1985 300SD White Smoke
 

Newbie here and my very first post.
I just inherited this 300SD and it smokes at idle and when you first get going. Once on the freeway, no smoke at all. Then when i get off the freeway and back on surface street for a while, white smoke comes back.
Dip stick does not look milky and no external leaks seen/detected.
Power is still strong and gets up to speed and cruises 80mph with no problems.
Help needed to get rid of James Bond like smoke screen.
Thanks in advance

Looks exactly like that.
Have you/anyone got the proceedure and any pics on how to adjust the Injection Timing.
Thanks

I'm having this same problem with my 1983 300SD (white smoke at idle). I will try checking the injection timing following the attached procedure above (Thank You Forced Induction). As I was reading it, however, I was left a bit confused. In step #8, it states to "Turn crankshaft in direction of rotation until fuel at overflow pipe takes the shape of droplets: one droplet per second." So, basically, just by turning the crankshaft, I will achieve this set-point of "one droplet per second"? I thought that in order to perform this adjustment, we needed to rotate the injection pump slightly until we achieved this set-point, while maintaining the crankshaft at 24 degrees (just short of TDC). Which method is accurate?

Thank You for your help.

Thank You for the clarification Forced Induction!

I've tried doing this procedure in the past and it seemed that no matter at what angle I would position the pump, the diesel coming out of the overflow pipe would always start at a constant stream and it would gradually slow down to a few droplets a second, then slow down to a droplet a second, then to a droplet every 2-4 seconds. And so, it seemed as if it didn't matter in what position the pump would be, it would have this same result, never achieving a constant rate of a droplet per second.

Was I doing something incorrect? Could there be something wrong with the pump (although it was just rebuilt)?

This is the way that works for Me; Drip Timing Summarized

Before you do any rotating of the Fuel Injection Pump scribe a mark a crossed the Pump Flange to the Engine so you can return the Fuel Injection Pump to the original spot if you run into a problem.

You are going to need a new Copper Crush Washer and if you have an older Fuel Injection Pump you may need an O-ring in addition to the Crush Washer. You will also need a Torque Wrench.

Disconnect the Vacuum Shutoff Hose and put the Throttle Lever in the Full Fuel Position; you may need to Wire it in position. If your Memory is not good put a Sign on the Steering Wheel so you don’t start the Engine with the Throttle Wired down in the Full Fuel Position.

The Engine needs to be rotated Clockwise as viewed from the Crankshaft Damper end of the Engine; the normal direction of rotation.
Rotate the Engine to 24 Degrees before top dead Center (OT is Top Dead Center on the Crank Damper).

If you are adjusting the timing on an Engine that has been running OK the timing is most likely just a little be retarded/late. What this means is that if the Fuel Injection Pump needs to be moved it is only going to be a tiny amount.

Rotating the Fuel Injection Pump a tiny bit is easier if the Fuel Injection Hard Lines are removed the Lines tend to push it back to where you started.

With Crank Shaft Damper lined up on 24 Degrees BTDC (on the compression stroke).
Remove the #1 Delivery Valve Holder and remove the Delivery Valve (small Valve in the center) and Spring (put them in a Zip Lock Bat or someplace clean)
Leave the Old Crush Washer alone and screw the Delivery Valve Holder back in place and Torque it ; after that install the Drip Tube in place on Number 1. When I did this I pointed the Drip Tube towards the Cylinder Head.

Pump on the Hand Primer and see what happens. If you are getting the proper amount of drips your timing is OK; remove the Delivery Valve Holder and the old Copper Crush washer and install the New Crush Washer and the Valve and Spring that you removed and the Delivery Valve Holder and torque it.

If you don’t get the correct number of drips the Fuel Injection Pump needs to be rotated.
Loosen all the Fuel Injection Pump Flange Nuts (up front) and the bottom Rear Support Bolt/Nut just nudge the Fuel Injection Pump a tiny bit in the direction you want it to go. Rotating the top of the Fuel Injection Pump towards the Cylinder Head advances the Timing.
Moving towards the Fender Well retards the timing.

Snug one of the Flange Nuts a little and pump on the Hand Primer and count the drips; If the IP moves while you are Pumping the Hand Primer, line it back up with your scribed mark and start again making sure you snug enough so the Pump will not move.

So basically you move the Fuel Injection Pump a tiny increment; stop; Pump the Hand primer and count the drips when the pressure is the highest. If it needs to be moved repeat the procedure.

When you have the number of drips you want stop and tighten down the Flange Nuts and the Rear Support Bolt/Nut.

Re-assemble the Delivery Valve with Spring and a new Copper Crush Washer and torque it properly.
Other Stuff; If you rotate the Pump a lot you will just blip right on past the “sweet spot”. If you don’t count the drips while you are keeping the Fuel Pressure up while pumping on the Hand Primer the number of drips you will get will vary; even if you keep the Pump in the same spot.

The underlined part of the sticker is the Drip Timng (Common Method)

Thank You for your reply Diesel9112.

I just have one more question (just want to get all the details straighten out): in the written procedure that Forced Induction posted above, it reads in step #7: "Open union screw (2) on fuel filter and fill fuel filter using hand feed pump to make fuel run out of overflow pipe." Is opening this union screw only to purge out any air in the system and once all air is purged out, I can close (re-tighten) it? or Should I leave it open during the entire drip timing test?