I am doing my fourth valve adjustment on the 300TD, since buying in 2 years ago.. two questions:

Is there any way to get the valve cover off with out peeling the valve cover gasket off at the same time??

how do you turn the engine over? I am using a 1 1/16 socket on a 3 inch extention, but I end up having to be on the ground under the radiator to get my hand in there, and this car does not even have a fan shroud... What do you do that works better than my present plan?

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

Well, for starters, instead of that rachet, try a longer 22mm open end wrench. Use a pipe if you have to.

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1989 300E 144K

I would guess no on the gasket. I turned the engine over by turning the power steering pump. People will tell you this will cause problems if you ever need to get the pulley off because the pump has a tapered shaft on it and this will over tighten it. I don't feel I tightened it all that much more though and it sure made turning the engine over easy.

1. use a remote starter on the distribution block on the right fender to jump power to the starter to bump it between valves

or

2. Use a 22mm wrench on the nut on the power steering pulley nut if your belts are good that is...

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

I usually replace the gasket @ valve adjustments. They are cheap. You could try putting high temp grease or anti-seize paste around the contact points on the gasket. Someone else please chime in if this isn't a good idea. When you do your valves, are they very far from spec? Twice a year seems like overkill to me.

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1989 300E 144K

It was overkill, as they were all ok.. But it had been 15,000, and winter is gonna hit here sometime.. then I need all the systems up to snuff..

I like the idea of the PS belt.. will do that next time....

thanks,
J

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

I heard someone express concern about possibly over tightening the PS pump pulley bolt by using it to turn over the engine, as well as hearing concern about possibly breaking the PS tension adjustment bolt.

Those being mentioned though, I ended up using the PS pump bolt to do my valve adjustment.
The only thing I'm really concerned about is that I may have tightned the bolt further than smart, but that will be a problem next time I have to pull the pulley, so I'm not worrying much about it at this point in time.

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-Josh
Testing the cheap Mercedes axiom, one bolt at a time...

W123. Adjusting Valves the easy way. Advise from a Mercedes master to an apprentice

I use the power steering pump bolt to turn the engine. slow and steady pressure to turn it not a large amount of force all at once.

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

Remote starter is maybe $15...

A VC gasket should be no more than $6.

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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]

27mm deep socket and a 1/2" drive ratchet on the crank bolt.

Agreed.

Mine is a stick and all I do is jack up a rear wheel and turn it by hand with the car in fourth gear.

Len

Mine is a stick and I do something similar to Len. I put the car in 4th or 3rd and pull it towards me while watching the cam. Works fine, takes about 8 feet to do all the valves and then check them. If the driveway is paticularly full I will push the car back, out of gear, and then continue pulling forward, resuming the job where I left off. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

The remote starter switch is so much easier and that is what it says to do in the service manual. They even put that terminal block right up top on the inner fender to hook the remote starter switch to. When I did my first valve adjustment, I thought to myself "now this is good design".

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Doug

1987 300TD x 3
2005 E320CDI

Can you reach the crank bolt from the top of the engine room? I am constantly up and down, because I have not figured out how to get around the fan, between the radiator..

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver