Help, Where do I measure the clearance for the valves? From the passenger side of the motor between the cam lobe and the rocker thing it works against or from the drivers side between the top of the valve adjuster and where ever it is touching. THANKS MUCH

Please help. I'm poised here with wrenches trying to beat the rain :-)

Position the camshaft so that the tip of the (bulging) cam is directly opposite relative to the rocker arm. Or if I kinda understand you right in your jargon, driver's side.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
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97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

As you are looking in from the drivers side you can see the cam lobes. You want to measure between the cam the rocker to get your dimension.

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Jim

Thank you all. Cam/Rocker. Not such a bad job after all. All valves but one were tight but the chain at least checked at 0 stretch whch is good. Messy but satisfying job. Thanks Again

OK, all adjusted (I hope). Had a set of the crooked wrenches and the thing to hold the top of the spring but didn't need it. The car runs about the same which is actually good since it runs well anyway. An interesting piece of luck, my 7/8ths wrench on the power steering pump bolt was enough to turn the engine for the adjustment. Maybe the belt is too tight? regardless, it's a lot easier this way for an old goat who doesn't want to have to jump up and down turning the motor. Not having to remove the fan probably saved me an hour or more too. 7 hours, start to finish with a second trip through the adjustment procedure to be sure. Essentially what I did was point the lobe at the metal bar that goes across the cam shaft mounting assemblies, seems to have worked OK. My car's a pretty ugly lump but I've been surprised that from a mechanical point of view whoever owned it before took care of the maintenance. Flushed the brakes and the fluid wasn't really all that bad looking. I need to give a lot of credit to www.pindelski.com (thomasapin here I think). The site, the procedures are so clear even a moron like me can tackle a "big" job and not screw it up. Thank you, and thank you group.

Ditto on the kudos to Thomaspin. That site is golden! I did mine a few weeks ago and what a smooth difference....

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John

1995 E320 - 115kmi+ Smoke Silver/Cream (Wife's Wagon)
1989 260E - 195kmi+ Black/Grey (My Panther)
1984 300D - 242kmi+ Black/Palomino (Retired)

rmmagow, 7 hrs?! You are suppose to adjust the valves, not make love to them! You are certainly methodical. Only kidding, hope it runs like a top. Next time don't use the wrench on the steering pump, it you break something, mucho $$$!

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)