Three mercedes added to the mix. Anyone with expereince running these on oil?

[Brad S.]

I'm glad your letting us know how this is all going. I'd have to say I kinda feel the same way when it comes to non-American diesel engines.
Before, I'd think it be fun to jump in and buy a cheap diesel powered pickup/car, but if I run into a "bees nest" and can't figure it out???? (Then a person is left with a large lawn ornament)
It's also nice to know that after all your work, you have a good dependable car.
As far as parts for these cars, can you find them fairly easy????(sounds like that wasn't a problem)

 

[Josh Carmack]

You won't be able to run to the local parts house and get much more than filters and normal wear items. Internet for a lot, and Mercedes for the rest.

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

Mine is an 85 turbo. Bone stock. I run blends mostly, make biodiesel when I have time. The benz is my wife's daily driver and still sees lots of vacation road trip duty so I have been hesitant to modify it to better run the alt fuels, afraid I will sacrifice reliability. Odometer sits at 363k currently and we are planning a grand canyon trip with it towing a pop up right now.

 

[drinkypoo]

I'm glad your letting us know how this is all going. I'd have to say I kinda feel the same way when it comes to non-American diesel engines.
Before, I'd think it be fun to jump in and buy a cheap diesel powered pickup/car, but if I run into a "bees nest" and can't figure it out???? (Then a person is left with a large lawn ornament)
It's also nice to know that after all your work, you have a good dependable car.
As far as parts for these cars, can you find them fairly easy????(sounds like that wasn't a problem)

These Mercedes engines are well-documented and you can get parts on eBay for the whole car fairly trivially. There's a couple spots to go to for cheap special tools like mercedessource which sells a nice set of valve adjustment wrenches, etc. On the other hand the community is pretty useless compared to ours, I've asked on like five boards for a source for the turbo wastegate diaphragm and nothing yet, in spite of the fact that turbos keep getting rebuilt out there.

 

[JPhauler87]

It doesn't sound like it, but have you started running one of them regularly on WMO yet? I'm definitely interested to see if you have the same issues with coking I do.

Edit: just checked my mileage. Only getting about 18mpg. Maybe need to check timing or something. 75% of that driving was 55mph cruising.

 

[AcIdBuRn02ZTS]

What about a spare tire well tank? Looking forward to seeing how they run on oil

Sent from a pay phone... using Tapatalk v2.0

 

[Josh Carmack]

AcidBurn, I have considered the tire tank, but to be honest, I don't like it. Once I add the dual control pedals it'll be my mail route vehicle, and I need the spare tire. I just changed a tire on the route two days ago, well actually it was on my way to the P.O., but either way. The car does have two recesses in the trunk, and I'm assuming one of those was used for the factory tank option. I'm toying with the idea of building my own tank from mild steel that closely fits both recesses with a crossover. That'll preserve my trunk space for packages, and my spare tire area, for the tire.

 

[drinkypoo]

A 5 gallon can sits perfectly in the recesses. That is indeed where people usually install their secondary tank, on the right side to balance out the driver. And it's where the kits install them, too. I keep my diesel can in one and my tools in the other

 

[mohavewolfpup]

Interestingly mythbusters used a mercedes either like these or similar to it and tested cooking oil on them. Lightly filtered it and then dumped into a special tank above the door. It did run on it, which surprised them

edit: here you go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnV1SEplPh4

 

[Josh Carmack]

Update.... I have made zero progress on oil,
I have run out of cleaned oil and now all of my engines are running on $$$$$$$$ diesel $$$$$$$$$$$.
I quit my full time night job two weeks ago so I could see my kids and wifey AND work a little more often at my day job (USPS Rural Carrier) , then someone else quit their day job which made my part time day job a 6 days a week day job.
I have about 300 gallons of uncleaned oil, and no time to move it around and process it. I have 14 irons in the fire, and 37 shirts to iron, anyone wanna iron some shirts???

 

[Brad S.]

Update.... I have made zero progress on oil,
I have run out of cleaned oil and now all of my engines are running on $$$$$$$$ diesel $$$$$$$$$$$.
I quit my full time night job two weeks ago so I could see my kids and wifey AND work a little more often at my day job (USPS Rural Carrier) , then someone else quit their day job which made my part time day job a 6 days a week day job.
I have about 300 gallons of uncleaned oil, and no time to move it around and process it. I have 14 irons in the fire, and 37 shirts to iron, anyone wanna iron some shirts???

Mail Carrier is what my dad did for 40+ yrs (and farming), I know what "hauling mail" is all about.
I can see why you bought these Mercedes for the route.
Glad you can get some more time with the family.
At least you have some wmo on hand to process when you get time.
Funny you mention ironing, in todays world a lot of people wouldn't know what is...???

 

[Josh Carmack]

Well, since my mail truck went down for maintenance, I have been driving the red 300D on the route, and it is killing me, I have been having to sit in the passenger seat because I am too tall to straddle the console. Have to run the seat all the way forward, lean over against the door, and fold my leg around the gear shift and then twist my foot over onto the pedals. At the end of a 96 mile rt I literally have trouble walking to deliver a package. Got the truck back up and running tonight, and am in the process of building a pedal conversion for the blue 300D. I HOPE to have the blue one converted for right hand pedals by this weekend, and that will free up a little time to start running some batches of oil.

On another note, we have made some serious progress on the home made centrifuge we have been building, but I have not had time to get over to the metal shop in over a week. Last I stopped in to help, we had a torque converter cut open and mounted onto a shaft. Next we had to build some bearing housings, and a mounting to mount it inside a container to catch the sling off. For all I know Mr. HB may already have it up and running, his plan was to drive it using an air motor. I didn't like the idea for various reasons, one of which being the ineffciency of air driven motors, and the other being the motor was only turning the rotor at 1400 rpm. Since it is Mr. HB's shop and tools I didn't argue, but on Ver. II which will be mine, I plan on mounting it in arbor bearings and driving it at a 1:2 ratio from a 3450 motor, which will after slip factor be around 6000 rpm.