BigMikeT57,

I sure hope things come out fine for you as I cannot believe teaching my daughter and two sons to drive manual transmission equipped cars was so potentially dangerous to the engine. All along I thought the real danger was to the clutch! Each of them has done some really spectacularly difficult things to repeat at stop signs on hills. They always just restarted the cars and had no problems (with the engines, that is), and I cannot believe that was just luck. What you did by hand cannot even approach what they did (of course I was a quick learner and did nothing to stress out my Dad when he taught me....) in terms of generating potential to pop the chain or jump a tooth. Good luck, Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)