Originally Posted by pmi

I screwed around with the drip and "welling up" methods of timing the IP for weeks before I subscribed to Pindelski's site and then bought the Mercedes Benz "factory Timing Tool" #W 601 589 05 21 00 - bargain of the century, IMHO. Presto, perfect timing, with timing chain stretch factored in. Best running 617 I have ever had (of 3). This is not a paid political announcement, just a description of what finally did the trick for me. I thought I could just pull the IP straight out, replace the bad gasket and then slide it back in - but no joy until I reset it to the correct datum using the MB tool - I love the unambiguous way it snaps into the pump's detent. When I reinstalled the IP it ran perfectly - no smoke. I tweaked the idle with a new rack damper bolt and she's good to go. Now if I can get the chassis sorted out...