I wonder...
 

I've often wondered about my car, which has 128k on it, or so says the odometer. What if a prior owner disconnected the cable for 100k? I would never know. I guess the only thing I could do to sort of check, would be to do a CarFax report. Might help me locate anything suspicious, like 159k service, then the next one is at 89k, you know what I mean?

But the long and short of it is, if it has more miles on it than the odometer says, then I'm missing doing needed maintenence. :eek: The timing chain is supposed to be checked at 200k, I think.

Well, I replaced the timing chain and now it won't start.:mad: I do have the timing marks on the cam lined up and the marks on the crank at zero. Then turned the engine over by hand a few times to make sure it was all ok. Must be building good compression because it was harder with a new timing chain. The old one was stretched by more than 10*!:eek:

Funny thing though, it didn't feel very powerful before, rather sluggish in fact compared to my 300D and the fuel Injection Pump doesn't give me a shower in fuel like my 300D does. I would think even if the IP was timed wrong, it would still spray large amounts of fuel with the lines cracked. Could my IP have puked?:confused:

The marks have to be lined up at TDC on the compression stroke. Take out the #1 Glow Plug and crank the Engine by hand and see if you feel compression as you are approaching the Camshaft alignment marks. When it is aligned take a look at the Damper degree marks and see if it is at "0".

It is unlikely that the IP puked; but very likely that it needs to be timed again; after you are sure the Camshaft timing is OK.

Nobody listens to me.

I do ;)

A common problem around here.........and it's not just you.

Can you explain a little more how the cam tower mark method is not an indication of chain stretch? I mean, it SEEMS like it would be a quick way to check, albeit not very accurate, but I'm still pretty new to engine timing and whatnot.

The cam tower marks are used when first installing the cam to the engine, nothing more. It was never intended to be used to measure chain stretch.
Mercedes gave a precise way to measure it. That way is 2mm valve lift on intake #1.

That said. If you had 10* of stretch and it was running fine then your IP was timed to 10* stretch. With a new chain you now have to retime your IP.

Danny

Wait a minute!!
 

That makes no sense. This is what you should see:

For engines 617.950 (1980 and after), 617.951, 617.952; Camshaft code 05, specs are:
With new chain, 9 degrees ATDC.
With used chain (from approx. 20,000 Km), 11 degrees ATDC.

You really need to stop using the cam tower marks.

FYI
Mercedes Benz makes 4 woodruff keys for the correction of cam timing:

Part # 621 991 04 67, Offset 0.7 mm, For correction of about 4 degrees.
Part # 621 991 02 67, Offset 0.9 mm, For correction of about 6.5 degrees.
Part # 621 991 01 67, Offset 1.1 mm, For correction of about 8 degrees.
Part # 621 991 00 67, Offset 1.3 mm, For correction of about 10 degrees.


Danny

Because I own a chain crimper and popper, so I can put it on with the correct tools. I've also seen what happens to these engines when a timing chain breaks and it usually isn't when idling or first cranking it up, it's on the highway where you cannot stop and severe engine damage is a result!

Its a total waste of time to replace the chain if you don't replace the guides and rails as well.

Nope. The timing changed because of elongation of the chain. Replacing the chain will eliminate that slack and return the IP and cam to their original time.

That's what I thought! I know now where my problem is. While installing the new chain, I lost my grip on it fore a half second and the short whirr I heard, if you can call it that, was the IP turning against spring pressure and now it is running about 1/4 of one full rotation too late.:( Unless you have another idea, it would appear that removal of the IP and putting it back in the correct position and then timing it properly is my next step!:D

I bought one of my wagons with a severely damaged engine. At 141K miles, the timing chain broke while Monty was going down I-17 into phoenix when the chain broke. It dropped into the chain area and wound up in the oil pump drive chain, breaking that into pieces and ripping the oil pump sprocket off the oil pump in the process and breaking the oil pump shaft. Since the engine was still turning, the camshaft broke into 3 pieces, the camshaft sprocket was in too many pieces to count, and the camshaft itself was in 3 pieces along with the cam towers!:eek: Valves were bent and had to be replaced. I have this engine on my workbench right now because I bought this car with a damaged motor, so I'm a little nervous about replacing them thar darned chains! I'm rebuilding this engine since it looks like all the damaged parts are ones than can be replaced. Nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes!

One thing I do not understand though, according to my FSM, if the chain was installed properly then you should be able to rotate the motor by hand and the Camshaft marks will line up with the notch on the cam tower while the crankshaft mark is at 0. If this original setting/ examination was 5* late on the camshaft marks, wouldn't you think the timing chain was getting worn out? When I compared it to the new one side by side, the old one was more than an inch longer!:eek: It was also quite a bit more flexible in side to side movement.

Did ya'll say something? :rolleyes:

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger...
Maybe we should start a Rodney Dangerfield memorial " I get no respect" club.

Anywho, hang in here to help fuel discussions for those of us who just might accidentally absorb a tidbit or two...

Motor still on

Still no start after removing and setting the IP.:mad: I still feel as if something is wrong with this IP. It just didn't have the performance you should expect for a 5 cylinder turbodiesel! My 300D will peel rubber if you punch it on slick pavement from a standing start. This car, one of my wagons, had no get up and go period. I could get passed by a 240 on flat ground. It only ran well when cold and once fully warmed up, idle was rough, engine would rock back and forth and it felt like an ignition miss!

This is not the first time I've done this. When I've got the whole thing apart, set the crank at 0, set the cam lined up with the matchmark on the front cam tower and the IP marks lined up together which you can only see with the IP out and it fired right up! This time nothing. And if you stop using the lift pump to send fuel up to the engine, it all drains back out of the IP back to the tank. Through the injector lines and the drip method isn't working.

that might indicate your lift pump is failing. I am not certain. Try a few searches for lift pump repair and check the DIY articles / links