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Old 07-27-2013, 08:52 AM   #31 (permalink)
JB3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oil pan 4 View Post
Yeah I have seen those fiberglass leaf springs plenty of time, I don't know of any problems with them.
But even steel springs sag over time, so I don't see why fiberglass would be any different.
My understanding is that fiberglass loses its resin over time and becomes brittle. The ones on this van are comin up on 24 years old of constant flexing and weather, time to beat the inevitable cracking to the punch is my plan.

Update on economy, a second test run the van did 27mpg loaded up. I don't have an odometer or speedo hooked up yet, so the way I'm calculating this is going to a diesel pump, filling up, making my work run and writing down exactly where I went, then returning to the exact same pump and filling back up. Then later google mapping the route.
I think I can get closer to 30 when its aligned as well before any aero mods. Its doing high 20s and I've cooked the RF tire in under 1000 miles. Basically I'm trying to establish a baseline for the current drivetrain I can compare against, especially when I go to a much lower diff ratio soon

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Old 07-27-2013, 11:45 AM   #32 (permalink)
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High 20s while pigeon-toed and loaded, I think you're going to be very pleasantly surprised when you get those tires pointed the same direction.
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Old 07-28-2013, 09:24 AM   #33 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by JB3 View Post
New rear springs are in the works. This van has original fiberglass rear leaf springs, which as the years go by, I get increasingly alarmed that one day they will crack. A company called overland vans carries a replacement upgrade steel leaf set that is bolt on I've been saving towards. Shocks are shot too, definitely looking forward to a new rear suspenion
Have you never considered to upgrade everything for an air suspension? That would be good, allowing you to ride lower in good pavement for a reduced drag or increasing the riding height in rougher roads.
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Old 08-16-2013, 12:54 PM   #34 (permalink)
JB3
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so, swapped over to 4.56 from the 3.23

here are the two rear ends, 4.56 built into a 97 diff on the left-



also put in steel leaf springs with a higher load capacity. I did make the van heavier doing this, Id estimate each leaf was 3 times heavier than the fiberglass monoleaf. However, the fiberglass had to go, not so much the springs themselves as the hangars were close to failure



4.56 diff installed-



The immediate difference is no sluggishness in first, and I can pull overdrive on the highway now! very excited to see what new MPG numbers this might present for me.
I can also do hill starts, which was a hit or miss thing with the 3.23.
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Old 08-16-2013, 12:56 PM   #35 (permalink)
JB3
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High 20s while pigeon-toed and loaded, I think you're going to be very pleasantly surprised when you get those tires pointed the same direction.
had it aligned, it took them 2 hours to get the camber within spec, and they demanded I bring it back for another session in a month.

much safer now though
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Old 08-16-2013, 12:58 PM   #36 (permalink)
JB3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr View Post
Have you never considered to upgrade everything for an air suspension? That would be good, allowing you to ride lower in good pavement for a reduced drag or increasing the riding height in rougher roads.
not a bad idea for down the line! Since i installed a lot of new components, it may be some time before Im ready to get back into the suspension
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Old 08-16-2013, 02:10 PM   #37 (permalink)
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Great news on the axle/gear swap!!

Can't remember if tires were discussed. Truck-spec closed-shoulder highway rib tires would be my choice for another "major" change. Or, what is best suited to climate/terrain and truck use in a premium brand of tire if time/miles anticipated warrant it (MICHELIN, not BFG; Bridgestone, not Firestone. Etc). Tires are not the place to go cheap. They'll more than pay for themselves on a work truck. Same with shocks: Bilstein over Monroe, etc.

Has brake drag been looked over, front and rear axles? Same for steering slop, from column out through end links . . big truck manufacturers note this as a measurable FE problem.

The precise steering and "feel" of a tight front end, well-adjusted brakes/bearings and no-slop steering system coupled to premium tires/shocks is the feedback needed for low fuel burn tactics on a truck. The pieces needed to fit within a "smart use" strategy.

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Last edited by slowmover; 08-16-2013 at 02:16 PM..
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Old 08-16-2013, 07:03 PM   #38 (permalink)
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JB3,

Just started reading your thread and I thought I would give some tips for your OM616 engine. If you can find 82 or newer head for it you can take the Cam, Cam towers, etc... and put them on your other head. Of course you can just swap the heads too but it may be hard to do that with the engine in the van already. This will give you a couple extra horses and a little better efficiency because the later model years had greater lift on the cam to help the engine breath better.

Also you can adjust the boost on the turbo charger too. (its a pain in the butt but it can be done).

Edit: it may be 1983 where the camshaft changed.
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Old 08-16-2013, 08:01 PM   #39 (permalink)
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oops I was off on the year. It was 81

further discussion can be found here

Any reasonable way to get more power from a 240D? - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

Edit: Okay with out a shop manual I can't nail the year down but the later 616 Camshaft code 10 is the one you want.

http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/...light=camshaft
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Old 08-25-2013, 02:58 PM   #40 (permalink)
JB3
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oops I was off on the year. It was 81

further discussion can be found here

Any reasonable way to get more power from a 240D? - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

Edit: Okay with out a shop manual I can't nail the year down but the later 616 Camshaft code 10 is the one you want.

617 Cams
great info thanks! im going to check out these threads. I do happen to have a 240 head sitting here that someone gave me. It might be a later head, do you know how to identify the castings? Will the cam itself have a code 10 on it?

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