"I spent 6 hours adjusting the valves on my 1982 300D. What a pain. Today, I am buying the wrenches."--phlrnlds

I am sorry you had to go through that.... worse yet is the situation where someone unbuttons the engine to do this on a Sunday or Holiday... and finds that some of the adjusters are STUCK.... and can't get one of the lower wrenches for holding the valve ... then having to buckle everything up to use that car for going to get the lower wrench...

As many times as it has happened I am still surprised when someone suggests to a new person that they don't ' need' the bent wrench and the lower wrench with the shelf attached...
I hope they see your post and save themselves a lot of frustration...

The two bent wrenches, I believe, are well worth the money. I might have been able to do the job without them, but to go through that every 15,000 miles? No thanks! I got lucky and didn't need the lower wrench. If I come across a stuck retaining nut in the future, I'm hoping that the "big screwdriver" method will work. If not, then at least I'll know for sure.

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1982 300D, black w/ palomino leather, 203K
2001 E320, champagne, 105K (Mom's)
1999 Dodge Dakota, squeaky & battered, 142K

It will work but its awkward as hell without a second set of hands....

Thats one of the things that got me to buy the wrenches....I figured they had to be easier to use...and they were...

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"are well worth the money"

If you get the Sears wrenches and bend and grind them yourself it has to be worth it...and you wind up with two extra wrenches also...

I adhere to the M+1 rule. ie: Have all the cars you need (M) + one more.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

I know what the third wrench looks like but don't have it. I did my valves with 2 bent wrenches, I havn't run the car yet but what are you keeping from turning?

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Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
1980 240D Euro delivery 4 speed manual silver/blue
~160K miles

Could you please provide info of the guy who has it for 58$ ?
I would like to have the 3 key kit.
If it is on ebay what is the username ?

Thanks,
Yossi

"what are you keeping from turning?"

Adjusting the valves on our cars involves actually moving a cap nut which is threaded onto the end of the valve....
It has another nut under it to lock it into place once the adjustment has been made.
The bottom wrench is for holding the actual valve.... that lower large washer it fits to has a tab in the hole....and that fits into a slot on the valve stem...
SO, if one of the top nuts is frozen in place.... you need to hold the valve to loosen them.... if they are not frozen...then the friction of the valve being pulled against the inside of the head by the valve spring is enough to keep it in place... the lower wrench is only needed when one of the top nuts is tough to loosen.

On my first valve adjustment I only needed it on three of the ten valves... but on those I REALLY needed it...

Anyone that is planning to adjust their own valves for the foreseeable future should either buy or make the correct set of all three wrenches. If your time is worth anything, just getting by with inferior equipment is an exercise in futility.

just my $.02,
Wes

I suppose I should get the special wrench set, but so far I haven't needed it.

I think adjusting the valves every 15,000 miles is too often. I checked the valve clearances after 25,000 miles on my '79 300SD and none needed adjustment, all were in spec. So its every 25,000 miles for me and that comes out to about once in 2 every years.

I have to check the valve clearances on my Ford Tractor. It has 1000+ hours and getting hard to start. But being a push rod engine, I would expect the clearances to increase, not decrease like an MB Diesel.

P E H

i found these one ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4550481096&fromMakeTrack=true

has anyone bought from this guy? are these good quality tools??

Those are the real deal Hazet set............only he isn't financing his own private island to retire on......I got mine there for $58 last year.....grab them..others ask $78 or more for the same thing.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Yossi, been away at the cottage for the weekend. Bonehead says they are the haznet tools from the florida supplier and i tend to agree. Three dollars more than the other supplier and he is hard to catch on ebay tools. These guys import them in bulk and the price is reasonable everything considered. I would suggest trying to deal with him. His feedback looks good as well.

thanks guys, will grab it as soon as i can.

The clip on the third wrench honestly makes the whole thing work smooth. Its a simple ingenious little thing that makes all the difference.

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"If anyone knows other lessons I need to learn, please tell me. I'm tired of learning them the hard way".
by JerryBro

The Glow Plug Wait: This waiting period is a moment of silence to pay honor to Rudolph Diesel. The longer you own your diesel the more honor you will give him". by SD Blue

My normal daily life; either SNAFUed- Situation Normal... All Fouled Up, or FUBARed- Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD daily driver- both powered by blended UCO fuels