Hi everybody!

I am planning to have a DIY oil change tomorrow, and since im at it, I plan to have the valves adjusted as well. I dont think the car badly needs the adjustment but hey, with these cars, a little more precise adjustment will help!

My questions are:

1. Do I adjust it before or after the oil change? Ive read that changing oil might loosen up some engine crud and that loss of compression can occur... I wonder what the adjustments could bring.

2. What 'clearance' setting should I use? I mean, the ambient temperature at the garage is probably at 30 degrees Celsius... Should I use the 'cold' or 'hot' clearance as I intend to do the adjustments after letting the engine cool down?

Car is '76 123 200D (driven rather hard, too...)

Thank you all very much!

-DON

For adjusting valves it's best to let it sit overnight and set the clearance cold.

Don,

An oil change has absolutely nothing to do with a valve adjustment.

Get .003, .005, .013 and .015 inch feeler gages and use them for go/nogo gages. .003 and .005 for intake and .013 and .015 for exhaust.

Hot and cold do not mean ambient temperature, they mean hot is running temperature and cold after engine has cooled to ambient temperature.

Don't expect miracules from a valve adjust. If engine starts easily when cold, probably none of the valves leak. The adjustment will prevent any of the valves from leaking in the future.

P E H

Thanks guys!

Sorry for the late reply... this week was rather full of disasters for me.

Last wednesday, we were towing the 126 560SEL and the towing bar broke loose! In the process, the 'underbelly' of the frontbumper where the towing hook of the benz was located was cut (its fiberglass, right?) and we lost the cover... then my internet service provider wont log me in... then the aux fan of one other car overheated, burning the fanblade axle in the process... then I lost my cellphone and some money through sheer carelessness... then I got a terrrible sore throat (scary, but confirmed that it wasn't SARS)... and then the microwave exploded quite literally..! Whew! When it rains, it reeeaaallyyy pours for me!

But then... the oil change and valve job was a success! I'll take A LOT of consolation with that!

Thanks a lot!

-DON