Well, it does not appear to be the WRD. I checked it with a hose and could not hear air being drawn in. To further test this, I covered it (the air intake - a small, mushroom filter with air slots mounted at the back of the valve) with saran wrap. The idle did not change. Since I have a set of thin wrenches, I tried to remove it, but it is greater than 21mm, my largest thin wrench. I would like to take it apart and clean it anyway.

I hope you have seen my other posts. I am concerned about the gas in the oil. Thank you again for your help.

__________________
Jim
1971 280SE
Connecticut - The Nutmeg State

I remember a "Thin Lizzy." Thanks for the wrench tip!

__________________
Jim
1971 280SE
Connecticut - The Nutmeg State

I thought I would tie up the loose ends of this thread given how I left it.

The poor idle, and degrading performance were due to my efforts to tune the ignition. First of all, the plugs I put in were a resistor type (Bosch) and began to foul almost immediately (FYI, the resistor plugs are what some parts suppliers list for these cars). Fortunately, I found prev threads on this subject and switched to non-resistor NGK (thanks Arthur) which I gapped slightly above spec to 0.035. I also installed a Pertronix Ignitor and coil.

The car started on the first try and I set the timing to the factory spec. To set the idle, I had to adjust the idle air screw on the intake manifold. This adjustment is now back to exactly where it was before I started fiddling with things. The car now runs well with the following exceptions:.

- still some smoke at start up.

- Although I changed the oil and filter, I still smell gas in the oil. Possibly residual? The car may be running rich, but I am no longer certain as to whether the fumes I am getting are the result of a rich mixture or crankcase seepage (fumes). I now know that the startup valve and WRD are OK. I'm thinking of testing/adjusting the idle w/ a vacuum gauge as per the manual. This should tell me if the fuel/air mixture is correct. Can it be done adequately w/o an exhaust emission analyzer?

I have learned a lot about the car from this tune-up. Most importantly, to search and CAREFULLY read prev threads before diving in. I apologize for the confusion, especially to Arthur, and thank you for all the help.

__________________
Jim
1971 280SE
Connecticut - The Nutmeg State