I'd agree that camshaft and/or IP timing is your issue. For IP timing, the easiest method, which also happens to be the factory method, is to use the A/B timing lights via the port in the side of the IP.

You connect it to the battery, the probe and slowly rotate the engine until both lights illuminate. Then, read the crankshaft damper. If it's not 15 ATDC, adjust IP until you get 15ATDC.

Done.

There are two of them in the rental pool.

When you replaced the timing chain, did you check the cam timing? Simple to do, instructions elsewhere and should be easy to find.

I'm concerned that the valve was hitting the piston as you were rolling in the chain. This means that either the engine was out of time when you bought it, or it got out of time while rolling in the chain. Either way, it was most critical that you ensured the cam timing was correct when you finished the chain replacement. If you started the car with the cam timing out by enough (not much), you've bent the valves and the head will have to be removed. Here's what I suggest:
1. Pull the valve cover, check the cam timing. If it is off, correct it.
2. If the cam timing was off and is now correct, might as well try running the engine. You've got nothing to lose.
3. If the engine runs properly, don't worry - be happy.
4. If the engine runs poorly, do a compression test. If bad, pull the head. If good, check injection pump timing (instructions elsewhere).

Good luck.

__________________
1987 W201 190D

To clarify:

I am sure the camshaft is properly aligned; we were most careful to check this before we closed the chain. So I know that the crank and cam are in sync. This leaves the IP - or (shudder) damage to the valves, head and/or pistons.

I am a newbie to the boards, how does one go about renting the A/B timing tool? Meanwhile, we will check compression (cold since I can't run it - yes I already know what you're about to say)

And again my thanks.

'97 E300
'95 E300
'92 300D
'92 300D (the sick one)
'95 Suburban 6.5L Turbo

Go to the tool rental forum and the first and only thread has the list of the available tools and who rents them. Contact the member via PM and make the arrangements.

The compression check is fine if you're just interested in seeing if all cylinders are close to each other and you don't have one or two that are hurting.

Also, I'm sure you don't want to type those vehicles every time you post. Go to "User CP" and click "Edit Signature". Put them in once.........

OK... here's a thought. If the original timing chain was stretched 5 degrees, and you were at TDC but on the intake stroke, you'd think the cam was out 175 degrees. So you rotated the cam 175 degrees, now the marks line up, the valves won't hit, everything is cool... except the injection pump thinks you're on the intake stroke when you've changed the valve timing to make it now the compression stroke. In other words, your IP is now 180 degrees out. Fix is simple, and you don't have to screw with the IP. Set the engine to TDC, with the marks on the cam lined up also. Rotate the crank clockwise one turn and one turn only until you are again exactly at TDC... now the cam mark should be 180 degrees away from where it was. Remove the tensioner. Take the gear off the cam. Loosen the cam bearing caps a lot so the valves are all closed. Rotate the cam 180 degrees to line the marks back up. Put everything back together with the cam marks lined up and... voila.

Do this only if you think you rotated the cam almost 180 degrees to get the marks lined up during your previous work.

__________________
1987 W201 190D

Jonl,

Your Statement:
"Rotate the crank one turn and one turn only back to exactly TDC.

I realize you typed "Forward",BUT it appeared as "back"
(That 9 year old in Latvia "Hacked Into" the Stream and altered your reply)

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

That damn kid got me again... Fixed his mistake. Thanks for the heads up!

__________________
1987 W201 190D

Hi gents,

OK - after turning the crankshaft forward one rotation, re-aligned the camshaft, buttoned it all up and - nothing. Now it cranks but won't fire. Checked for fuel at the head of the injectors, fuel present. Fuel lines to/from secondary filter full, no air. Kill switch on the IP is up and all vacuum lines properly connected.

I am thinking that even if the IP timing is still off, it should still combust - it did when it was WAY out and the 'pistons were being introduced to the valves'. Surely we should be getting combustion now.

Any insights??

Well, you decided to ignore my previous advice regarding obtaining the A-B lights and took advice regarding rotating the crankshaft 360 degrees.

You had no data to suggest that the IP/camshaft relationship was incorrect other than the fact that it ran roughly. This is certainly not confirming evidence of 360 degree error in the crank/IP timing.

So, now you have a vehicle that previously ran but didn't run well..........and you currently have a vehicle that doesn't run at all.

Which advice was correct?

If you used the starter to try and bump the chain free from the crank sprocket with the chain broken and laying halfway down in the front cover than you have no business attempting a timing chain r and r in the first place. You probably bent some valves when you cranked the motor without any timing chain connected to the cam. Not trying to sound like forcedinduction (just a good natured jibe) but seriously it sounds like you should have done alot more studying up or found someone with some experience to help you out on this one. I hope for your sake that you didn't damage anything seriously and it is just a matter of everything being out of time which it certainly is at this point.

__________________
1982 240D auto
1978 300CD auto
1985 300D auto
1983 300TD auto
1984 Porsche 944 5 speed
1973 Opel GT 1900 4 speed
1967 Chevy C30 350 Sm420
1973 Mustang Grande Convertible 302 C4
1981 VW Pickup 1.6D Turbo 5 speed
1983 Rabbit 1.6D Factory Turbo 5 speed
Plus parts vehicles...

The idea that the IP was about 180* out of alignment sounded logical and was easy to verify. Brian, I did not discard your advice, only tried the simple answer first. I guess the next step is to rent the AB light - I'll be doing that top of the week.

__________________
Josh
Ace Taxi
Bangor, ME

Cab 2: '87 300D
Cab 3: '92 300D
Cab 4: '90 300E 4Matic Wagon
Cab 6: '96 E300D
Cab 7: '87 300TD
Cab 8: '91 300E 4Matic Wagon
Cab 9: '98 E320 4Matic Wagon
Cab 10: '98 E300D
Cab 11: '98 E320 4Matic Wagon

'96 Suburban 6.5 Turbodiesel

The OP did have a reason to suggest the IP/camshaft relationship was incorrect, as he claimed to have rotated the cam 175 degrees independent of the crank while changing the chain. Nonetheless, my "advice" was phrased as a "thought," and not a diagnosis with any certainty. It also contained the following disclaimer:

Anyway, I've sent the OP a PM suggesting that he take a more methodical approach, starting with a compression check. Then checking to see if his IP timing is near correct or near 180 degrees out or somewhere in between the two.

__________________
1987 W201 190D

PS: If the advice to use the A-B lights failed to lead to a running car, would the poster who suggested doing a compression test first jump in here and say "See, I told you my advice was better...."?

__________________
1987 W201 190D

Ace, with the crankshaft and the cam on thier timing marks you should be able to see the timing tang on the ip with its access plug removed, the tang will be in center of the hole if you are in time. A mirror helps.

http://www.w124performance.com/images/OM603_injection/IP__RIV_tang.jpg

You can absolve yourself on here until your heart is content.

However, without any real data on IP timing, you took a running engine and turned it into a paperweight.

The A-B lights would tell you, in about two minutes, if you're close on timing or 180 degrees off.