1985 300D with 365k miles, bought 6 months ago. 22 city/24mpg highway (@75mph) 0-60 18.5 +/- seconds (oversized tires)

I have done the diesel purge, gutted veggie crap, adjusted valves, changed filters, 5 new glow plugs, an oil change, bypassed vacuum leaks and transmission fluid drain and filter change.

After doing a significant amount of reading and searching, I decided that the last real engine maintenance item that I needed to do was time the injection pump. I was wanting to get rid of the poor idle and shaking at occurs under 1000rpms, as well as see if I could improve my miles per gallon.

After reading, it looked like the bubble method of timing would be the best course of action. I took unhooked and removed the spring and delivery valve, hooked up my air tube and started to blow.

The bubbles stopped and I checked where the mark was, to my surprise it lined up right to the empty void. Not looping hope I did another rotation, this time the bubbles stopped just to the right of the dimple/crater/depression.

Neither one was ANYWHERE close to a set of timing marks!!!

I pressed on and tried to just set the engine to 27 btdc and call it a day. Couldn't get all the nuts loose, lost the wrench in the garage 2 times, searched and research the internet then admitted defeat and had to start looking for a ride to work.

Started the job at 10am and kept at it till 4pm. Surely it can't be this insane.

I'm at work at the moment, but I'll try to snag some pictures after I get back to the house.

Any help would be a major plus!

P.S.

I don't have any way to get a drip tube, no PnP yards around here that have older Mercedes.