Originally Posted by Bob300DSD (Post 1675768)

1.When I position the lobe at "1 o'clock" does the tip of the lobe point to the driver's side or passenger side of the car?

My MB service manual says: "positioning the camshaft so that the tip of the cam is vertical relative to the rocker arm." but the picture in the manual does not show the tip or lobe on on the camshaft in the diagram.

Diesel Giant says: "To your eye this will look like the lobe is in about the 1 o'clock position" but the tip of the camshaft lobe in his picture looks to me like it is pointing toward the passenger side of the vehicle, (the engine he is working on is a 617 non-turbo).

Originally Posted by Shawn D. (Post 1675772)

Just position the lobe so the lobe is pointed 180 degrees away from the rocker. That way, the cam will certainly be on the base circle.

Originally Posted by Bob300DSD (Post 1675789)

When I look closely at the rocker it is not easy for me to discern the curve in the arm as displayed in the manual's diagram. Hence I am tempted to position the lobe straight up or positioned at 12 o'clock. When I turned the camshaft and checked clearance it seemed to me that the rockers had the most clearance at little past straight up at about 1 o'clock on the drivers' side. However the difference was so minimal it is hard for me to be sure there was actually any difference.

Bob

Originally Posted by guage (Post 1675778)

I stood on the drivers side using a bump starter and positioned the lobe as pictured here, which would be also pointing to the drivers side

I used trans fluid to lube the linkage

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton (Post 1675805)

We've had this discussion in the past and the opinions were varied. The question is whether the base circle of the camshaft is constant. If it is, then the slight difference between 12:00 and 1:00 is meaningless. Most folks conclude that it is not significant.

However, there were a couple of members who noted a difference in readings when the cam was moved from 12:00 to 1:00...........so, YMMV.

As Gauge mentioned, if you use the 1:00 position, it's toward the driver's side.

Originally Posted by Bob300DSD (Post 1675810)

Thanks Brian:

I think I have read every thread on ShopForum and the rest of the net and understood there was some varied opinions. I intentionally did this on my junker 300D before working on two cars with good engines. I was a little disappointed after I finished the job because the car still has really poor compression and wanted to make sure I did the procedure correctly. The valves on the car had no clearance prior to adjustment so I was hoping for the best.

Bob

Originally Posted by HenrySchuman

Diesel Giant has some really nice pictorials ,unfortunately some are wrong and the valve adj is one of them in respect to you should measure between the Rocker and the Top Nut of the Valve (not the cam and the rocker ) use a 4 thousadnds and a 5 on the intake and 16 and a 17 on the exhaust and only adjust them when the engine is cold , 4 goes 5 don't and 16 goes and 17 don't . Start with number one and rotate engine Clockwise to get the cam lobe straight up from the valve and do your measurement if you should go past a point go around do Not rotate the engine backwards . I wish you did not have to remove the injectors to do this but if you don't have the proper tools then it may be neccessary .

Originally Posted by Guage

How about the angle of the lobe?
Should it then be pointed 180 degrees from the valve?
Measure at the new red arrow?

Originally Posted by HenrySchuman

Put the lobe as close to a 90 degree angle as you can to the the top of the valve and measure where I stated for a proper measurement .

Originally Posted by guage (Post 1675872)

Just to muddy the waters a little, this is the conversation I had on another fourm.

Originally Posted by pawoSD (Post 1675887)

Wouldn't all of the cam lobe have to be equal except for the point with the lobe? If it was not all equal it would slightly open the valve during its travel, which would not be good. So I bet having it at 12 o'clock or 1 o'clock etc....doesn't matter. I usually do it with it at 180 degrees all the same though, its easiest.

Originally Posted by pawoSD (Post 1675887)

Wouldn't all of the cam lobe have to be equal except for the point with the lobe? If it was not all equal it would slightly open the valve during its travel, which would not be good. So I bet having it at 12 o'clock or 1 o'clock etc....doesn't matter. I usually do it with it at 180 degrees all the same though, its easiest.

Originally Posted by MattBelliveau (Post 1675892)

I agree. I Can't see how there would be THAT much variance (what maybe a couple 1/1000?).