Okay, I hang my head in shame, but I have a smile while my head is hanging.

I pulled the valve cover last night and sure enough the cam was one tooth retarded. By removing the front cover and the chain tensioner, I was able to move it one tooth easily.

I had an extra cam cover bottom seal and camshaft seal that I ordered by mistake. So I had everything I needed to pull the cover again.

I got everything done last night in a couple of hours, but did not start it until this morning, to let the goo dry overnight. I started it this morning, gave it a quick look and listen, then drove it the 90 miles to the office. It now runs like a scalded dog.

Once I started asking questions yesterday, it began to be pretty clear that this had to be what was wrong and sure enough...

Had I done a thorough job to begin with, it would have been quick insurance to turn the engine and check the cam timing. I relied too much on my marking of the sprocket and chain.

I guess all's well that ends well. It sure is great to have not only the car back, but the power too.

Thanks for everyones comments and the help in getting my head out of my ___.

Have a great day everyone,

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Larry Bible
'01 C Class, Six Speed
'84 Euro 240D, manual, 533K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles