from dieselgiant:

"There is a small screw below that, that some people will "turn up" to try and get more power. Don't do it unless you know exactly what you are doing. You will probably break the screw messing with it, and then your ALDA will not work at all."

Yikes
 

It looks like the ALDA is damaged.

This can cause issues:
* No boost.
* Over fueling.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/239597-alda-issue-threads.html


.

Have you remeasured your valves yet?

Finally did another valve adjustment. Didn't really help much. Heres a video. OM617 running - YouTube

I think it sounds a lot better! Hard to tell entirely with the straight pipe exhaust. And I really couldn't see the smoke. There's something not quite happy though with the engine. injector noise maybe, not sure really. Here's a video of the donor engine I currently have on an engine stand. 83 300TD warm - YouTube

Mine still misfires a lot and does still smoke. I feel like I may have fixed the problem a little bit, but not fully. Does anyone know how to check the IP timing? I was talking to my uncle who isnt a diesel mechanic, but is a mechanic, and he said in the old country, he remember the IP's causing a lot of problems on these diesels and to get it checked out.

There are a number of threads on IP timing, and also on the wiki here for it. Did you check the timing chain stretch? All the fuel filters? Any gunk or water in the fuel? I'd check all this before tinkering with the IP timing.

Earlier, I pulled the tank and cleaned it out, and changed all 3 fuel filters because the car sat so long.

So, David, how's it going?

Nothing good has happened. Still runs and starts exactly the same, clutch randomly stopped working, so it's parked now. I kind of lost interest in it. I'm thinking maybe save up and buy another engine from pull n save for like 150$ and stop waisting my time and being stressed out. Unless anyone has anymore suggestions, I don't know what to do.

Why not get the clutch fixed - cheer up - and give it some use?

If you're not going to take whunter's advice regarding the head gasket replacement or the ALDA and you're not going to do a leak down test then I think you may as well use it and see if something more obvious develops. Sometimes use helps. If you'd been sitting about for most of your life doing nothing and then were expected to just get up and drive about you'd be a bit crotchety too!

I would try a leak down test, but I'm only 16, and don't have the money or knowledge on how to do one. I've never pulled a head off. I don't know what to even do about the ALDA, or how to fix it. I would start using the car, but it's not registered and I didn't bother because of such hash vibration it has after the swap. It's a really annoying sound and shakes the whole car. What do you suggest doing about the Alda?

I've had a long while to think, and I'm pretty sure that my flywheel was not neutrally balanced what I mounted it to the crankshaft during the manual conversion, and now my bearings are going out. The car has horrible vibrations, and i think its starting to get a knock.

Hmm..
 

Hey David,

The flywheel's balance condition would certainly be a likely suspect for your vibration issues. But, are you sure the easy stuff like engine mounts aren't to blame? Sometimes it's easy to think the worst, focus on that, and then be blind to other things.

I can relate to the stress you're feeling as a result of this project. You put a ton of work into it, and now the dang thing just isn't right. Ah, well -- take a deep breath my man -- if this stuff were easy everybody would be running around in their manual 300d turbo! ;) Really, this is not a small project and you should get great props for the fact that the thing works at all.

Now you know that the devil can lie in the details. So take another deep breath. If the engine really is toast, go get another one, get the flywheel balanced (either take a chance on neutral balance - worked twice for me - or do the match balance thing with the old flex plate), and put it back together.

Try to remember you're doing this for fun. If it isn't fun, than leave it alone for a while until you forget the frustrating parts and are again feeling up to the challenge. It will mean an awful lot when you do get things going.

Hang in there and good luck.

-Dan

Those problems would not be seen so immediately...