thanks i think i'll do that since i got everything else off of this puppy already.

well i put the adjustment rod and belt on to see if my problem was just the old belt had streatched, and much to my dismay not that the tensioner was moving it required me to back it all the way out (turn the tensioner nut clockwise) to get the belt almost tight.
so now i proved to myself that i needed something other that the rod to get the travel, the guy at the benz place said i needed a new tensioner to get the adjustment (is this right that i need a new tensioner to get the adjustment necessary to tighten the belt, the one i have looks good, i mean the rubber isn't deformed and bulging like my friend said it would look if it was shot). i'm scratching my head but, i'm like ok whatever it takes to get the belt tight.... i don't know what else it could be.
so now i'm goig to order the tensioner, rod (my new one got bent somehow when i was test fitting it), and shock and hope this takes care of everything.
if not i'm gonna be angry because of the agrivation and the fact that i'm no further along in getting it working