Opinion on Mercedes 2.9 ltr 5 cylinder engine (1 Viewer)

[veevee]

Have started to look at older LHD MH's and like the idea of the Mercedes 5 cylinder diesel engine.

Does anyone have any experience or opinion on what they are like to live with?

Had a Merc 609D base previously and although a little agricultural was in love with it's robust reliabilty and simplicity. Are these later engines a big step forward but retaining reliabilty etc?

For business we use the Ducato 2.8 JTD which is our other engine wish, but for an older MH is the Fiat 2.5 TD a good match?

Thanks

 

[John-Laika]

Have started to look at older LHD MH's and like the idea of the Mercedes 5 cylinder diesel engine.

Does anyone have any experience or opinion on what they are like to live with?

Had a Merc 609D base previously and although a little agricultural was in love with it's robust reliabilty and simplicity. Are these later engines a big step forward but retaining reliabilty etc?

For business we use the Ducato 2.8 JTD which is our other engine wish, but for an older MH is the Fiat 2.5 TD a good match?

Thanks

dont know about Mercedes 5 cylinder diesel engine. Plenty of motor homes with a Ducato 2.8 JTD we just bought one

 

[buttons]

dont know about Mercedes 5 cylinder diesel engine. Plenty of motor homes with a Ducato 2.8 JTD we just bought one

Hope it is not a Ducato with a judder. Loads of them around. Have you tried reversing up a hill yet.

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[JJ]

I have an old (1996) Iveco with the 2.8 turbo (intercooled) engine and a 1987 Hymer 660 with the Merc 5 cylinder engine... totally different driving experience...

The Hymer, I simply "point and wait" but it plods on and on and on very smoothly and here in Portugal the mechanics know where everything is on these engines and don't need to plug in machines if it has a "cough". Quite thirsty though IMO. Has done 120,000 kms with three owners.

The Iveco goes really well and I love that engine too... it is well known over here as well...

Currently done 260,000 almost trouble free (injector pump overhaul) kilometres... (2 owners).


JJ :Cool:

 

[John & Joan]

I have the Mercedes 410D, 2874cc, Model 611.4, Type 602.940, 5 cylinder Diesel, Year 1992.
The output max BHP(Din) 70Kw at 3800 rpm
Max Tourque 19.2 kgn (138ft lb) at 2400 - 2800 rpm
Fuel consumption 12 - 14 litres/100km (17 to 20 mpg)

The vehicle Hymer S700 gross weight 4600Kg (5.075 tons)
Max train weight 5900Kg (6.5 ton)

The only problems I have had was a distorted/cracked manifold and the Fan belt tensioners in the 55,000km that I have had it.

The vehicle had done 201500km It is a steady plodder and I love it.

 

[JeanLuc]

Have a look at this page:
http://www.dieselbob.co.uk/goodbad.aspx

You will see that they rate the pre-CDi 2.9 litre as a very dependable unit. (I have the later CDi 2.7 litre 5-pot - they are not so sure about that one so I'll keep my fingers crossed.)

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[stagger01]

Hi I used to have merc 312 truck with a 2.9 5 cylinder engine and when I sold it it had just over 400.000 miles on the clock and was on the original clutch, at 175,000 miles the number two injector went and at about 350,000 miles the flywheel had to be replaced. A very good engine in my opinion.

 

[Terry]

Hi I have had both the merc and vw 5 cyl diesels and they were both smooth as silk low revving trouble free vans (work)The fiat 2.5 td again trouble free and now got the Iveco 2.8 td which although not as smooth as the merc pulls like a train :thumb: Both the 2.5 and 2.8 are the same Soffin engines and so long as they get regular service of oil and water are very robust reliable engines.You will not go far wrong with either merc or fiat but the 2.8 is a much better proposition than the 2.5 :thumb:
terry

 

[Snowbird]

My father once told me that a diesel engine with an odd number of cylinders ran smoother than a similar engine with an even number.He did know quite a lot about diesel engines having spent many years exporting them all over the world. Have ran the Merc 5 cylinders for many years and IMO they are bomb proof as long as you are not in a hurry and its imperative to change the oil at 5000 miles.These engines are classed as agricultural mechanically. That means they will rarely if ever breakdown,but if they do can be repaired with a bed spanner and bike spanner.

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[veevee]

JJ

I have an old (1996) Iveco with the 2.8 turbo (intercooled) engine and a 1987 Hymer 660 with the Merc 5 cylinder engine... totally different driving experience...

The Hymer, I simply "point and wait" but it plods on and on and on very smoothly and here in Portugal the mechanics know where everything is on these engines and don't need to plug in machines if it has a "cough". Quite thirsty though IMO. Has done 120,000 kms with three owners.

JJ, what is your average fuel comsumption and most comfotable cruising speed, also what is the maximum speed too please?


John & Joan

I have the Mercedes 410D, 2874cc, Model 611.4, Type 602.940, 5 cylinder Diesel, Year 1992.
The output max BHP(Din) 70Kw at 3800 rpm
Max Tourque 19.2 kgn (138ft lb) at 2400 - 2800 rpm
Fuel consumption 12 - 14 litres/100km (17 to 20 mpg)

The vehicle Hymer S700 gross weight 4600Kg (5.075 tons)
Max train weight 5900Kg (6.5 ton)

The only problems I have had was a distorted/cracked manifold and the Fan belt tensioners in the 55,000km that I have had it.

The vehicle had done 201500km It is a steady plodder and I love it.

John & Joan, may I ask the same question of you, what is your comfortable cruising speed and maximum speed?

Many thanks to each for your inputs, it's very kind.

Our previous camper was Mercedes 609D LWB at 6 tonnes gross weight. The handbook said it had a top speed of exactly 62 mph and according to the tacho it did too.
The comfortable cruising speed was around 54 mph on the flat and at that speed returned 21mpg with a light right foot.
Although the gearbox was 5 speed it was in effect a 4 speed as 1st was a crawler gear. Have never driven any vehicle that had the uphill pulling power of that 609D in 1st gear, it would go up the proverbial side of a house without blinking.
The crawler gear got us out of a lot of trouble including being snowed in on an unmade road on the southern side of the Atlas mountains in a huge snow storm. The downside is the van really needed a 6th gear to cruise on a motorway.

Was hoping that the cruising speed for a 5 cylinder would be nearer to 60 mph with maybe 70 mph or more as a top speed.

The trouble is currently spoilt with a Ducato van with the 2006 2.8JTD engine which loaded pulls like a train uphill and has a top speed beyond my need to know.
The finance for our next MH wont run to a JTD Fiat engined model, so therefore trying to guage opinion for engines fitted to 1990's - early 2000's built MH's.

Thank you all again, it's a real pleasure to have joined this club.

 

[JeanLuc]

If you are looking for an engine with a bit of 'oomph' the 2.7 litre 5-cylinder CDi Mercedes has plenty. It was fitted to Sprinter bases from 2000 in the form of 316 / 416 / 616 chassis. Despite the observations from Diesel Bob in my earlier post, I am very happy with the engine. It is very smooth, has 156 BHP output and pulls well. I think it might be a little less sprightly in a fully loaded 616 chassis (6 tonnes) but in my 316 based Hymer at 3.8 tonnes GVW it goes really well. I have never got near top speed - I think it is something well over 80mph. Acceleration is excellent and can 'startle some cars' away from the lights. Mine is linked to a 5-speed torque converter auto box and is a pleasure to drive. Having said all that, I use a fairly light right foot and have achieved 24.8 mpg calculated over the 31,000+ miles we have driven in the van.

 

[Snowbird]

It seems to be a thing with older German vans. My VW LT with the 6 cylinder diesel and coupled to a five speed box is in effect a four speed. First gear is never used except when you really need a crawler gear. Its top speed is around 65 MPH but cruising its happy at 58 MPH. These are of course the non turbo variants.

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[JJ]

JJ


JJ, what is your average fuel comsumption and most comfotable cruising speed, also what is the maximum speed too please?

Hi Veevee... in the Hymer I get between 18 and 22 mpg and rarely go faster than 90 kph although you can go much faster (have gone a few miles on the motorway at 110-115 kph) but I don't see the point... and would expect a huge drop in mpg if I did.

The Iveco is a different story... I normally trundle along at between 90-100kph but could cruise comfortably at 110-120kph (and have been up to 140-145kph) if I was in a hurry (which I rarely am). Fuel consumption varies between 25-30 mpg.

Hope this helps

JJ :Cool:

 

[Snowbird]

Another bonus with the old 5 pot Merc is it will run quite happily on recycled chip fat.:thumb:

 

[John & Joan]

John & Joan, may I ask the same question of you, what is your comfortable cruising speed and maximum speed?

Many thanks to each for your inputs, it's very kind.

I can easily exceed 70mph (110k) but prefer to be at about 56mph (90k) running without the car and trailer. It will get to 50mph easily but after that it has to be wound up to speed over a good distance.

It drops of quickly when it reaches a hill, but will plod up anything in 1st gear. I also feel it could have done with a 6th gear for motorway cruising.

I also use 1st gear for a quicker get away at junctions when towing the trailer with a train weight of 6 tons plus

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[funkyronster]

Merc 5 cyl 602 rules OK!

I must have the most battered Hymer S700 on the road. 320,000k all over Europe, twice across the Sahara, towed boats, bikes and caravans .......

Never broken down, but have had to do plenty of maintenance. Had same flywheel and manifold probs as others. Mine is turbo's and intercooled. It's a bit thirsty if I push it.

No electronics, these engines are good for a million k.

Love it.....

 

[alanalmoff]

For what it,s worth, I used to be a typical white van man driver (gas engineer) the only vans that seem to came past me were Sprinters, I now drive for economy , now that I have to pay for fuel. Our Auto-Trail Cheyenne Mercedes based, has the 5 cylinder engine, returning 28 MPG, a pleasure to drive, especially after having a cruise control fitted, Alan

 

[outkast]

I have a merc sprinter with the five cylinder 2.9 turbo engine, its has 325000 on the clock and still pulls like a train, on recent trip to the Cotswolds I did 180 miles on 24 litres of diesel.

that was mostly travelling at 60 to 70 mph on the motorways as that speed seems to return the best economy.

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[alanalmoff]

What RPM for the best economy???