Jim:

Rack bolt goes in, not out for smoothing idle -- adjust it as hot as you can (problem is worst then) and in gear (with parking brake set) -- loosen the 14 mm lock nut and turn the 12 mm bolt in until the idle smooths out -- rev engine a time or two and make sure it's still smooth. Don't screw in too far, or you will have cold start diffuculty.

Severe problem at idle can only be fixed by replacing the spring, and it is on the front end of the rack -- requires pump dissasembly and re-calibration. I wouldn't do that unless there was something else wrong with the pump.

The five will never be as smooth as a six or four due to the "odd" crank spacing. Shouldn't rattle your teeth, though...!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

psfred - around these parts - adjusting something "out" means adjusting it until you make it right - whether you turn it in or out does not matter . I do understand to turn the damper "in" to get the vibration "out" though . I had read it in a previous post. The vibration may be as good as it gets because it is not that bad, the car starts good cold and runs great. I understand the inherent difficulties of balancing something with 5 cylinders. Anyway, it will give me something to tinker with while I am waiting to get the 240 parts back from the machine shop.
thanks

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Jim

Thanks to all for help...I did pick up those seals and put them in yesterday (the injection valve seals on the IP)...did exactly as spec. and no change. I will play around with the idle rack damper (I do have the new brass one).

I also put in a new air cleaner bracket as the previous one had been broken, welded, broken, welded and broken! I expect that with the rough idle, the new bracked will be broken soon . This is one of the very very few engineering snafus on this car...too bad the air cleaner housing wasnt mounted to the body (as on many cars).

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1984 300TD Wagon, 407,800 mi (current daily driver)
1985 300DT Sedan, 330,000 mi (gone to that great autobahn in the sky)