One often overlooked item, that really causes hard starts or lots of cranking, as opposed to a no-start, is the check valve in the fuel pump outlet. This keeps some pressure in the system, and prevents it from draining back through the fuel pump to the tank. That way, the first time an injector fires on startup, there's fuel right away, rather than waiting for pressure to build up from nothing.
It's just a few bucks and could make a big difference in starting behavior.
As always, make sure all ignition components, and vacuum lines & gaskets are in good shape.
And with 83-84 cars, the AMM is always suspect- if you can find another good used one, try it out to see if the situation improves.
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 225K, 88 744GLE- 209K, 91 244 183K. Also responsible for the care and feeding of: 88 745GLE, 229K, 88 244GL, 146K, 87 244DL, 235K, 88 245DL, 236K