Sixto:

I don't understand the connection between removing the cam and measuring the head bolts. Seems that I would need to measure the head bolts either way.

I have ordered a long bit for the head, but it hasn't arrived yet. My neighbor has a short bit, so if the long bit doesn't arrive tomorrow and I want to take the head off, I guess I'll have to use the short bit and take off the cam. I am uncomfortable with this since I haven't done it before and am concerned about getting the timing correct. It would have been nice not to have to worry about the cam too.

When I was setting the engine to TDC, I used my AB light and noticed it was firing at about 10 degrees. I had set it to 14, but had let a mechanic time it because it was hammering a little. I didn't know what he had set it to until now. before bringing it in, I measured the chain stretch at 1 degree, so I'm not getting why it hammered at 14 but not at 10. It will be interesting to see the timing marks when I take the head off tomorrow.

There didn't seem to be any short cuts on removing the heater manifold so I removed the three heater hoses and the manifold came out easily.

I also removed the temp sensor in the head and removed the two bolts on the fuel filter. The fuel filter still really can't be moved out of the way with the two lines connected to the IP and the fuel pump.

Do you guys remove those lines or just try to snake the head out from under the loose fuel filter?

I still need to remove the temp housing from the radiator and then the cam/timing chain guides, etc. Getting tired of taking this thing apart. I really want to know what is going on though.

I take the fuel filter and support bracket off. Typically, I'll remove the banjo bolts at the furtherest end from the filter housing and tie wrap them to the hose while the filter assy is sitting on the bench waiting to be re-installed. Make sure you use new crush rings.

You measure the head bolts against a standard once they are out and if they are too long then you can't reuse them.

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Jim

The bolts are almost always re-useable unless they have been R&R'd multiple times, and/or overtightened. The spec is in the FSM.

Re-timing the camshaft is not a big deal, you line up the marks and it should be ok. Just don't remove the cam unless the marks are lined up, otherwise you won't have a reference point for re-installation, and if you move the crank at all, the IP can get out of time, resulting in lots of wasted time. Follow the FSM procedure for cam removal so you don't snap the cam in half. If you RTFM, and do exactly what it says, you should be fine. After everything is put back together, turn the crank BY HAND for two full revolutions and double-check the cam timing against the balancer TDC pointer, make sure it still lines up. Then check IP timing. Repeat as necessary until you are 110% certain everything is in synch. THEN you can try to fire it up.

If you have the camshaft timing wrong, you'll find out quickly as the engine will bind up when you try to turn it by hand. Don't ask how I know.

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You can remove the head without removing the cam; however, that leaves bolts stuck between the head and cam towers. You can't properly measure a bolt that's stuck in the head. So if you have to remove the cam at some point to measure the bolts, why not remove the cam while the head is attached to the block?

How does the A-B light help you set the engine to TDC? The RIV setting is closer to 14* ATDC. As a matter of terminology, RIV is an arbitrary value which has nothing to do with when the inector fires. The injector fires at about 24* BTDC. Chalk this up to the engineering prowess that brought us captive head bolts and soft connecting rods.

You can probably snake the head away from the fuel filter unit IF you remove the cam. Far too risky to slide the head in any direction with valves open.

Sixto
87 300D

ah... the ol captive bolt trick. ok. I understand.

I use the AB light to make sure I am on the right rotation and then go around twice more to TDC to get there. Maybe an easier way, but I know I've got it right when I do that.

I think I might have bungee-corded the fuel filter ass'y out of the way with the Tecalan pipes still attached. Been a long time since I messed with an OM60x cylinder head though. Ah, the good ol' days, with nice simple engines... sigh...

C'mon, man, learn to read cam lobes

Sixto
87 300D

Sixto - just bought a book on lobe reading from Amazon, but it talks about ear lobes and fortune telling. Hopefully, it can help me figure out the future of this car! :-)

ok, got the cam and the round cans that the lobes push on off the car.

Taking a breag and then will go after the chain guide and the head itself. My neighbor had a #8 and a #12 bit, but not a #10. Of course mine didn't show up today, so I have to run out and buy one.

I've gotten stuck. I've got the upper chain guide pin out, but don't see a lower pin to get out.

I'll see if I can find some posted pics or maybe some better definition in the manual.

5" southeast of the upper pin. If there's a belt idler held to the head by 3 bolts, it's under the idler bracket.

It's flush with the head, not exposed like the upper pin which is also the belt tensioner spring perch pivot.

Sixto
87 300D

Thanks again Sixto. Got it out. I'm now on my way to buy a #10 bit for the head.

By the way, I didn't note in the chain guide which way I took it out. One of the holes is round and the other is oblong. Do you remember which one goes up and which one goes down?

ok. I figured out which way the guide is supposed to go back. I've taken off the head and was looking at the head gasket. There is some rust around some of the holes and I see some rust through in places. I think that is where the water was going. Doesn't look bad so far from what I can see. I wiped off the gasket so I could take some good pics and will post them. I don't see any reason for squirting oil though. Maybe it's the head itself and I haven't looked at that yet.

Don't forget to examine the cylinder bores carefully on the cylinder that was squirting oil.

ok. I will. I had planned to look for any ovalling anyway. Can you think of where the oil would even be squirting from? That's what has me thinking. At this point, I am thinking it is the head, but will post the gasket pics.