Wish I would have known this 13 days ago!

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Thank You!
Fred
2009 ML350
2004 SL600
2004 SL500
1996 SL600
2002 SLK32
2005 CLK320 cabrio
2003 ML350
1997 C280 Sport

I'm surprised the group has not made very many comments on this.

Dave

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1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

I can relate to the change in readings the moment you touch the top nut.

The new procedure sounds promising. However, the capability of rotating that pair of nuts is dependent on how tightly they are locked together. If very tight, I can envision quite a struggle to rotate them.

But, I might just buy that lower wrench and give this procedure a try. My problematic lower back will thank me profusely if this procedure is successful. The factory procedure is definitely a 90 minute job........and no fun at all.

If the top and bottom nuts are jambed very tightly. I would loosen them a bit and tighten them to a more correct tightness. That way the procedure will work better. I found some valve nuts to be that way and retighten them to a more comfortable setting. I then found the proceedure worked fine.

Dave

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1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

one thing i can add about the adjustment is this, if you can use a remote starter switch or make your own i have found a great method for the adjusting sequence.
first remove the valve cover and connect the starter switch
bump the starter until the first lobe on the first cylinder (exhaust valve lobe) is pointed toward the oil tube. if you notice there is the one pointed to the oil tube and one pointed straight up. the one pointing to the tube is the exhaust ant the one pointing up is the intake,(the exhaust lobes will always point to the tube and the intake lobes will always point straight up.) adjust them, bump the starter, if you look there will be another one pointed toward the tube and another pointing up, continue adjusting and bumping the starter until the original exhaust cam lobe is back pointing to the tube, once you are there they are all done. the only times i have seen this not work is when the compression is low, or if the valves are too tight causing low compression. this is how i do it when i service customers cars at work.

Nice one!

I had a big DUH, why didn't I think of that!

Thanks for sharing!

yea same here


my problem is i cant fit a regular 14mm wrench is it.. or w/e on the bottom nut.. what i would do is loosen both nuts so i could adjust them with my fingers, get the correct gap and put one bent wrench on the uppermost part of the large nut and tighten the bottom one..

a good way for me was to actually lay into the engine compartment and have a thin wrench from the leftside come in and hold that top nut while tightening the bottom one

That sounds like a good way to try it but I'm supprised to hear about all the people that have so much trouble with the factory method. It didn't take me that much time, and I even have straight wrenches. I think I'll give this way a try next time, though, because sometimes I have to really get those wrenches just right to get those nuts loose.

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Seth

1984 300D 225K
1985 300D Donor body
1985 300D Turbo 165K. Totaled. Donor Engine. It runs!!!
1980 300SD 311K My New Baby.
1979 BMW 633csi 62K+++? Dead odo

or when adjusting.. i was stuck on cylinder 3's exhaust because i could not get the wrench to slip onto the nut to adjust it no matter how hard i tried.. a good set of wrenches for adjusting would have to be about 3" long with the ability to attach the stupid angled piece on for loosening and use the 3" for fitting into the tight spaces..i need to make some wrenches like that and see how they work

Good info, I need to do mine at the years end.

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Or, why not adjust the top, cap nut to the proper gap (hold it with one wrench), then bring up the lower locking nut (with the second wrench) to meet it?

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1982 300CD Petrol/Black Leather

I'd think that if you can turn both nuts at the same time, they are not tight enough.

AFAIK, that's the right way to do it.

thats what i did essentially.. but i adjusted with my finger to the point i wanted then held the nut with the wrench... the bent wrenches suck...

When the locking nut is tightened, it pushs the top nut up, decreasing the clearance. Unless you initially position the upper nut with a little extra clearance to account for this, the valve will be too tight after the locknut is tightened.