Engine info in title. Took the IP off to clean and paint it when doing my engine rebuild, and put a new timing chain and timing chain tensioner in as well. The engine ran poorly after replacing the timing chain but before removing the IP, so I knew it needed to be re-timed anyways. I tried moving it back and forth a tooth for an hour and gave up. Then I found a thread on here showing timing marks on the Injection Pump itself. 2 different ones. The OM606 had a mark to the left and the splined gear had to be 3 teeth off counter clockwise. The other picture was an OM617 and the mark was in the middle and he lined up the flat spot of the splined gear of the IP with the chisel mark in the IP. So this is what I tried for my OM617. I rotated the IP gear till it was 3 teeth off CCW, and let go, and the gear moved itself over to where the flat spot lined up with the chisel mark. I didn't get a picture, and my IP mark was MUCH different than this picture here, but it was a defined mark nonetheless, and I put the IP back in the block with the chisel marks lined up, and the drip timer finally dripped at 1 drip per second.



Okay, urgent question here. I'd like to get this verified by tomorrow evening so I can get this sucker fired up!! I tried setting the IP timing to 26 BTDC. Does this look like 26 degrees and does this look like the correct set up for timing? I've heard a lot better things about 26 versus 24 degrees, minus cold weather starts. I'm hoping to get rid of all my white smoke this way. Just want to make sure I'm not at 27 or 28 or something. I can easily rotate it over more and redo the IP timing. I haven't put the new IP gasket on yet as I want to only put it on once, and I can't put the oil filter housing back on till the IP is back on for good.

If you move your head around your screen, you can get rid of the glare on the 1st picture and see the numbers perfectly.

Firstly I think you need to check that you are using the correct crankshaft position for your engine. According to chapter 7-110 in the FSM for the TURBO OM617 you should be at 24 BTDC +/- 1 degree.

(Small print => this data comes from the W123 FSM but I think that it's the same for the W126 turbo OM617)

If you want to set it at 26 degrees however the pointer position in the picture looks more or less good to me.

I think you might be disappointed though if you want to now remove the IP again to fit the gasket... it is a pretty fussy adjustment to make - I guess you'll need nerves of steel to get it back exactly where you've had it before. Good luck.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

When you remove the Fuel Injection Pump to put on the Gasket.

Either Glue the Gasket to the Block or to the Fuel I jection Pump so you can rotate the Fuel Injection Pump without tearing up the Gasket.

If the Gasket has round holes and you decide to mount it on the fuel Injection Pump besure to take a sharp knife and cut the Gasket Holes to match the Kidney Slots in the Fuel Injection Pump Flange.

When I removed my Fuel Injection Pump I bought a new gasket but decided it was too thin and fragile. I used the new Gasket as a Template and cut another Gasket from thicker Gasket Material.

It the pic. Where you applied the Chisel left a raise portion of metal on each side. When the Fuel Injection Pump is removed take a Fine File and flatten out the Bumps. So the Pump will mount flat later if you decide to rotat it.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Okay, thanks for the advice. I'll file that done. Funny thing is, I ran it without a gasket and had no leaks.

The reason for setting it to 26 degrees is because everyone on here says they love it. Better power and fuel economy. Overall, a snappier motor. I'm fine with 24 to 26, but I've also heard that the new timing chain will stretch a bit in the first few miles, so I'm compensating for that at the same time, as well.

And don't worry, both cam lobes are facing up.

I tried the more advanced timing and the below was my experience.
Result of me advancing the timing to 28 degrees
My Results timing advanced to 28 degrees 617.952 - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

The info in the pics concerns the mis matched Timing Marks on the Bering Caps. It has only int 1982 (yours is an 83 so you should not have that issue unless the Fuel Injection pump was exchanged for one from 82 that matches the production code).

The other issue is that the Bearing Timing Mark in your picture, you sure that is the original Timing Mark. Is there no marks to the left of it and more to the center of the Bearing Cap>

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I have 1 drop per second from the drip timer tube, so it has to be right. There's about a hair's amount of adjustability between full flow-one drip-no flow. And I'll check the IP code. Looks original, though.

Pulled the IP back off and applied the new gasket without any problems. You just have to be very precise when inserting the IP into the block. I found that it was easier to leave the coupling collar on the splined shaft in the block. It made it much easier to just insert the IP into that collar. My timing mark in the IP was pointing at the top left screw. There were 4 screws, at each corner. Drip timing showed 1 drop each second, so it must be right. Here's a crappy pic, and a vid of it running at 26 degrees BTDC. Stuttered a little at first, but seemed to run great once it warmed up. Let me know if you can tell my ear if it sounds out of timing.



OM617 Run after head rebuild and injection pump timing to 26 BTDC - YouTube

Q:

1) I've got a new IP gasket, but also think it's a bad idea to put this delicate OE version in because, well, the whole damned point of taking the IP out was to stop that oil-leak. Any reason I couldn't use a much thicker (maybe 1/32") viton rubber gasket material to replace the paper version? I'm thinking I'd use no sealer, or maybe a coat of grease.

2) I also took out the OF housing, so I need a replacement gasket for that. Anyone got a p/n handy? Are these dependably good, or are there versions to watch out for? The original was very heavy - I think aluminum skinned with green rubber - and it wasn't leaking a drop...no irony desired after my epic battle to get this thing back together, lo these many moons.

3) On taking the IP out, I set engine timing to 24 deg. BTDC and tried to install one of those spring-loaded IP locking pins, and... I don't get it. It seems a silly waste, because there doesn't seem to be any place for the pin to drop in to, in order to truly lock the IP, and anyway the IP cam is spring-loaded such that it really WANTS to stay put right where it needs to be...right? So did I just waste my money on that do-dad? I found with the pin installed, it would never seat, and I could still turn the IP drive, never finding a point where the pin sprung down to lock it, as I'd pictured.

4) Which of the OF lines to cooler is the out/in? I'm not worried about mixing them up, but considering installing a toilet-paper bypass filter off of a tap from the "out" line. (Seems like those things take SO much soot out of the oil that they have to be worth the hassle.)

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