Hello and thanks for looking.
I am in the middle of checking my IP timing and have accurately determined the timing to be between 22.4 degrees. I know the spec is for it to be 24 +- 1 degree, but is the extra .6 going to make a difference? I have the car apart in the nearly freezing cold rain checking this in preparation for a trip for me and my family to see the grandparents and am driving from Meridian, MS to Melbourne, FL. The reason I decided to check the timing is that I have changed the chain, injectors, diesel purged, valves adjusted, rack pin, - everything this board has suggested and can't quite get it to run as smoothly as I know it should. It also smokes just a little, like it's running rich. It doesn't burn a drop of oil nor loose any coolant.
Basically what I am asking is if advancing the timing 1.6 degrees will make a difference.
Thanks so much for making owning and wrenching on a Mercedes so much fun. Without this forum and the great members on it, I woud have no idea of what to do.
Adam

It will make a difference, it's best to have it at the correct timing, but it will run and run reliably at that setting, just not optimum power and may smoke a little and possibly be harder to start.

Gilly

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Thanks so much, Gilly!
I guess I need to push it towards the engine to advance it, right?
I will go outside in a moment and make the proper adjustments to make it 24 degrees on-the-dot.
Thanks,
Adam

It is already advanced. You need to pull it to the fender to retard it. if you have the IP timing drip tool, that is the only reliable way to correct it.

It's injecting too late in the cycle and not burning colpletely, hense the smoke, lower power, and rough running.

I believe tipping it towards the engine is correct. What hinders the movement alot are the fuel pipes coming off the top of the pump, it may be better to unscrew these to make the adjustment, then do the "dirty work" of reattaching the lines, rather than fighting all the lines at once.

Gilly

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I believe 82 300td may be correct, i think this is time AFTER TDC not before, like you tend to think if you think of gasser ignition timing. So it would go away from the engine (it would actually be injecting earlier than optimum at 22.4 atdc, if it should be 24 atdc).
I believe in 82 is when they started putting the screw hole in the pump for attaching the RIV tester, this was much easier in my opinion, and has a much better accuracy rate than running a drip test. I've done them both and feel like a much better adjustment is achieved using the RIV tester.

Gilly

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I rotated the IP toward the engine which advanced the timing from 22.4 to 24 degrees BTDC. The fuel could not be put in ATDC because then it wouldn't do what it's supposed to do - compress - and the unburnt fuel would get blown out during the exhaust stroke.
I was amazed that rotating it only about 2mm was enough to correct the timing and make a verifiable difference in how it runs. The engine now runs smoother at hot idle, and the engine doesn't shake the car any more with it's in gear and stopped (low idle). Thanks to the both of you who provided tips.
When I get back from the trip I'll let you know how it affected fuel mileage. Right now it runs on 100% biodiesel, but I'll have to run normal diesel on the way, so the mileage will improve anyway, but we'll see how much.
Thanks again,
Adam

I just checked the manual...

toward engine = advance

the 24 BTDC ( plus or minus) is for Start of delivery...

How did you set this? ... by the drip method ? If so , what method did you use to pressurize the fuel ...(the amount of pressure makes a difference in the ' one drip per second' determination.... )

I have heard people say pumping the hand primer... and some say place fuel in a container above the car.....to try to get a repeatable pressure....

Leathermang,
I set the timing using the low pressure drip method and pumping the hand primer as it says in the manual like a mad-man. The timing was consistantly 22.4 each of the 5 times I checked it. The pump was at it's original factory setting indicated by what looked to be a chisel indent at the corner of the pump and the asing it sits in. I used this mark as a reference and nudged the pump over with the 4 other lines in place. I didn't neeed to use the special wrench as it says in the manual, I simply used a 13mm universal socket on an 18 inch 3/8 extension to get the one that looked initially impossible to get. That worked out pretty well.
I have a foreign repair shop in my town that has a bunch of scrapped Mercedes and I have gotten lots of parts from them including some injector lines that I cut down to make a drip tube that worked out well. I was even thinking of buying a bunch, cutting them down, and trying to sell them on EBay for 13.00 each, shipping included.
I now have an extra set of injectors that I bought from the same shop as well and I have them sitting in 100% biodiesel to see if that will clean them. If not, I will buy the gallon can with screen of carb cleaner as Larry Bible suggested and strip them down. I was considering getting the pressure tester for them, I saw it referenced here for 150. One of the members here was thinking about buying it to make some bucks, but I think he decided not to and I can't wait to mess with them. I wonder where I could get a set of shims for the injectors?
Take care,
Adam