Adding a turbo to a 240d

I know the 240d is slow as molasses, and benz did add a turbo to help a bit. Anyone know if there were any internal changes made to the engine to accomodate the turbo? Got an opportunity to get one really cheap and wanted to improve it's forward motivation a bit. Thanks.

The OM616 (the engine in the 240D) never had a turbo available only OM617 in the W123 line had a turbo on it.

Edit: I think a company in India license built some OM616's with turbos but I am betting that won't be easy to source.

Double edit: I know on the OM617 you can screw around with the injector pump and get a little extra power but don't expect miracles.

People have done homebrew turbo conversions to the OM616 but it is a lot of work for very little gain. The injection pump is also very difficult and largely uncharted territory.

OM617 is a much better engine, and can make enough power to keep up with traffic far more easily.

PeachParts seems to be the good forum for GRM types with Benz diesels. People in this thread have done what you ask about.

There is a turbo 240d that supposedly makes 245 hp, but that's a pretty extreme example. Other people turbocharge them, but they made a lot of changes to the om617 when they added the turbo so it would last (oil cooled pistons, etc).

Think I'll keep looking for another W123. Better starting point I think. Thanks guys.

If you want one that will keep up with traffic without an engine swap, yeah a w116, w126 or w123 with the turbo om617 is a better idea. 4 speed 240ds are ok around town, but anything more than 65 mph on flat ground isn't really going to happen.

superturbodiesel is a good website for the diesel Mercedes.

Reeves Callaway did a turbo kit for the 240D back in the day. I'm sure it's NLA but Callaway Cars is an incredibly friendly and helpful bunch. I bet a call to them would get you some info on what was involved. They are on both coasts now, contact the Old Lyme shop for the best chances.

midknight wrote: Think I'll keep looking for another W123. Better starting point I think. Thanks guys.

You want to share the 240D you are passing on?

Don't bother, just drop a 300D turbo engine in. That's what I did on mine.

Travis_K wrote: If you want one that will keep up with traffic without an engine swap, yeah a w116, w126 or w123 with the turbo om617 is a better idea. 4 speed 240ds are ok around town, but anything more than 65 mph on flat ground isn't really going to happen.

Wrong!

Just got my 240D up to 80 mph on flat, level ground yesterday...with the sunroof open, no less!

I hear 90 is possible...if you're patient.

volvoclearinghouse wrote:

Travis_K wrote: If you want one that will keep up with traffic without an engine swap, yeah a w116, w126 or w123 with the turbo om617 is a better idea. 4 speed 240ds are ok around town, but anything more than 65 mph on flat ground isn't really going to happen.

Wrong! Just got my 240D up to 80 mph on flat, level ground yesterday...with the sunroof open, no less! I hear 90 is possible...if you're patient.

Yeah but what were you towing it with?

volvoclearinghouse wrote:

Travis_K wrote: If you want one that will keep up with traffic without an engine swap, yeah a w116, w126 or w123 with the turbo om617 is a better idea. 4 speed 240ds are ok around town, but anything more than 65 mph on flat ground isn't really going to happen.

Wrong! Just got my 240D up to 80 mph on flat, level ground yesterday...with the sunroof open, no less! I hear 90 is possible...if you're patient.

Mega tail wind.....

My 240D that I just sold had a om617 swapped in would hit 90mph easy peasy. It was a 4spd manual with mods lol. ironically the poster bgkast was the one I bough the car from lol.

I don't even think om617 cars are underpowered, to be honest. The whole 'start in 2nd gear' mercedes auto trans thing is way worse than the actual power they make. I have driven some obscenely slow E36 M3 and even the heaviest om617 car (which i've driven) doesn't make it on that list.

So i guess i'm saying put an om617 in it!

In reply to Vigo:

Thread is from 2012 man lol

Then why'd you post in it! Ok ok my bad..

In reply to Vigo:

My excuse, the post I was replying to was from today

You lulled me into a false sense of relevancy! Damnit i'm old.

volvoclearinghouse wrote:

Travis_K wrote: If you want one that will keep up with traffic without an engine swap, yeah a w116, w126 or w123 with the turbo om617 is a better idea. 4 speed 240ds are ok around town, but anything more than 65 mph on flat ground isn't really going to happen.

Wrong! Just got my 240D up to 80 mph on flat, level ground yesterday...with the sunroof open, no less! I hear 90 is possible...if you're patient.

wait wait wait wait.

Would that be redlined in 4th? I'm at 3500rpms at about 70mph on my gas automatic. I'm very interested in ways to get my cruising rpms down.

Hungary Bill wrote:

volvoclearinghouse wrote:

Travis_K wrote: If you want one that will keep up with traffic without an engine swap, yeah a w116, w126 or w123 with the turbo om617 is a better idea. 4 speed 240ds are ok around town, but anything more than 65 mph on flat ground isn't really going to happen.

Wrong! Just got my 240D up to 80 mph on flat, level ground yesterday...with the sunroof open, no less! I hear 90 is possible...if you're patient.

wait wait wait wait. Would that be redlined in 4th? I'm at 3500rpms at about 70mph on my gas automatic. I'm very interested in ways to get my cruising rpms down.

90 mph is the theoretical redline (4500 RPM), in top gear, of a 240D with a 4 speed manual (which I have - a 1983 model). That said, today I hit that same stretch of level, straight highway and was barely able to eek out 82. Again, the sunroof was open, so there was some aero drag. Plus, the car has 291,000 miles on it...

The 300D has a different rear gear - 3.47 vs the 3.69 in the 240D. My 300TD (non-turbo wagon) would easily hit 85, and still have some left.

Turbo models of the 300D and TD got 3.08 rear end ratios. So one could swap ratios from/ to any of those cars to get different cruising RPMs. Keep in mind, however, that Mercedes engineered these cars a certain way, taking advantage of the various strengths/ weaknesses of the engines to maximize fuel efficiency, acceleration, and top end. Even though my 240D is screaming at 80 mph, and even 70 mph, I wouldn't want a taller gear- it would kill what little acceleration there is at low speeds. I can use 2nd and 3rd around town and the car feels quite punchy, for what it is.

Oh and blame the thread resurrection on me- I googled something on 240Ds and this came up.

I wonder how bad of a hit off the line Bill's car would actually take with a deeper rear gear, it has that 1:1 4th 4 speed auto in it that has such a low first gear it normally starts in 2nd. A quick glance at power ratings of the two cars makes me think the old gasser makes more power than a OM616 pretty much everywhere, so it should be able to still pull top gear fine.

volvoclearinghouse wrote:

Travis_K wrote: If you want one that will keep up with traffic without an engine swap, yeah a w116, w126 or w123 with the turbo om617 is a better idea. 4 speed 240ds are ok around town, but anything more than 65 mph on flat ground isn't really going to happen.

Wrong! Just got my 240D up to 80 mph on flat, level ground yesterday...with the sunroof open, no less! I hear 90 is possible...if you're patient.

The one I had (220D) topped out at 76 MPH on flat ground (Houston.)

I'm very interested in that 3.08 gear set

I've only had mine up to about 72 so far. I don't have a tach so I get kind of hesitant to shoot it by ear much over 4krpms, but she seemed to do it without breaking a sweat. She does feel punch around town though, and that's nice with traffic here being what it is.

Thanks guys!

I can't believe I forgot that t stands for wagon in German and assumed a TD had a turbo.