Newer member OM603 question?
 

I actually have 2 questions.
working on a 1987 300D

?#1:
I have 2 cam followers that talk to me sometimes, I have been meaning to replace them but as I am not "well off", I have had to drive less, not wanting to ruin my camshaft also. (I did that before on a MB 2.3 gasser.)
I took a stethoscope to the valve cover and I am pretty sure I have isolated the two giving me the problem, (they dont always talk at the same time so it took awhile to pin point)
I understand that most folks would recommend replacing all of them while Im in there, but as I stated before, I am not well off and at $22 apiece, thats 2-3 days worth of fuel just for one. so I am going to attempt to just replace the ones that are currently giving me problems.
The question I have is, when removing the cam shaft to get to the followers, I have to remove the cam gear from the cam, but do I ""Have To"" remove/disconnect all the timing components or can I find a way to hold tension on the gear with chain still attached, while I remove the cam and replace the followers, Or does the timing system have too high of a spring load?
I know on my 190E 2.3, I was able to hold the gear and chain together while I R & R'd the cam, them simply slid the assembly back on the new cam.
I dont want to attempt this job, and then end up with a undriveable car because I didn't ask enough questions before I started.


?#2:
Are there any special tools I will need to complete this job?

Thanks to All that can help me on this journey!!!!!!

Has no one ever tried doing it this way before?

Yes, you can detach the gear from the cam with the chain over the gear.

Are you referring to lifter noise? If so, a cheaper alternative may be switching over to synthetic oil...it quieted down the chatter from my lifters almost instantly!

I thought about that, but technically thats just masking a problem isn't it,
plus I dont believe it would be cheaper in the long run, Syn. is expensive
the car should not tic on Dino if all is well. or am I wrong?
I live in a very car friendly environment, not too hot, not too cold, no salt, Cars like it here.

That was suggested to him in another thread that he started with the lifter issue.

NO it doesn't mask the issues it help free them up.

And, it might not work.

The special tool that you need for the job is the FSM. There is a specific procedure for removing and reinstalling the cam. Ignore the procedure at your peril.

Even if it does not free up the lifter, it is worth a shot and will allow you to run your oil longer. It is about the same cost unless you use the cheapest of oils...if you do that than you probably don't care much about the car. Since you are wanting to correct issues, I assume this is not the case.

A friend of mine had a $600 fuel injection repair. I suggested he try a $10 bottle of Seafoam since lots of issues have been resolved with it. He complained about spending $10 so I went ahead and bought it, ran it through his car, and he has not had an issue since. He paid me the $10.

If Synthetic helps lubricate better, than it will prolong the life of the lifters. Mine chattered a lot around 160,000 miles. I changed to Synthetic around 165,000. Now she has 210,000 miles and no lifter noise unless the oil gets low (which shouldn't happen since I have replaced some seals).

All I am saying is that when these cars were designed, Mercedes was not recommending that you run Syn to make them run right, so if you have a follower that is making noise, should you not replace it?
Please dont think I am disregarding what you said earlier about Syn.

When you said FSM, Are you talking about the Folded Spectrum Method?
Are you saying that if I don't do it exactly the way the book says to do it, Im headed for disaster?
that would mean taking off the front of my engine to get to all the timing components, I thought I might be able to make a 4-5 hour job a 1 hour job just by leaving the chain hooked to the sprocket and elevated while I R&R the cam. I was able to work around the FSM replacing the cam on my little 190E about 50K ago and all is still well.
I do understand what you are saying though, there is a procedure that needs to be followed, but some things sometimes are unnecessary

What would you do, replace the noisy followers, or try running Syn?

If I was as worried about the cost as the OP I would replace the Cam Followers because for the money that guarantees the greatest chance of solving the Problem.
So far I have not found Myself wanting to use Syn. Oil.

The issue I have about replacing the Cam Follwer/s is it sometimes is difficult to narrow down which one or ones need to be changed.

On other Vehicles if I wanted to save Money I took apart the Cam Follower and cleaned and polished re-assembled and hoped it worked (it doesn't always work) after I was done (that worked on my Van last year).

In this case on the Mercedes to remove and clean them is too much labor and offers a chance to mess up your timing; and it might not work.

Yes you are right, you should spend your money as you want.

You are not in a position to remove the camshaft without serious risk of damage.

The use of synthetic oil costs no more than dino when you factor in the mileage that can be accrued under synthetic with this engine (6K) and the capability of the filter to go this distance (6K).

Therefore, if the cost is the same, and the risks are significant to pick out the bad lifters, your decision is simple. Drive the vehicle with Mobil-1 Turbo Diesel Truck oil for 10K miles and see if the oil can cleanup the lifters.