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Old 11-07-2003, 04:00 PM
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Steve Gutman Steve Gutman is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Chicago, IL
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Amateur advice follows:

Which ones, the upper guides or lower guides? I think the lower guides can be accessed by removing the front cover. I will check this weekend on the CD. This is not a $3000 job, either way. If a guide broke it would be very lucky for the engine to survive for any time at all without it catching in the chain, derailing it. Then you need a $6000 engine rebuild.

The guides should be changed when you change the chain. The guides are the problem. Chains don’t break. They stretch and slap the guides, breaking them off the pins. Then they derail the chain, send the engine out of time and destroy the pistons and valves.

If a mechanic has a problem and breaks something they simply tell you it was old, brittle, rusted or whatever and you have to pay for it. This is normal. Regarding knowledge of a broken guide, if it made it through falling to the bottom of the cover, I believe it would make a terrible noise at start up (Chain slapping the case as the tensioner builds hydraulic pressure).

You might want to get the car towed out of there. He could file a mechanic’s lien and hold your car hostage, even if you didn’t want him to do the work. I might call my attorney. Warning to all, if a mechanic doesn’t seem to know what he is doing or unwilling to seek advice; run like crazy because you will be responsible for the charges.
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Steve
1985 Mercedes 500SL Euro (Gray market)
1995 BMW 520i Euro (Gray market)
1992 BMW 525it Wagon
1994 Honda Del Sol Si
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