tsch - b4 you hit the trans make sure the car is travelling at least 30mph owise you will lose momemtum- ie unless it is a loong hill you may only get one shot ...

you dont post your location so am assuming you are in a cold climate :)

156 K? unless has been totally neglected should be just broken in nicely. would take to another shop .............
William Rogers........

William Rogers is absolutely right. Nearly unheard of for an MB diesel to be toast with that low mileage, unless just horribly abused (like never changing oil, letting it run without oil, etc.) The bottom ends of MB diesel AND gas engines are tough!

Have it towed for $50 to someone who understands MB diesels.

Sounds like low mileage for seriious engine failure. My youngest 300TD only has 264,000 miles and shows no sign of engine wear. My 81 300SD has 328,000 miles and runs even better.
How about ebay for an engine or a low-cost car which will yield an engine plus lots of parts.? An engine swap isn't that expensive
If my mechanic ever broke anything on any of my cars, I'd put out a contract on him. If he “tightened down” ther valve adjustment without proper gauges and tools, there would be serious consequences for that idiot.
Seriously, this guy sounds like a loser. Find a good free-lance or independent MB tech. I've found three in my area, but only use the best.

Unless you were using vast quantities of oil (more than a quart in 500 miles), the bottom end is fine.

I suspect the valves are shot from inadequate clearance -- you can probably save the old girl with a valve job, much less expensive that a complete rebuild.

You won't get it started if it doesn't have compression, towed or not.

I don't belive a compression test without a good starter, most diesels won't show decent compression unless they are cranking pretty fast -- at hand crank speed my Volvo (23:1 compression ratio) is easy to turn, never really gets tight!

If you do want to try to tow start it (don't push it, too easy to bash the rear end in) you need a quiet road, a decently long chain, and some speed. Tow up to 20-30 mph, then drop into Low. You need to run the glowplugs first, too. Should crank, and ti will start if it's in decent shape. If it doesn't, wait a bit to try again so you don't overheat the tranny.

A rebuilt starter may cure the whole problem, too!

Peter

Yes, if you had a weak starter on the car, that is probably why it wouldn't start. If it doesn't turn the engine fast enough, there won't be enough compression and you'll have starting problems regardless of the age/condition of the engine. I'd try a new starter before doing anything else!

Mike