Tango - 'backing off' may have been a poor choice of words. I rotated the pin CCW to 'soften' the shifting...

300Downer - I like the shop vac idea - I could actually use a piece of my wife's old nylons to prevent it from entering the vac... I'll see if I can fit it up into the area.....

__________________
Mine: 1987 MB 420 SEL - 66K (Dec 2019)
Mine:1991 MB 350SDL - 244K (Aug 2011)- Totalled 9/14/2016
Mine:1981 MB 300SD - 326K mi (July 1997)-sold
Wife's: 2008 MB C300 Sport - 110Kmi (April 2009)

Nothing should be adjusted with regard to the modulator pressure without a gauge. It's the adjustment of last resort.

Hard shifting is corrected by increasing vacuum to the modulator or finding and curing the likely vacuum leaks to the EGR system.

If you've read any of the archives on the vacuum system, you'd understand that your approach is completely in error.

Brian - my approach was based on the following document. I purchased a rebuilt tranny from Sun Valley, and had it installed by a local indy. This came with the paperwork I received...

Is this completely wrong?

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Mine: 1987 MB 420 SEL - 66K (Dec 2019)
Mine:1991 MB 350SDL - 244K (Aug 2011)- Totalled 9/14/2016
Mine:1981 MB 300SD - 326K mi (July 1997)-sold
Wife's: 2008 MB C300 Sport - 110Kmi (April 2009)

Is it completely wrong? No.

Does it go to a place that shouldn't be adjusted until all efforts have been made with regard to the vacuum system? Yes.

If the vacuum system is not performing correctly, any adjustment to the modulator will be meaningless. Furthermore, you'll get yourself "lost" because the modulator has no defined position unless a pressure gauge is utilized.

The proper approach by Sun Valley should have been to set the modulator with a pressure gauge and then direct the owner/purchaser to adjust the vacuum to the modulator to correct any shift quality issues. But, Sun Valley doesn't want to address the vacuum adjustments because they probably don't know how to do it.

Thanks, Brian. Looks like I need to take a step back. I've got a small mityVac, so I will read the links and try to go through it from the beginning...

I'm still kinda new to some of the hands-on repairs and maintenance for this vehicle...

__________________
Mine: 1987 MB 420 SEL - 66K (Dec 2019)
Mine:1991 MB 350SDL - 244K (Aug 2011)- Totalled 9/14/2016
Mine:1981 MB 300SD - 326K mi (July 1997)-sold
Wife's: 2008 MB C300 Sport - 110Kmi (April 2009)

Note the very first sentence in the instructions. The one with the line underneath it.