1983 240D camshaft broken :cry: - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #16 01-06-2007, 04:13 AM

i am pretty sure i have a good head and cam.

so does it look as if the front part of the cam has turned and the rear stood still? it looks as if either part of that cam lobe is missing or it has turned in relationship to the rear part of the cam.

sorry you are having trouble.

tom w

SUNRG · #17 01-06-2007, 09:41 AM

my 240D has a great engine - but there's significant rust damage in numerous places. it's all repairable - but it'd take a good bit of my money, work and time.

if you decide NOT to rebuild again, i would like to talk with you about the possibility of buying your 240D's body. my uncle works at a shop near WPalm, i could have yours towed there and drive mine down from VA, do the engine swap. unless you know of a shop where i could do this work in your area.

anyhow - we can talk more about logistics if you decide you're interested in going this route. if you are interested and could email me a pic or two that'd be great - rob at sustainablepower dot net.

cheers!

pmari · #18 01-06-2007, 10:01 AM

Well + shipping....
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brx/pts/257214451.html

larry perkins · #19 01-06-2007, 01:27 PM

once you got your rebuilt engine started how long did it run until you got oil pressure?
larry perkins

Johnt49 · #20 01-06-2007, 04:01 PM

You might want to try turning the engine with a wrench at the harmonic balancer bolt. It should turn CW when viewed from the front. If it won't turn, try turning it CCW a few degrees. If it does turn, then go CW again. If it stops in the same spot you've probably got something hitting in the combustion chamber...time to pull the head. If it won't turn either way, I'd start looking at the bottom end.
I bought a 240D years ago with a broken timing chain which caused the cam to break in 2 places. Other than replacing the cam, 2 bent exh valves & cam followers the rest of the engine was fine. Don't give up yet, it might not be as bad as it seems.

junqueyardjim · #21 04-05-2010, 12:15 PM

I bought this car from Nathan just before Christmas and I was going to use "Spring Break" to work on it and get it running. It is really a beautiful 240D and Nathan surely did a fine job on and in everything he did to that car. But just one little mistake just about ruined all he did. For I believe the cam shaft broke because he failed to put in those three small head bolts at the front of the engine. He did replace the small head bolt that goes outside the cam cover. But the two that go in the recess under the cam sprocket and the one just back of the sprocket he failed to replace. And this is my assumption, that in revving the engine up, lifted the front of that head just enough to change the alignment of the front to center cam tower, thereby fracturing the camshaft right behind the center tower and right through lobe six.

Now here is the second problem. I didn't try to turn the engine by hand as Nathan said it was locked up. So I removed the head and seeing that there was no damage internally in the engine, the question was, why wouldn't it turn over. But now with the head off, it would turn over, at least we turned it until we ran out of chain. And we did that a number of times, trying to find out why Nathan said the engine was locked up tight, and we couldn't find it.

Well this morning as I was getting ready to install the head, I put a length of mechanics wire on each end. I had been holding them with two pieces of clothes hanger wire. As I pulled on the end that goes around the IP, suddenly I heard a slight "snap" and I had about a one foot piece of chain in my hand. Now Nathan states in one post that he did crank the engine once after it quit running (and it cranked, briefly), and when he tried it the second time, it was locked up. The link that broke seems to look like it has streached also. Maybe not but it has that appearance. Well, now I will see if I can find a piece of that chain down by the IP. I know I am missing a "link pin", and maybe I can hook on to the remainder of the chain so that I can pull it out and replace it. Maybe I will have to be very lucky

junqueyardjim · #22 04-05-2010, 02:01 PM

Now looking down into the engine past the sprocket that turns the IP and vacuum pump, I saw a couple of bits of scrap iron. It came from or was the large washer in the vacuum pump that the springs rests on. I hope I can find enough to make up all the steel in that washer. Right now it looks like I will be a little short.

JEBalles · #23 04-05-2010, 02:49 PM

Why was the engine rebuilt at only 260,000?

Alastair · #24 04-05-2010, 03:03 PM

So, was it the vac. pump that Caused the chain failure?

Have you pulled the vac-pump to check if its got its washers intact...?

leathermang · #25 04-05-2010, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junqueyardjim

he failed to put in those three small head bolts at the front of the engine. He did replace the small head bolt that goes outside the cam cover. But the two that go in the recess under the cam sprocket and the one just back of the sprocket he failed to replace.

I just mentioned yesterday in another thread how easy those are to miss...

junqueyardjim · #26 04-05-2010, 07:04 PM

Balles asked why it was overhauled at 250,000. From the previous owner, writing here on the Forum, he thought oil pressure was to low which I think they blamed on camshaft bearings. But you know how it goes and grows. You get into it and then this leads to that. Too much wear on the ring lands was noted, so that called for new pistons, and that leads to new this and that and more and soon you have replaced most every thing. Nathan wanted the car to be very nicely done.

Now Alister asks, what went first, the chain or the vacuum pump or the cam shaft. I could be all wet, often am, but since those small head bolts were missing, my theory is the cam snapped, then whatever caused the chain to load up to the point of streching this one link and on the rebound the breaking chain took out a large part, (say 3/4} of the big washer that the spring in the vacuum pump rests on. About 1/4 of that washer got out of the cavity and got caught between the chain and the sprocket of the IP, at least that piece and another piece of the washer were at rest at the bottom of that 2 piece chain guide. That sprocket and chain really put an imprint in that steel washer. The teeth on the timer sprocket look OK.

I am now going to pull the engine as I don't think there is any other way of installing a new chain except by taking the pan off and working it in from the bottom. I have the old chain on the passenger side of the engine, but the chain on the drivers side is broken off and is pretty near the bottom. I would like to avoid that work, but now is the time, and I have a good engine lift barrowed which I can have indefinetly. I think because of the problems that have come to light it would not be a bad idea to check out a number of things like torque settings on the bearings and perhaps there is still some small piece of steel down in the chain run that I want to make sure is out of there.

benhogan · #27 04-05-2010, 08:09 PM

Do not give up.

This is like falling off the bike after you just learned how to ride. If you do not get back on now, you will not get back on that bike for a while.

You have to figure out where you messed up and start over. If you need a car to tie you over until you get the w123 running again, just get a $500 car from craigslist, and sell it for $500 when you do not need it anymore.

Get back on that bike buddy!