 1982 300TD
Originally Posted by blowfish
Volvo never put any V8 in any of her cars, perhaps that may make some money for them.
Just a performance V6.
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:06 PM.

story-0
New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes-AMG's new electric GT 4-Door Coupe trades combustion for software, synthetic noise, and more than 1,100 horsepower.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 20:08:15


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-2
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-3
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-4
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-5
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-6
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-7
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-9
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE