Oh yes. Everything is much more smooth and no smoke now.

My 1982 300D turbo has gotten real weak in power when cold (OK when hot) and it smokes more than i'm used to when accelerating. When the car is cold I crawl up the 1/2 mile steep hill in front of my home. This has been the case for two years now. Since then (about 15,000 miles ago) I changed the two fuel filters, loaded Diesel Purge in main fuel filter and adjusted the valves. Things didn't get much better. The EGR has long been plugged as recommended. I will change the filters again and readjust the valves but maybe I should do the IP timing as well. Your write up will be my guide, but first does the method you provide instructions for apply to my 616 engine?

BTW even though i have the updated rack idle bolt (installed 40k miles ago) it seems to make little difference to the idle when adjusted.

Thanks

Your 300D has a 617.

Awesome pictorial! it's ironic, I was just going to post a thread on how to time my pump :D

Lance, did you notice any differences in exhaust or general engine noise? how did 26 degrees effect idle? can I set my 617.950 to that? (non emissions)

My timing was originally set way off from where it should have been so I can't really compare the change from 24 to 26.

My idle is great. It's smooth down to 500rpm even when cold. No reason you can't set yours to 26*. However, it will make starting in really cold weather a bit harder.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120064281651&category=35625 This ebay ad says the tube will work on 617 engine until 1983. Is he mistaken or can you really not use this on an '85 300D? If I'm correct I have a 617.952.

Ok, I don't have any old mercedes injector line readily available...what do I need to buy to make a drip tube?

As Lance said, you have a 617 and yes it applies to that engine as well.

I bought my drip tube on ebay for $15. Phil might sell them here too. I didn't see them in the tool catalogue though.

Yes typo on my part. I have a 617 engine. Glad to read that these instructions are perfectly adapted to my engine as well, the instructions were for a 616 engine.

Regarding drip tube for newer models check read this from Baum Tool website:
http://tools.baumtools.com/search_result.jsp

DIESEL DRIP TUBE Tool #936-0223
Use to adjust start of fuel delivery.Up to 1983 models. See #601-0821 for newer models.

There are larger photos in the DIY section:
http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/OM615OM616InjPumpTiming

Follow the instructions for the turbo charged models. You can make a drip tube out of old injector line but they are cheap so why not just buy one?

I don't see why the drip method won't work on 83-85 engines. It's the same basic injection pump. They are meant to use the RIV method, a much more accurate method but needs very costly tools.

So a more advanced timing will make it harder to start? I though it would be the other way around, since the fuel will be in the cylinder longer and absorb more of the heat from the compression.

Injecting early can let the diesel droplets condense before the starting compression reaches it's peak temperature.

There was a big difference in starting with mine, especially when really cold. When it would start with a bit of effort around 0*f with the retarded timing, advancing it makes me work a lot harder with glowplug time length and cranking strategy.

thanks Scott, nice write up.

I wanted to add that when you are adjusting the pump, you want to be Decreasing the fuel flow from your drip tube only. I noticed that once the pump gets to the point of no drops, it will not start flowing until it brought back much further than previously advanced.

I advanced my timing as well and am noticing different start-up behavior. not cold enough to be 'bad', per se.