You can damage the ALDA by forcing the adjustment screw. Shimming the ALDA retains some function and provides plausible deniability that you messed with the engine since the adjustment screw remains sealed

The response should be gradual. MB wouldn't have sold many Diesels to the target demographic if power came on in a surge like with an old Mitsubishi turbo (ever drive a Starion?). There's lots of discussion on ALDA influence but the response is basically somewhere between no boost signal to the ALDA and no ALDA As a point of reference, my fully ALDA'd 87 300D hits 5 psi at about 2000 rpm and 12+ psi at 2500 rpm. That's the range of my boost gauge... and a whole other story. The gist of it is I don't feel the proverbial hand of God and I'm not leaving Civics behind until the ALDA sees 5 psi.

Sixto
87 300D