Hesitation, splutter...

[oscar]

There's a wide shot then a close up below with the marker location circled.  I had to dig the pin out from under a heap of encrusted gunk so that's why it's a bit hard to see, but the shiny tip is visible.  Ordinarily it would resemble the pointy end of a 4 inch building nail sticking out of the front cover of the engine by up to 1 inch.




Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[koan]

Thanks oscar, I knew you'd be able to come up with a pic. I looked through many of the jobs in the library that do work at the front of the engine but couldn't see the pointer - but maybe I'll see it next time now I know where it is

koan

[vlv8vic]

Oscar - just what i was after.  I can though, without feeling too stupid tell you that i don't have a little knob like yours.  I don't have one at all (maybe I'm less of a man...).
It appears not to even have the slightly well-painted black plate the knob is attached to, instead just a coupe of bolts. I've given the area a bit of a clean and still nada.
First time using imageshack so hope the pic works.


http://img155.imageshack.us/i/img0400t.jpg/
http://img155.imageshack.us/i/img0400t.jpg/
Preview says they don't work so hopefully the link does.

[oscar]

Knobless, surely not.    Comparing mine and your photo, yours is taken directly above where as mine is taken from a more forward position.  Notice my angle doesn't reveal the fan in the shroud, also the view is on the other side of the top radiator hose compared to yours which is viewed from behind the radiator hose.  I'm hoping you can't see yours yet due to this angle difference and a bolt is obscuring the view.  I've turned your pic around and added an obligatory circle.  If your pin is there it should be basically below that bolt.

Also, went for a dig in the Haynes manual just in case there's a variation but there's no mention of engines not having a marker.  There is a good close up photo of the marker too which I've included, 2nd photo. The previously mentioned bolt is just visible above the marker.  If for some reason yours has fallen out or been pulled out, you can see that it would be possible to put something in the hole it's supposed to be in.

[vlv8vic]

i shall be searching for a hole i suspect. I've had a good look down there as per your photos (despite the difference in angle) and also a good, blind feel and there is no pin.  At least i know where it should be and can set the timing with a little more precision than before. I think i was aiming about 10 degrees to the right of the correct position.  Any wonder i have crap timing.
Still reckon it'll only be a small contribution to the problem, going to do the old plugs, leads, filters thing in a few weeks.

Thanks for the next pic, looks a little more like my setup.

[vlv8vic]

Update.

My order came through last week and I've been doing a bit of work here and there. Have the new power window switches in but they seem to operate upside-down (where up is down and down is up!). Might be the American translation. I imagine it's just a matter of switching out the wires.
On that note, what should I lube the power windows with? Both the mech and the velvety channels need something to speed things up a bit.

Ordered the wrong ball joints, needed upper, got lower. Looks like i have to buy the uppers attached to the control arm. I'm ok with that - one less thing to pop-push-break!  I'll need another order anyway as I'm finding more rubbers that need attention in the front end the more i poke around.

On the running issues, i still have things to check, but with new leads, new rotor and cap, new pump, flow test, new plugs and correct timing (despite the missing timing pin!) i still have the cold splutter under acceleration. I'll nail it eventually!

It's nice to see little things improved, just getting the little red clips for the outside door trim excites me. The car might not run a million bucks yet but it's starting to look it!

[vlv8vic]

Well too often we read these problems and assume the original poster has solved the issue and moved on, so for the sake of the search function here's an update.

I removed the WUR and it was full of oil.  Probably because of blow-through or blow-by in the intake.  Backfiring intake may have caused this pitching in vacuum and allowed oil through the (incorrectly connected) vac lines to the WUR.

Gave it a good clean out and re installed.  I read about punching the pin in so gave that a shot, as it happens i solved the cold start sputter (the engine was running way too lean) but created an eye-watering richness once the engine was running which if revved would cause a stall.
Pulled the WUR out, punched the pin back out and over the course of a few days tapped it in ever so slightly until the happy-medium was met between intake backfire on a cold start and mega-richness once running.
I didn't have any sort of pressure gauge nor multimeter but i reckon the job would be easier with both tools.

What i have now is a near perfect startup and a car which is idling as smooth as silk.  The RPM is still up a little at idle but is much better than before.  The EGR is not connected and so some vac lines obviously aren't doing what they are supposed to do which i assume could be the reason for higher RPM.

Hope this helps someone else somewhere in the future!

[koan]

Good news, pleased you could get there without a pressure gauge.

koan

[hans moleman]

I feel like a fool asking but what part of the WUR are you adjusting to change control pressure? I have had them apart and do not recall seeing a "pin", my 450 sel nearly has a coronary if I ask it to start in the cold.

[vlv8vic]

hans this site was helpful when working things out, hope it's ok to link out http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w126-s-se-sec-sel-sd/1372083-warm-up-regulator-wur-calibration.html
It is a fairly unsuspecting looking 'pin' which at first doesn't look like something that could be adjusted.

[hans moleman]

Very helpful thread, thanks Japes! Looks like the "pin" is the pedestal for the bimetalic strip and adjusting it in the housing changes the initial resting point before the strip starts to bend. I don't know how anybody could dislike k-jet, its so Rube goldbergian but at the same time brilliant! Start adjusting a modern fuel managament system with a hammer and drift today and you had better have a large donation ready for the dealership .

[vlv8vic]

hahaha Hans, I love it. Glad someone else achieved something from this thread too.  Not sure how it came to be called a pin either... maybe it was the simplified name which stuck at some point.

[plmstr92]

I think its all part of the fun of owning the car.Going through the trauma(lol) of diagnosing a Troublesome K jet car!.It teaches you about your car, its an education as well.
Its the best way to get to know your car i think, love it and then hate it..youll always go back for more! 

Happy motoring !

[hans moleman]

I connected the CIS pressure gauge between the WUR and the top of the fuel distributor and discovered mine was running a little bit rich otherwise it was working well. After firmly establishing an operating temp I lightly tapped the top of the "disc" increasing control pressure from 2.9 bar to 3.2, job done!