2 hours maybe 3. If you have difficulty getting any exactly on spec. set it looser never tighter

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

2 hours maybe 3. If you have difficulty getting any exactly on spec. set it looser never tighter.

Good luck!!!

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Grom ;

Set it up the night before and have a new rockerbox gasket on hand, they're cheap, any FLAPS can order it in and have it the same day .

Don't sweat it, or get nervous .

You can turn the engine by the power steering pulley, (? 24MM open end?) just DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE BACKWARDSif you turn it too far .

It's simpler / easier to begin in the front and go down the line the first time, 1, 2, 3, 4,5 .

Once you understand the job and are comfortable you can do the short cut thing, I don't because the 'phone might ring and distract me...

Plan for a half day , save the beers for when it's finished .

There's a thin black wire that likes to get trapped behind the rear most part of the rocker box and cause serious oil leaking .

Take the cover off and clean it well, set aside to dry, unpack and unfold the new gasket , lay it out flat to regain it's full proper shape as you're working .

Putting the cover back on requires a bit of tricky handling, you'll prolly knock the rubber gasket loose the first time, no worries, remove the cover, re position the gasket and try again until you get it ~ force is not necessary .

Once you have the rocker box sitting on the engine again wriggle it to see if it wobbles , if it does, even a tiny bit either somethings trapped under the rubber gasket or it slipped again dammit ~ don't let this rattle you .

Once it's sitting perfectly flat on the engine you may install the 8MM wave washers (never, EVER use a split washer on alloy) and the four 8X1.25MM nuts, they're 13MM ATF and you're wise to use a socket on them, have a magnet handy as they and the washers are easy to drop and you don't want to re assemble it sans washers .

New nuts and washers are available in any hardware store if not your FLAPS, also scattered across the ground of every junkyard .

I always keep spare cleaned and ready to go hardware handy .

You don't need to disconnect the small fuel return hoses ~ you should wriggle them and if any crack, leak , weep or fall off, consider your self lucky and replace them all at the same time ~ you'll need more than one meter (3') of the correct hose .

Underneath the throttle linkage on the side of the rocker box is a slot you're supposed to push the hose down into so it doesn't rub on the linkage and begin to leak as you're driving in your new suit .

Spend some time looking at you tube videos, anyone who tries to make this look difficult is trying to get you to pay to have it done .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I prefer doing them 1-5 also while turning the engine by hand or with a remote starter.

To add to Nate's advice...Make a diagram on a full sheet of paper, put it in full view while working with each of the 12 valves identified from front to rear as intake or exhaust and its clearance next to every valve on the diagram. It sounds overkill but if you are just beginning it decreases the chance of an error. Last step, before the cover make sure the lock nuts are tight but don't let the top nut move while checking the bottom locknut. Sounds confusing but it will click when you do it.

Good luck!!!

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Thanks all for the killer replies! Really amazing stuff, I feel confident enough to do a valve adjustment soon.

In other news, replaced the thermostat tonight. It went well, but the car is still running cool (staying below 50c).
I tested both thermostats in hot water on the stove, and the old one was opening too soon, so I'm glad I replaced it.

Any ideas? Perhaps my coolant probe is also in need of replacement. The gauge on the cluster does move, so it seems to be ok.

Use an infrared thermometer pointed at the thermostat and compare it to the gauge reading. Clean and tighten the connection at the sensor.

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Keep at it Grom .

Remember to leave the heater on full hot (NOT the AC !) when filling the radiator .

I bought the cheaper infra red thermometer from Harbor Freight, it works fine, remember to change the batteries as they're crap .

Once you have this handy and easy to use tool you'll begin measuring the temperature of every thing, like th seats on a hot day, the dash board air vents, on and on....

Remember too : THERE ARE NO 'STUPID' QUESTIONS ! .

No one here was born with wrenches in their hands .

You tube -can- be your friend but look at more than one video as many are crap and a few are deliberately wrong and harmful .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Hi all,

I'm back with more data after purchasing a cheap IR thermometer from Home Depot.

After some errands all afternoon, then 15 minutes of highway driving, the back of the thermostat housing is reading between 160 and 170f (71-76c)

So, it's better, but not quite there. Is it possible that my aux fan is cooling too much? My A/C does not work (haven't started to diagnose it) but I did notice that my dryer/receiver is plugged into itself. Not sure if that would cause the fan to be on too much.

What if I pulled the fuse for the electric fan and went for a drive? I wouldn't want to overheat anything if that's a bad idea.

Thanks again! Grom

EDIT: I did clean the temp sensor by the way. There was a lot of junk on it, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

It shouldn't run all the time .

Do not run the engine without the stock fan .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Unless it is VERY cold where you live e.g., 20F it should reach full temp. I still suspect the thermostat even though it's new. Since you now have the IR thermometer you could pull the stat immerse in hot water and verify the opening temp.

No I don't think the aux fan is the issue and yes you can unplug it, just monitor the temp gauge. Turn the heater on if it gets too hot.

Good work on the diagnostics, keep at it!

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Ok I took it for a short drive with the electric fan relay removed. It did get warmer. Enough that the coolant expansion tank started overflowing. It was at the fill line before, so that was a suprise.

The gauge did get higher, but still nowhere near 80c. I also shot my IR thermometer afterwards to be sure and it stayed cool.

So, I am going to let it cool overnight, remove some coolant, then try again tomorrow...

Also, I did check this t-stat with a cooking thermometer before I installed it. It was opening at the correct temp, the old one was opening much too early.

Anything I'm missing?

Don't drain any coolant out just go drive it at speed and it will seek the level it wants .

Due to corrosion and other restrictions in the cooling system and water jacket, each vehicle often has a slightly different normal level .


Run it and see how it goes, look for leaks and keep a weather eye on the coolant, if it changes color in 2,000 miles, the system isn't clean yet .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Vwnate I took your suggestion and didn't take any coolant out. I simply took it for a 20 minute highway drive.

My new normal temp is now 60c. That is what the gauge is reading, and my IR thermometer agrees. Again, this is better than it was, but still cool.

This is a bit of a stab in the dark, but my Aviation experience is wondering, is the mixture too rich perhaps? I'm out of ideas.

What is the new thermostat brand and temp rating?

When using the IR do the dash gauge and the thermostat housing readings match?

A properly operating thermostat controls the minimum operating temp. I'm still skeptical of the thermostat. Through the years and it's a lot of them, I've seen new defective thermostats. I know you tested it in hot water but that doesn't replicate coolant flow/pressure from the water pump which may be pushing it open too early???

About the mixture too rich, I don't think so in this design. Aviation..I buy tickets and hope the captain has a clue. Not my area of expertise by any stretch.

Good luck!!!

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

The new t-stat is a Mahle Behr 80c (part# 617-200-18-15-M322)

The IR and dash gauge are confirming each other, yes.
For what it's worth, I did ground the dash gauge and it pegged as it should.