The swivel or non-swivel ratcheting wrenches are a must for this...A piece of clear flexible hardware store tubing with the little hex hold nut pushed into one end of a foot long section will get the nut started (a poor mans u-joint..I saw a helicopter mechanic do this)...always good to have a light colored towel under the plugs just in case (The Abyss)....If you do it like this a couple of times....no need to take the lines off...Got a new Lowes home center right across the street....that speeded things up ...

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1978 Yellow 300D (The Mustard Toad)
1980 Blue 240D (The Iron Toad)
1989 Grey Mitsu.4WD Mighty Max Pickup (Needs a Diesel transplant bad)

(Open the pod bay doors HAL)

About the glow plug reemer, where can you get one? What causes carbon build up?

I found it much easier to remove the hard lines.

On the subject of glow plugs, does anyone torque them? The Haynes manual says something like 30ft-lbs but that seems really high to me. My mechanic says go easy on them when tightening down. That and I'm not sure if I could get a torque wrench down in there anyway...

Rob

I just use the ratcheting wrench in that size. IIRC, it's 8mm. Works well for me. I also cut the loop connectors and turned them in to forked connectors. That way, the 8mm nut doesn't have to come all the way off. (A trick I learned right here on Diesel Discussion!)

I also have skinny hands. And I'm lazy as all getout and stubborn, too.

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1998 E300 +310,000K
1996 E300 +460,000K

You mean you INTENTIONALLY damaged official MB OEM parts???
Oh the HUMANITY!
Now you KNOW "the MB" intentionally designed it this way for a reason. Here you go hillbillying a fine german engineered vehicle.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Glow plug reemer?

Wait'll you see the boss hood scoop I'm putting on her, or the Gabriel HiJacker air shocks in the back!

'Course right now she's sitting on blocks in the front yard waiting for my new Mickey Thompson shod Cragar SS rims to come in.

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1998 E300 +310,000K
1996 E300 +460,000K

There's one in the tool rental program for $3.00. That's the first place I'd go.

Or, if you decide to purchase, I got mine from an automotive tool supplier on eBay for not too much scratch.

I'll try to find 'em and post back here.

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1998 E300 +310,000K
1996 E300 +460,000K

Should I remove the smaller nut on the glow plug before removing the glow plug? And the injection lines (17mm), does it matter if I remove the lines at the IP first?

If you're talking about the nuts that hold on the wires, then yes, you'll need to remove them. Unless they have non-MB-approved forked connectors.

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1998 E300 +310,000K
1996 E300 +460,000K

It's generally easier to remove the lines from the injectors first, and then remove the IP nuts.

Upon reinstallation, install the IP lines first but don't tighten them. Install the nuts at the injectors next. Tighten the nuts at the IP. Then tighten the nuts at the injectors.

Make sure to start all nuts by hand before going anywhere near them with a wrench. Don't overtighten them. They don't need much torque to seal properly.

So, the lines as they attach to the engine loosen and remove and then the lines to the IP?

Don't replace good glow plugs, your just wasting time and money. You should test them first from the plug on the GP relay. I described it here:
glow plug light off

It don't remove the IP lines. I loosen the nuts on the GPs and then leave them on until I pull the GP so I don't drop those nuts. Then, intsall in reverse. Use ani-sieze compound.

It's usually easier that way.........the sequence is not critical.........