Could this be a distributor issue?
 

I changed out the water pump on my 560sl not too long ago, a few days later I changed out a leaking EHA and "O" rings. Now I have a rough idle that is diagnosed as a bad fuel distributor.

During the water pump surgery I had to loosen the distributor to get to a bolt and in doing so I pulled it about 1" up and loose but not all the way out. I don't think I disengaged it but I suppose that I could have.

I am wondering somehow if I pulled it too far out and got it a tooth off, would that account for the lousy idle? AT TDC, the rotor points at the marks on the dist cap and the timing light shows 20degrees at idle.

I've run Techron through in the hopes that it was merely dirt somehow, so I may have to bite the bullet and get a new Fuel Dist. but I am not ready to concede it's need yet.

Thanks.

J. Boggs

I don't know if this applies to your car but,
 

the fuel distributor in my car (86 300E) has a "O" ring at the bottom. It is possible taht when you re-installed the fuel distributor, the "O" ring was moved, allowing air to come in. Very suspicious, specially if you "pulled it up about 1" and you did not have the problem before.
Good luck!
:cool:

Clarification
 

Only moved the electrical distributor, not the fuel distributor.
On a 560sl, the instructions say to pull the elect. distributor in order to get at one of the water pump bolts. It's only necessary to loosen the elect. distributor, but it did come partially out. Just curious if it would even run at all a tooth off.

Thanks.

J. Boggs

Never mind!
 

:D ;)