My Official OM617 Toyota Pickup Repower Thread

[Stretch]

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Milk floats look a bit like this in the UK



(And they used to deliver sacks of coal on similar flat beds too)

[Cadin]

Ahhh! Thank you for the enlightenment! (I was totally lost on the milk thing, I even text searched the thread!)

[Stretch]

1000 apologies

[Cadin]

(No worries, I'm just happy to get the joke! After checking them out, they are quite similar!)

[OM617YOTA]

Thanks for the comments!

Stretch-

I'll bust out the dial indicator and check. I'm OK with shops making money - I'm a sales rep after all and like to put a few sheckels in my pocket too. I'm also OK with a customer going somewhere else when the product I offer doesn't make sense for them.

Once I have the engine timed right, the truck needs to be redneckified a bit. Gun rack, naked lady silhouette on the mud flaps, camo something or other. Maybe an exhaust stack. Any ideas? Before it gets mentioned, I am hereby vetoing truck nuts.

[OM617YOTA]

Just checked cam timing using the marks on the cam and the crank, didn't have time to bust out the dial indicator. Got the cam lined up dead on...........and the crank was at 5 deg ATDC.

Deep breath. Think I need to step away from this one for a bit. If anything, this much crap being wrong with the engine and the fact that it still runs at all is AMAZING. Think I fell for the rumors of these Mercedes engines being nearly maintenance free, just keep ticking forever. And to some extent that's true, they will take an amazing amount of abuse and neglect and keep going. But learning just how much it takes to undo all that abuse and neglect and put things back into good shape is disheartening. I guess I should be happy that an offset key is only $20.

Off to put together a Pelican Parts order.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

Just checked cam timing using the marks on the cam and the crank, didn't have time to bust out the dial indicator. Got the cam lined up dead on...........and the crank was at 5 deg ATDC.

Deep breath. Think I need to step away from this one for a bit. If anything, this much crap being wrong with the engine and the fact that it still runs at all is AMAZING. Think I fell for the rumors of these Mercedes engines being nearly maintenance free, just keep ticking forever. And to some extent that's true, they will take an amazing amount of abuse and neglect and keep going. But learning just how much it takes to undo all that abuse and neglect and put things back into good shape is disheartening. I guess I should be happy that an offset key is only $20.

Off to put together a Pelican Parts order.

My advice is

1) Don't order until you've checked properly
2) Don't order until you've checked for an offset key that has already been fitted

[OM617YOTA]

Thank you, Stretch!

I had definitely planned on checking properly before ordering. I did not even consider that there might already be a stepped key in place!

Thank you!

[OM617YOTA]

Got the cam timing checked. As far as I can tell............I'm actually pretty good?

Pics are dial indicator on #1 intake valve at .078"(2mm), and crank at what looks to be around 12 degrees. Spec for this engine and cam is 11 deg at 2mm lift, 12 is pretty darned close to that, I think I'm good there.

Kept rotating engine, next pic is of cam timing marks lined up, and then the balancer showing only a degree or so off.

This looks to be in spec to me, how do you experts read it?

My plan is to hit up a junk yard tomorrow, find an injector pipe and make a drip timer. Then I'll check + reset injection timing. Before I did the intermediate shaft bushing, the throttle response was RIGHT NOW, very very crisp. Better than most gas motors I've driven. After replacing the intermediate shaft bushing(and probably not getting the injection pump timed right upon re-assembly), that crisp throttle response went away. I'm hoping to get some of that back.

If I see anything MBZ diesel related in the Salem area junk yards that looks good, I'll report back.

Last picture is of the inside of the hump over the timing chain of the valve cover. It looks like this engine, or at least the engine that this valve cover was on, had timing chain issues at one point. If so, that could explain the relatively decent timing for a 280k mile engine, although I didn't pull the cam sprocket and check for a stepped key.

Thanks all.

Edit: Those pics of the balancer look off, when I was viewing it on the engine from the right angle, it was as I report above. I should have centered the camera lens better, it's on one side of my phone instead of in the middle. D'oh!

[Stretch]

11 or 12 degrees for most OM617a engines is expected after about 20,000 km so it sounds like you are good. However, if you already had an offset key fitted and it had stretched / elongated this far again then you could be in trouble. As whunter says these timing chains don't last forever.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/general-information/163604-timing-chains-dont-last-forever.html

Now look - I'm not trying to scare - I'm not trying to be difficult - I just don't want to read that the effing thing snapped on you after you've done so much work. I think it is worthwhile checking for an existing offset key - just in case. It is probably a waste of your time but then at least you'll know. And then you can plan when (in the distant future?) you want to change the timing chain (and the guides).

[OM617YOTA]

Thank you, that is good advice for sure. I know you're not being difficult, just trying to save me significant headaches down the road.

I'll pull the cam bolt and check the key.

Thank you!

[funola]

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

Thank you, that is good advice for sure. I know you're not being difficult, just trying to save me significant headaches down the road.

I'll pull the cam bolt and check the key.

Thank you!

Please post pics when you do that!

[OM617YOTA]

Originally Posted by funola

Please post pics when you do that!

Will do. Hoping I can see the key or at least the slot in the cam and the slot in the camshaft and see how aligned they are, without actually removing the cam sprocket.

The following link doesn't give any clues.

Inspection and adjustment of camshaft timing

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by OM617YOTA

Will do. Hoping I can see the key or at least the slot in the cam and the slot in the camshaft and see how aligned they are, without actually removing the cam sprocket.

The following link doesn't give any clues.

Inspection and adjustment of camshaft timing

You do not need to remove the sprocket. If you look in the FSM it says to wedge something in the holes in the sprocket to stop it from turning (all very dodgy). Remove the bolt and you will see if it is fitted or not.

[OM617YOTA]

Good day so far today.

Junk yard run was successful. Scored a chunk of delivery pipe and made a drip timing tool, also got a backup light switch and got my reverse light working, and a part for a buddy's Jeep.

Pulled the cam bolt off and checked the woodruff key - no step. 280k on this engine, very little stretch, no stepped timing key, this timing chain has been done before.

I yanked the spring and delivery valve for number 1 cyl, hooked up my drip timer, wired throttle wide open, my vacuum is supplied by an electric pump which was not on so I felt no need to disconnect my vacuum line, and got the engine set to 25 deg BTDC w/ cyl #1 cam lobes pointed up as verified through oil filler cap hole. As soon as I started pumping my primer pump, the primer pump sprayed fuel everywhere. It's shot, I'm stuck until I get a replacement primer pump. Going to call some auto parts stores and hope I get lucky, but even if this was a common part, it's a quarter past six on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. I'll be amazed if anyone's open and has it for less than an arm and a leg.

Edit:

10 calls and got either no answer or people who went "wha???" and I could hear their eyes glaze over over the phone. Even called the MBZ dealership, parts dept is only open M-F.

So, Monday it is.