I'm changing the transmission fluid today. I need to rotate the engine so that the drain plug on the transmission torque converter faces downward. Question; what size socket is needed to place on the front of the engine to rotate it? Also, do I rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise? Thank you for your input!

27mm.
Rotate crankshaft clockwise as viewed from the front of the engine looking rearward.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

Thank you!

As long as your belts are tight, I find it easier to rotate the power steering pulley.

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1985 300 TD 448K
1984 300 TD 278K

1983 240D euro 240k
1994 f-250 idi turbo 330K
1986 f-350 IDI
1987 F-350 IDI

1985 JD 1050 4wd
1965 IH 3660

My W123's all use a 5MM Allen bit, I find it easiest to use a 3/8" drive one with a 3" extension .

Good on you for doing the job properly .

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-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

300D"T"? Stand behind that car and look at the trunk. Is there a T behind that D??
Report back with your findings.....

Yes, it is a 300DT turbo diesel four door sedan....

Look again. You have an '84 300D. People add the T because hey, turbos are cool. But the fact that it's an 84 makes it a turbo diesel, and the rogue T is just to make it supposedly sound cooler.
Come on, be a pro....

all I know is when i go to purchase parts, the parts guy always wants to know if it is a four door sedan or a wagon.....

Is this at the dealer or your "F.L.A.P.S." ? .

Many of the people behind the counter know far less than you do ~ I often have to teach them how to properly look up parts and most OnLine catalogs won't let you look up anything until you've given them the two or four door info....

Yesterday afternoon it was pouring rain in So. Cali. so of course I was ridoing my my big brother's 1987 W126 300SDL and the driver's side wiper blade was falling apart .

We went to O'Reilly's , I went directly to the wiper blades and the electronic catalog, he went to the counter and asked the very nice guy behind the counter for help .

Well over an hour later we left, no new blades , they'd tried fitting refills to his old blades and installing whatever 21" replacements Trico said worked, no joy .

When he gets into one of his moods I know not to intervene nor offer help .

He said the last time he replaced a wiper blade it flew off on the freeway as soon as he left so now he lets the untrained counter guy touch his car because if the wiper blade flies off he can go back with his receipt and they'll replace it .

This makes no sense to me, I choose and install the blades I think are correct and have never yet had any problems .

His car has the common "Shepherd's Crook" end on the wiper arms, after waiting a few hours I began looking at the hundreds of discarded wiper lades and not surprisingly found a very good used one that was 20" long but would have at least provided vision .

He declined to even look at it nor let me install it and drove off into the dark with almost zero vision .

Good luck with your parts searching, whatever it is out there and someone will help you find it .

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-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

If the car has any crazy vibrations or shimmy, it could be a 300DT for delirium tremens.

Phil Forrest

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1972 220D "Trudy," named by a friend.

"The 220D sounds good... I suspect it is the only car that you need a calendar for, rather than a stopwatch, when doing acceleration tests."
Tom Abrahamsson

Being that you have to be under the car it’s best to have a good set of car ramps on this job , utilizing the crank as your turning point since you have to visually watch for the drain plug as you turn the motor , on this occasion if you are doing it by yourself it’s best to use the crank bolt to turn things. I like to have my catch can ready , then just go at the drain plug , let it drain , then rebolt the plug . Tackle the pan and filter after , the key part of this service is make sure your gasket is seated properly on the pan before wrenching it on the transmission . The 6 bolts To put the pan back on it’s important you don’t over torque . You can damage the pan and it’s seating by over tightening these bolts . So much so that you will need a new one . Use a smaller watchet , then snug each bolt only , then start with one half revolution on each bolt in a followed sequence of pattern .I own 5 cars , 2 of them as daily’s , once a year they get the service ,keeps the fleet well in check .

The compression on the motor will align the drain if you bump the starter a few times…

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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!

I usually use a 22 mm wrench on the power steering pulley. I pop out the washer tank to swing the wrench further. Have a set of long ones from Harbor Freight. The crank bolt is trickier since in deep and need exactly the right configuration of extensions to reach without bumping into the radiator shroud.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I just installed new Rain-X wiper blades on the 300D. THEY WORK VERY WELL. These may be the best wiper blades yet.....