Today I changed my oil, tranny fluid and filter, and I still felt ambitious, so I started on removing my intake manifold to replace the glowplugs.

After seeing I am going to need to buy a socket-hex set, and sears was closed, I removed the valve cover to try to get a measurment of the timing chain stretch.

I assume I need to line up the mark on the chain sprocket and the mark on the cam tower. Here are two images with arrows, to make sure I will line up the correct things.




I tried cranking the engine to get it to the right spot but it didnt line up in about 20 tries, how do I crank the engine manually?

Where will I read the degrees? On the harmonic balancer?

Also, what is good to clean the intake manifold, there is about a 1/4" of greasy soot lining the crossover pipe, the downpipe and the intake itself.



Thanks

My intake was just as nasty. I ended up taking mine to a machine shop and they hot tanked it for several days. I then manufactured a block-off plate for the EGR to prevent this from happening in the future.

I just did mine and I used multiple applications of Gunk engine degreaser. I first packed it full of oil absorber (kitty litter) a couple of times which reduced the wettness then I scraped as much of the dryer material with a bent tip screwdriver/probe, and then did the chemicals. Mine had a combination of oill/tar/carbon!

I initially used a spray can of carb cleaner (someone here recommended) that did work some but I figured Iwould have need about 50 cans to get the job done. If ever need to do this again I will try some of the old fashion carb cleaner that you used to be able to buy in a big coffee type can that you could soak the whole carb in. I would fabricate an end cap/s and fill the crossover or manifold with the solvent and let it soak for a day or two.

I needed to wire brush the inside to get to the metal where I could. I had a 1" dia. boiler tube wire brush I chucked in a drill and just kept at it. I probably didn't need to get it that shiny inside really, but it became a challenge I couldn't resist!!!

turbodiesel,

I use the nut on the power steering pump pulley to roll the engine over when I am adjusting valves, and I think it works with pretty good control. I use a socket (it is a pretty big one and I don't remember the size right now) and you mentioned you are without a socket set.... so this may not be a big help. Good luck though, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Jim

I have (4) nuts on my power steering pump pulley, so I don't think this will work.

I do have regular sockets, I need 5 and 6MM hex key sockets to take off the intake maifold, I cant get in there with hex keys.

If your going to pull an all nighter! You can cut a piece off the hex key and use it in the socket!

You can pick up an extra one and cut the short leg off and have a long reach hex key socket.

I think its a 27 MM on th harmonic balancer same as the injector, probably got to remove the fan and shroud though.

P. S. How about a pry bar between those 4 PS pulley bolt heads, square or rectangular aluminum would work, maybe a nice peice of oak, but you could use steel if your careful, maybe put a deep socket on one bolt head and hold it in place with your rachet catch the end of the prybar on or under another bolthead. Looks like using the starter to kick it over could bring you pretty close, just stop short and lever it the last bit. Good Luck!

Yes, it's a 27mm bolt for the crank, and that's what you should turn by hand. And yes you are lining up the correct marks. You read off the scale on the balancer. However, the indicator (pointer) is adjustable over a 3 degree range, hopefully a previous mechanic didn't mess that up. Mine was 4 degrees stretched, I checked it several times and got within 1/2 degree each time. The "real" way is with a dial gauge to measure intake valve lift but the eyeball method is close enough.

The only way to deep clean the manifold is to have it hot-tanked at a machine shop. You can clean the crossover pipe by hand but you can't get inside the main manifold very well. It won't improve performance, so I wouldn't sweat it. While it's off you might want to replace the vacuum shutoff on the injection pump (otherwise this is nearly a 2 hour job), and perhaps remove the can on the ALDA and tweak it a turn CCW if your car is slow off the line. Oh, and replace the little rubber bumpers for all the injection line brackets, and get new plastic clips too! They get nice and hard after 15 years.



HTH,

__________________
Dave
Boise, ID
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