I just replaced the old rack damper bolt on my injection pump because the car was progressively getting more and more shaky, and there was almost no room for adjustment. Indeed, the spring in the old bolt has gone a bit soft, compared to the new bolt. Put the new bolt in, adjusted it just past the shakes, gave her a nice and long freeway run at 75-80, and then re-checked adjustment and tightened the locknut.

The inner part of the old damper bolt was all oily - is that typical? The reason I ask is because I don't really know the inner workings of the IP and do not know if and where it circulates oil. There was also a rubber o-ring type collar on the old damper bolt between the two threads, which I moved to the new bolt. When I moved my car after doing the damper bolt replacement and adjustment, I found some splatter of fresh oil on the pavement directly below the engine. It was kind of weird... could that have resulted from having that locknut and the rubber o-ring lose during the adjustment? or perhaps some oil came out when I pulled the old bolt out? I had engine running with locknut lose for a few minutes while I was doing the adjustment, too.

Perhaps someone could shine some light on this subject...

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84 300SD - bought in April '06 with 237,000 mi

The innerds of the ip are lubed by engine oil. Depending on your engine, it either has its own sump that is restricted to the ip only or, as is the case with the OM617, it gets crankcase oil pumped through it. Its normal.

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Seth

1984 300D 225K
1985 300D Donor body
1985 300D Turbo 165K. Totaled. Donor Engine. It runs!!!
1980 300SD 311K My New Baby.
1979 BMW 633csi 62K+++? Dead odo

OM617 - that's me. Very good, thanks - I just wanted to make sure.

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84 300SD - bought in April '06 with 237,000 mi