Turbine Doc
Just Another Diesel Guy
What year vehicle? The 96+ with dual thermostats are ALOT tougher to turn vs the pre 96 with the singe t-stat housing. The later dual t-stat housing makes it alot tougher. If you can fabricate your own wrench with a torch giving it a radius and a 1/2 offset , then I'd say your more than capable of doing this job easily. The only tough part of the entire job is getting that bottom bolt loosened.
If your already stuck with the thought of bending your own wrench to imitate a specialty wrench to reach the lowest bolt on the IP, then have the dealer do it! Clean it real good, and make a good scribeline so you can make sure, and it will help the guy too. Make that engine spotless, make mechanic happy!
Also, is this an area where if you went into TIMESET and read the actual timing in car-code to find base timing would help determine how much movement required? What numbers do you have there?
When in TimeSet the stepper motor isn't changing timing via PCM command. Its actual base timing. Once time-set is over, the PCM resumes control of the timing via the stepper motor, and the timing readings between the two should be completely different.
See what a little under hood time will get ya, that was a pretty lucid response, somebody been schooling you