Spent 3.5 hours breaking in my Christmas Gift of valve wrenches yesterday, and have a few questions:

1) How important is the Valve Spring Retainer Wrench? It seemed to just get in the way!

2) I have TWO Hazet 2769 wrenches ... Not one 2769 and one 2769-1. Should I buy a 2769-1 & make my life easier?

3) During the process, the engine simply stopped turning (I used a 22mm socket on the power steering pump bolt). I had to put it in gear, leave the ignition key in the "off" position and pop the clutch while coasting to spin the engine. Did this once, and had no issues afterwards.

4) No real discernable difference in performance ... Normal?

Thanks for the comments, Folks!

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It's not important at all unless you have one or more valves that tend to rotate. Even then, you can use a large screwdriver to prevent the retainer from turning.

I wouldn't. Not that much difference.

That must have been inconvenient!!! Why not just bump the starter?

How far off was the valve clearance before the adjustment?

Don't use the PS pump bolt. Turn it at the crank as per FSM.

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1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

you're working against the compression. try removing the glowplugs. also note that you need to re-check multiple times. i would set mine then go to tighten and then notice the adjustment was off after tightening.

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83 300d euro
85 944

I have had my Mecedes for 11 months. I waited 4 of those months to get a to get the set of special wrenches and have done the valve adjustment 1 time (it needed it and my idle smoothed up noticeably). I had to use the the Valve Spring Retainer Wrench 2 times during the adjustment but it did not take much effort to loosen the nuts.
I would say it is an occasionaly useful but awkward too and I would not bother putting it on the spring retainer unless one of the nuts is stuck otherwise it is just in the way.
The next time you do the valve adjustment I will go much faster!!!

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Go back in and check them all again. I'll bet they've "changed". Ask me how I know. Don't know why mine changed, but they did. After a couple of times, it gets a whole lot easier. Drawing a diagram and checking off completed valves is a big help.

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Brad
1981 300TD - daily driver
1963 Chevy II
2001 F-250 7.3 Power Stroke

Re: The starter bump ... I was worried the darn thing would start! Have no idea if that's a possibility, think I feel more comfortable taking out the GPs!

All 4 intake valves where tight, only had to adjust 2 of the 4 exhaust valves (Both on the "tight" side), but can't give you any idea on how bad they were. Confused the "adjusting nut" with the "locking nut" far too many times!

Thanks for all the help! Have driven about 50 miles since the valve job & it does idle more smoothly when fully warmed. Still shakes a bit, but driver's side motor mount is shot ... Guess that's another afternoon!

I think I'll look back at some of the DIY posts now and re-read ... I've got that whole Psychomotor thing going on, now that I've touched it all I'll learn more from the posts!

Thanks to all for the reams of information on this Board!!!

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Weird how valves tighten by themselves from use. I've noticed the same thing on gas engines too. You would think the valves would loosen over time.

Cheers,

Bill

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Cheers,
Bill

Isn't it interesting how that works? If a picture is worth a thousand words, dirty hands must be worth a thousand pictures!!!

The intakes evidently do not rotate but the exhaust do.
I believe that The rotation process must cause a slight amout of wear on the valve face/seat. It was the exhaust valves that were the tightest on my OM 617.
Where I used to work someone brought in a Ford truck gas engine that had valve rotators on all valves. They had worn extremely thin and the valve rotation had allowed them to remain in use for much longer than if it had not had them.
Buy the time the vlaves in heads with out the valve rotators wear out they can still usually be refaced and used again (the ones on the truck head above were all shot and replaced). That is; unless the drive ignored that his vehicle needed a valve job and continued to run the vehicle until a valve/s or valve seats burned.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Not weird, the valve seats "wear," causing the valve stems to sit higher resulting in reduced clearances.

I will recheck my valve adjustment soon. I am waiting for dial indicator to arrive and plan to do the "2mm method" to check the timing chain timing/stretch. Additionaly the origional wrench set I bought is Hazet. In a bunch of Mercedes tools I bought was a set of Heyco valve adjustment wrenches and a shorter handled Hazet wrench.
Back there on the 5th cylinder I found that the Hazet wrenches were really tight against the cam bearing tower. The Heyco wrench heads are not as fat across and I bet they will work better. I am also goint to try out that shorter Hazet wrench and see if it is useful.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Doubtful, you're turning the engine just a bit, but rig the fuel shut off valve closed.
More of a possibility when checking compression, just hold down the fuel shut off lever doing this.

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83 SD

84 CD

Here's a link to a very good pictorial DIY. http://www.dieselgiant.com/valveadjustment.htm

John

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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
2002 F250 powerstroke with Plantdrive WVO conversion
1983 300SD 190K miles ,sold
2006 E320 CDI