A friend of mine has a 190D that needs a head gasket. He does not have the $1300 to repair it, so I am going to help him.

I have read a few items on here, and have done heads on gassers, and my 7.3 IDI. What do I need to know here.

Specifically how not to loose the timing when pulling the cam and the head. Anything else that I should look for that this car may be known for?

thanks
Doug

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

Can't speak specifically for the 2.5L engine, but, if similar to the 617 and 603 diesels, you need to keep upward tension on the camshaft sprocket and chain to prevent the chain from falling off the crankshaft sprocket. This is best done with a bungee cord and suspending it from an overhead beam. At the point where you lift the head, you'll need to let the bungee go.........to get the head over the top of the chain. So, before you let it go, you shove some welding wire through the chain, right at the top of the block, so the chain cannot fall, and then you remove the bungee cord and the sprocket and gently lay the chain on top of the welding wire.

Installation is the reverse of removal. Suspend the chain sprocket with the bungee cord prior to removing the welding wire from the top of the block. Naturally, this is done with the head sitting about 1" above the block surface, just prior to lowering it down into it's final position.

is the cam gear pinned to the cam shaft to provide proper alignment? does it come apart fairly easy?

thanks. Any more help is appreciated.

Doug

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

It has a very close slip fit to the camshaft. The torque is transmitted via a Woodruff key. Be careful not to lose the key down the abyss.

The cam will want to run rearward when you remove the sprocket. Better to block the cam and prevent it from doing so. There is a thrust washer behind the sprocket that will want to head right down the abyss if the cam moves rearward.

Make absolutely sure you mark the chain and the sprocket with a white paint mark to give you the position of the chain and the sprocket when you reassemble.