What kinda of ham-fingered hack would do this to my car??!!
 

Oh wait, that's me.

If anyone is feeling down about their holiday weekend productivity, try mine on for size.

Friday, armed with a pick n pull injection pump with a virgin ALDA, I decide to R and R my IP. The reason is that some ham-fingered hack (see the first sentence) had badly cross threaded the rack damper pin, with the result that the engine rocked badly at idle (even with new engine mounts). After carefully scoping out the job in the manual and here at the forum, I decided to go the proper route and pull the oil filter housing. Cool, I can replace that gasket too, it definitely leaks.

Problem 1: Oil cooler line removal. I had done this job, and put on anti seize, so I wasn't worried. Put my 24 mm counterhold wrench on the nut. Hmm. Not gripping all the way. Oh well, I'm sure I've got enough of the fitting. Turn ed the nut and :eek: :eek: I've pretzeled my upper oil cooler line. After a pause for poetic reflection, I hammer the wrench into place to get a good grip, and get the lines off.

Problem 2: bolt removal. Two of the allen head screws were rounded off by some ham-fingered hack (not the one in sentence one). Apply penetrating spray, heat, repeat 8x. Pause for poetic reflection and retire for the evening.

Saturday: Run and pick up a sacrificial 12 pt socket to coax out the screws. Realize that there really isnt enough room to force the 12 pt socket on the screw head. Pause for poetic reflection. Try more spray and heat. Reflect again. Go acquire set of Craftman damaged bolt removal sockets. Success!

Problem 3: Bolt replacement. What do you mean, you don't have an M8 50mm 1.25 pitch 8.8 allen head bolt?? Grrrr...

Find the above in pile of supplies aquired from forum member Mattdave in a gag Ebay auction that he made good on :bowrofl:

Remove filter housing, take 2 hours to clean old gasket. Remove IP. Retire.

Sunday. Religious services and family obligation greatly diminish available work time.

Problem 4: Setting the IP. Timing mark, timing mark, I definitely remember something about a timing mark. I don't see one, but it has to be here, right?

Keep looking. Can't find it. Well, this is why I brought the manual on CD with me. Let's see. Hmm. Why, this CD doesn't have the 126 manual. Spontaneously engage in poetical reflection so sublime that applause breaks out. Feel abashed at my verbal desecration of the day of rest.
Retire.

Monday: Back to the garage. I now know the timing mark is at 10 o'clock. Match spline to timing mark, put engine at TDC, replace IP. Button up IP, set engine to 24 degrees and set the timing with drip tube.. err, where'd drip tube go? After the not-all-together joyous (but lyrical!) refrain ceased its echoing across the countryside, I recalled the bubble method. Mmmm, nothing like sucking diesel. Well, as long as it gets the job done. Set timing to point at which bubbles stop, snug down IP. Replace oil filter housing. Reattach hoses and oil pressure sensor. Prime IP lots. Crank engine. Lots of sound and fury signifying nothing. Prime and prime and prime. Crank and crank and crank. Ok, must be air in the IP. Tighten all connections, crank and crank and crank. Engine roars to life. Well, at least it fires. A little. If I floor it, engine will stumble along at about 400 rpm. Get out of car, slip. Notice body-size pool of oil gently sweeping out from underneath car. The hills are alive with the sounds of anatomical impossibilities. Retire.

Thanks to anyone who read this far. Hope your projects went better.

Sounds like one of my "repair" jobs:rolleyes:

Ouch, that is rough. You have my sympathies.

Glenn

The hills are alive with the sounds of anatomical impossibilities...........LOL........just too funny...........I can sure sympathize..........the SD kept me in a litany of comment for nearly five months.:eek:

I'm old and slow...........you see..........this is a benefit on a M/B...........stop...........pause...........reflect.............think............don't break anything.:o

Ahh, I love the good DIY story in well written form. Why can't these jobs go smoothly? (rhetorical) Sounds like you have some more work in front of you, and some more well placed metaphors.......:D

Yeah, thanks for sharing.
This is reality DIY.


D.

Jimmy, the jobs always go smoothly..............the second time around.:o

You know Brian, on many jobs the second time around going smoothly would sound pretty good up front.l

Hmm...guess I really complain about my stripped oil drain plug... :eek: Good luck sorting the rest of the project out.

You must not have a big enough hammer... Talk to Sady about IP woes if ya want a fun story. On his car, we proved you could remove and install the IP on a 617 motor without removing the oil filter housing. I think his thread still holds the record for length.
Poetic reflection...Gawd, I love it!

I learn a ton of little things the first time around. The second time is a relative breeze, provided that too much time has not elapsed..............then it's the first time all over again.:o

I recently checked the valve lash on the SD. 15 minutes to get the valve cover off.......including all the injector hard lines, and the air cleaner and U-tube. A ton of little things.....................:)

tjohn,

Does this story have a final chapter?

P E H

He's braver than me for taking on a job like that.;) I've found that most relatively simple jobs turn out to be at least 10X harder than they should be. Either because someone else has already screwed something up or "I have the tool that I need, but where is it?". Good luck, hope you get everything straightened out.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/104222-wont-start-anything-1985-300sd.html

:rolleyes:

Nice job on the write up, injoyed it till the last couple lines :eek: maybe the second time will be better, or maybe you just forgot to hook up the oil line to the IP, heres hopping:)