Sorry but I don't follow your logic. Are you trying to avoid drip timing an IP by putting in a new chain? You should really check begin of delivery after replacing the chain.

Do you have access to the factory service manual (FSM)? Chapter 05-320 is your man!

If you want to correct for chain elongation then I'd go for the offset key - although I don't think I'd bother for 4 degrees => from my calculations the MB key is a bit out at the lower degrees of elongation

OM617 (non turbo) cam profile specs, piston height specs etc

I think an offset of 0.49mm is required not 0.7mm - but anyway there's nothing you as a DIY mechanic can do about that discrepancy => you can only choose to use the key or not.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Hello,

In the FSM for the OM601 engine, in the camsaft timing chapter, it says "corrections are not possible at the moment".
I therefore understand that no off-set woodruff keys are available for this engine.
This seems to imply that once a new chain is rolled the camshaft timing will go back to nominal specs. Is my reasoning right?

Thanks
gonzalo

My logic is as follows:

My timing chain is elongated by ~4 degrees. If my cam timing is off then the IP timing must be off as well, although I haven't done any IP tests to determine this for a fact.

I just figure that the same elongated chain is driving both components' timing, that replacing the chain would fix, or at least improve, the timing of both components. Replace one part, improve the timing of both the cam and IP. The other alternative is to remove the cam sprocket and install a woodruff key to correct the cam timing, then do the IP timing procedures (which I don't really want to attempt).

The other alternative is to do nothing, since my car starts fine cold, and I notice no performance/power issues. However, since the odometer is about to turn over 180,000 miles, and I have no idea if the timing chain has ever ever replaced, it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace it.

Is there any way to determine if the timing chain has been replaced? Is it possible to rotate the engine slowly and look for some distinguishing aspect that would identify the master link? Weren't the timing chains from the factory continuous (no master link)?

Thanks again to the learned members of the PP forum!

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cbjukraine
'84 300D

Of course you do.

You have an '84 which can be timed perfectly, by a novice, in 30 minutes or less, via the use of the A-B lights. You just contact MBDoc and rent the unit from him...........and take good care of it...........and you get perfect IP timing results.

You don't use the logic of replacing the chain simply because you don't want to tackle the drip method.