I'm having a difficult time getting the car to start. Here is what it is doing.

• After 2-3 long GP glows I attempt a crank.
• The engine does not fire for a long time. It just has a galloping cadence that gets quicker and quicker.
• After about 3 20-30second cranks it fires up and belts out smoke(slightly dark at first but mostly white)
• Once it warms up it drives fine and cranks easier if it's still warm.

I do not think it's the glow plugs. They test OK out with resistance and I'm getting voltage to the relay. The relay lasts for 30 seconds or so when I engage the pre-glow. Also, one is new from last week and another was tested recently.

After reading the forum a bit I'm leaning toward a valve adjustment. The odd thing is that it was turning over much better before I had some air in the lines on a cold day. Since the air in the lines, I've had this issue on starting. Is it normal for valves to go out of spec all of a sudden or could it be another issue? I adjusted the valves in the spring of 2011 and it was the first time I have ever done it. I'm not confident I did it perfectly then so that's why I lean toward the valves.

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"Gerwalt" 1984 - 300TD