Cool Craigslist Find

[school boy]

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/pts/4807651890.html

[tylervalo]

Weren't Mercedes diesel's known for being under powered?

[school boy]

Not a clue, it was local to me and if I didn't already have a fresh sbc I would go investigate. Seems the mileage would be good

[Oregoon]

I've owned several MBZ diesels. The 3.0L (OM 617) is pretty quick with the turbo--all things being relative. You can fiddle with pump pressure a bit, though it's not really worth the time. I tuned mine for economy and enjoyed 27 mpg in a roomy, comfortable car that weighs 3500 pounds. Without a turbo, they're a bit of a dog, and the four-cylinder model (OM616) is laughably under-powered--I think around 70 hp...

What they are is damned near indestructible. The only real weak link is the timing-chain, and they only break when ran way past the recommended replacement time. I snapped one at 250K, and the cylinders made contact with the valves and blew my cam right off the towers.

I sold the car off, and a friend of a friend bought a used head, a new chain and a tensioner, and drives my old 240D everyday, and that was years ago.

Being as a Fleetside C10 weighs around 4500 pounds, I think the Benz Oliburner might be a bit underpowered, though fuel economy would probably still be pretty good. Also, the bulk of the US-Spec cars didn't have OD, so if you were to hook it up to something like a 700R4, or a T-5, you'd be laughing right past the gas station, unless you were heading up a hill.

[xRAY76]

interesting...
i have seen 350's in the strangest places, volvo/volkswagon/fords
neat to see it the other way around.

[Oregoon]

Those OM-series motors are an increasingly popular swap for all sorts of stuff.

Seen 'em in F100s, CJs, Landcruisers, Hilux/4runners, a Hudson, and a Range Rover. There's a few people making adapters now, mostly for Chevy and Toyota trannies, though a lot of folks--especially those running two-wheel drive--just use the Benz trannies. Both the manual and the auto are robust, and the auto features a rear-mounted pump, so you can pop-start the engine if your alternator dies.

[Bigstevex4]

We have 5 sprinters in our Fleet any thing that says Mercedes I would run as far away as possible.

[Oregoon]

Originally Posted by Bigstevex4

We have 5 sprinters in our Fleet any thing that says Mercedes I would run as far away as possible.

Yep, those are some spendy rides, and not just the initial cost: Maintenance is absurd, too. Head to the outhouse, grab a shovel full of what's down there, and write MBZ Blue-Tec on it... Now it's worth $500 minimum.

The older stuff--while still spendy at times--is dead-simple mechanical-injection and a joy to work on. About as simple as it gets, hence they last 500K before any real work is needed, and 1,000,000K isn't unheard of. They powered reefer-vans for decades, and to this day, they're the Third-World taxi cabs of choice.

The newer stuff? Listen to Bigsteve!!! Flee!!!

[Gregski]

interesting find, but what I think is cool about these trucks is No German Engineering, and I speak from experience, you know their motto "Why make things simple when you can make it complicated!"

[BigBlocksRule]

^ if you think MB engineering is complicated, you probably should stay away from anything BMW. Multiple redundancies everywhere.
I have an '85 MB 280LS, inline 6-cylinder. Dual overhead cam, lash-type followers. One of the simplest engines I've ever worked on and makes over 1hp/cu.in. in stock form. Sounds like a sewing machine when it's running.

[Oregoon]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

^ if you think MB engineering is complicated, you probably should stay away from anything BMW. Multiple redundancies everywhere.
I have an '85 MB 280LS, inline 6-cylinder. Dual overhead cam, lash-type followers. One of the simplest engines I've ever worked on and makes over 1hp/cu.in. in stock form. Sounds like a sewing machine when it's running.

My buddy has a 1955 Unimog with an M130 2.8L I-6 that puts out about 110 horsepower and when combined with the Unimog's massively low gears, it's an astoundingly capable combination. About as dirt-simple as a motor can get, and a blast to drive!