cam and transmission questions
 

hello everyone, got room for another 190 newby ?:)
i just sold my 83 300d turbodeisel and took an 85 190e in trade (i hope i didn't mess up).
anyway, the little 190 has some issues that i need to deal with and i'm not real familiar with this model so i'm hoping somebody here can please answer a few questions for me.

1985 190e 2.3 automatic 185k, minimal service since 100k.

first, there is a fair amount of valve noise. i pulled the vc and ran the motor while bearing down on individual rockers trying to feel slack in the followers. didn't find any slack but got oil every frickin' where:eek: . the lobes looked kinda iffy (worn/scratched) so i'm going to replace the cam and all the followers.
my valve question has to do with the shims under the followers. can i reuse the existing shims and how do i determine what thickness of shim to use ?

my other question concerns the transmission. when shifting to d or r at idle (800 rpm) the trans slams into gear quite violently. i've determined that the drivers side motor mount is collapsed but i still feel that the trans might have a pressure issue. could a bad/misadjusted or inoperative modulator cause this ?

oh, and one more thing. how much backlash is considered excessive for these rear ends ?
thanks for any help y'all might be able to give me :)

Might be better to post different problems separatly.

Yes you can use the lifter shims over.

If the idle speed is adjusted too hign then the trans can engage too quickly. Also there is a plactic check ball in the front pump that can allow(if broken) reverse to engage too fast even if the idle speed is correct.

Thanks for the quick reply doc :) Sorry about the multple questions, I'm just anxious to get this little guy fixed so i can drive it :)
I know you're probably a real busy guy (I know my vw shop keeps me hopping) so I'll confine this post to the transmission problem.
The harsh engagement happens in drive or reverse. On the road the trans operates normally but at idle (800 rpm according to the dash tach), selecting either drive or reverse produces a severe jerk in the drivetrain. Could this be control pressure related ?
Thanks

Have you checked the driveshaft for sloppiness?