I did a valve adjustment on Sunday night (35°F) because it needed to be done and because we were expecting to have temperatures between 0°-20°F for the next week.

I did the valve adjustment with no issues other than really cold fingers. All the clearances were too tight without exception. The car has started up first time each morning without much hesitation and runs pretty well in the cold. However, I was curious and I decided to look in the FSM to see if there were any special procedures for valve adjustments in cold weather.

Sure enough.
[http://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/outside/12265/disc_2/program/Engine/617/05-210.pdf]

[Ref: -20°C ~ 32°F]

Shoot, I guess I should have looked at that before I did it. Has anyone followed this advice? Has it helped any?

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

I did mine about a month ago during a brief spell of 40* weather. Adjusted all a c-hair over the normal hot engine spec (all were ~0.05 mm tight) and found just 1 glow cycle (waiting for the solenoid click) will start the car (85 300D) smartly even in the 8* overnight temps.

also found the nuts that secure the power antenna to the body double as glowplug harness nut when I dropped 2 onto the mulch under the car

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1991 300D

0°C=32°F. 0°C is precisely the freezing point of water.

-20°C=-4°F.

Might be worth the trouble to adjust to the looser spec if it's going to stay that cold. Doubtful that it will in Metro DC.

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'79 240D

Too cold to adjust anything....just sit by the fire and relax...

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Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

I would assume that the spec is different to accommodate shrinkage of the metal at such extreme temps and not an actual modification of how much the valve opens.

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Good advice for all !!

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

I concur.
same reason the hot spec is tighter...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Except for one thing: the hot spec is not tighter.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

In theory, adjusting the valves at 2*C, using the spec for 20*C, is going to provide excess clearance to begin with.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

Oh, interesting. I Googled it and read that apparently in the heating process, the block and head etc. expand enough to pull the valves away from the piston a bit.

Looking at martruero's link, the spec does appear to be for driving in temps > -20 Celsius, not for adjusting in -20 Celsius.

In reference to the original question, I wouldn't worry about it since the car is starting like a champ .

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

It's a viscous cycle-that's why I haven't fixed my heater core yet. "Eh I'll just wear a hat & gloves on my way to work"

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$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

I haven't adjusted mine in about 20k and it still starts and runs fine at these temps. Fired up at 4F this morning no problem....25 second glow and about 2-3 seconds of cranking.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

OOPS... I meant looser... bigger gap, .35vs.30mm exhaust... no idea why I said tighter... arrgh...

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

If I am reading your quoted FSM correctly, it's recommending a LOOSER spec for continuous operation below -20C... not an adjustment method AT a lower temp... HMM. so, all you wacky humans living in fridgid temps may want to set to the HOT spec, when the motor is cold, if the vehicle will be operating in sustained temps below -20C (which as noted in previous posts, is -4F or 455.67 degree Rankine not ~32F...)

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

off topic a bit, but not technically "PRECISELY" the freezing point of water

to be PRECISE with the freezing point, it takes pressure, and heat content/direction of heat flow... but, yeah. 32 is what F equates to freezing... of tap or lake water... pure water is another story...
read this little story about it... wild

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!