Hello, this is my first post here. I'm a novice mechanic and I'm having an issue with the new 1980 300sd that I purchased a month ago.
I checked the timing by wrenching the crank clockwise until the two marks located on the backside of the cam chain sprocket lined up as perfect as I could get them. The number 1 exhaust cam lobe is pointing 90 degrees to the port side and the intake is around 50 degrees or so pointing toward the starboard side. Then looking down at the gauge by the crank pully I see that the pointer is at around the 17 degree mark to the left of the zero mark. The chain is tight. Any ideas as to why the gauge would be displaying 17 degrees off from zero? Thanks for any input.

Go around again and recheck. When cranking "clockwise" ensure that that is the direction you are turning when observing from the front of the engine looking to the rear.

BTW, you may want to have this posted in the Diesel subforum. You may get more responses. This one (Tech Help) is mainly for gassers.

Ok will do thanks