W123. Adjusting Valves the easy way. Advise from a Mercedes master to an apprentice - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dmorrison · #1 08-15-2006, 09:54 PM

Getting my daughters 83 240D ready to head back to Texas A&M on the 21st. She's going to go with it.

Decided to adjust the valves. I don't know about you guys but I've always felt the valve adjustment job to be one of those PITA jobs.
I have the Mercedes Service Manual, The Mercedes valve adjustment tools, The shop etc. etc. etc.
What I find is that when I loosen the top nut, which moves upward, closing the gap. Adjust the bottom nut to specs, (.30 for exaust, .10 for intake cold) and then you have it you tighten the upper nut WHICH CHANGED THE ADJUSTMENT. So you over compensate on the bottom one and then tighten the upper, Oops to much so try it again.
Out of frustration I went the dealer and talked to the W123 "Master". I shall pass on his words of wisdom since it took me 5 minutes to adjust the valve correctly using his method, and 4 of those minutes were rotating the Power Steering Pump bolt to move the camshaft.

He uses only 2 of the adjustment wrenches. One of the bent units and the large base unit.
Position the cam so that it is 180 degrees from the valve as shown in the Service Manual. Place the large base unit on the valve spring keeper washer as you would normally use the tool. Then feel the gap with the feeler gauge.

If the gap is to tight, then use the bent wrench on the LOWER nut and rotate it COUNTER CLOCKWISE ( looking from above) , do not loosen the 2 nuts.

If the gap is to loose then use the bent wrench on the UPPER nut and rotate it CLOCKWISE ( looking from above), do not loosen the 2 nuts.

It may be a firm rotation but it will rotate.

It's like this hugh light

came on. I could not believe how easy it was using his method.

Now this method may be debated, scorned, praised, defended, ridiculed, etc. But it took me 1 hour yesterday and I was not happy with the results. His method took 5 minutes (and as I said 4 of those minutes were waisted rotating the cam) and I was extremely accurate in my adjustment.

Knowing this group, and I do like this group, I'm sure some of you will not like it. But it is the method the dealer uses and he is the top W123 mechanic there.

So---Flame suit on

Dave

Johnhef · #2 08-15-2006, 10:02 PM

I'll give it a try next time, i hadn't heard of doing it that way before. I have to redo the ones on my 83 anyways soon.

waybomb · #3 08-16-2006, 08:46 PM

Wish I would have known this 13 days ago!

dmorrison · #4 08-18-2006, 01:58 AM

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

Dave

Brian Carlton · #5 08-18-2006, 08:36 PM

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.

dmorrison · #6 08-18-2006, 09:02 PM

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

TheDon · #7 08-18-2006, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waybomb

Wish I would have known this 13 days ago!

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

sailor15015 · #8 08-18-2006, 10:49 PM

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.

TheDon · #9 08-18-2006, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailor15015

because sometimes I have to really get those wrenches just right to get those nuts loose.

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

Wiz3D · #10 09-03-2006, 12:57 PM

nice one !!

This is at best a no fun job when by the book and hard on the back ... this method makes good sense .... will be usin' soon. For getting into those tight spaces, I use an old Indestro 9/16 tappet wrench which is very thin and has oddly angled heads at both ends .... works great for the nasty approachs to some of those adjusting nuts.

dmorrison · #11 09-03-2006, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wiz3D

nice one !!

This is at best a no fun job when by the book and hard on the back ... this method makes good sense .... will be usin' soon. For getting into those tight spaces, I use an old Indestro 9/16 tappet wrench which is very thin and has oddly angled heads at both ends .... works great for the nasty approachs to some of those adjusting nuts.

"Getting to the tight places", I was talking about the large Mercedes-Benz spring retainer wrench to prevent the plate from rotating. I have the Mercedes wrench set. The large wrench has to be used or the nuts will not adjust. I'm sure that if you remove all the injector lines, using the large wrench would be easier.

http://www.etoolcart.com/browseproducts/Mercedes-Benz-Spring-Retainer-Wrench-H2769-3.html

I'm sure this job would be easier if they had bent the large wrench just as they did with the adjusting wrenches.

Dave

P.E.Haiges · #12 06-16-2007, 10:09 AM

Forced,

Perhaps U have not had a valve go into a cylinder like I have. It comes out thru the oil pan along with the piston and rod.

PS: I didn't do the valve adjust job.

P E H

PerkHouse · #13 06-17-2007, 09:42 AM

Has anybody else noticed that the spec of .10 mm (.004") is for 20*C? How many people are adjusting their valves at 68*F? As the temperature increases, the gap is also supposed to increase. According to the FSM, the gap should be .15 mm (.006") at as little as 113*F.

So my point is... if you're at .12 mm at 85*F, you're pretty close. I just wouldn't let it go at less than .10 unless it's too chilly to be under the hood anyway.

Fwiw... the FSM also says, "0.05 mm higher during lasting outside temperatures below -20*C." Is there anybody on the list from northern Nunavut who can share???

mking · #14 06-17-2007, 11:24 PM

I tried this "new" technique today. Worked good for me.

Shorebilly · #15 06-18-2007, 07:06 AM

I realize that the valve tappet adjusters are of a relatively hard steel, but I don't like to put undue force on anything......

It seems to me, that over time and several adjustments, the use of this method will at minimum cause unnecessary wear on the threads.....and at worst will break the valve adjuster.......

I will continue to use the tried and true method of adjusting valve lash.....loosen the lock nut, move the adjustment, and tighten the lock nut....this method is not just MB specific, it is the way that I learned to adjust valves on my old Chevy's and Ford's back in the '60's......damn, that comment makes me sound old.....

SB

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