OM601 Oil pump chain tensioner spring broke? Help
 

I dropped the oil pan on the 190D to replace the oil pump chain. I am not sure whether I snapped it, dislodged it or it was always like that, the tensioner spring has NO tension, the pump guide is loose and is not pressing against the chain.

Questions:

1) Would it be OK to run the oil pump chain without the tensioner?
2) What can be done to fix it? I do not want to remove the timing chain front plate. It is too much work.
3) If the worst comes to the worst then I think I can make a kit and put a spring behind the timing chain front plate to do the same job.

Any ideas welcome.

btw: anyone has a picture of what the spring looks like or an opened up OM60x engine to show how the guide rail and spring are installed.

Too much at risk to run with no tensioner. I might consider making a spacer to lower the oil pump if feasible to remove the slop from the chain. That's if the point of the oil pickup could be modified as well. Just something I might consider if the oil pump is vertically mounted but not recommend. Best of course to bite the bullet and do what has to be done properly.

That sucks, you are going to have to remove the timing cover, I would not run it without the spring.

X2
 

"You are going to have to remove the timing cover, I would not run it without the spring."

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No Way to SAFELY run it with out the proper Tension!
Y'all be looking for a replacement engine, SOON!

It is not that bad of a job in my opinion.

Call me crazy or call me cheap
 

I jury rigged a spring to fix the oil chain guide. I really do not want to open up the front cover so I installed a spring to 'pull' the guide rail towards the chain. I drilled a hole in the guide rail and a hole in the front cover support and mounted a spring there. It seems to be doing its job but the proof is in the pudding when I fire up the engine. Here is a couple of pictures. Wish me luck.

btw: The spring is not broken. I do not think it was dislodged when I removed the oil pump. I think it has been like that for a while. The front cover, I suspect, was removed at one time and the guide was not installed properly. The reason I made this assumption is that there should be a metal 'cage' behind the vacuum pump, held by 3 bolts, but it was missing.

Well? How did it go? Im not trying to be a smart a$$ but I think you are asking for trouble.

Report Card on the Spring
 

Happy to report that I have done 2000 miles on the engine with the jury rigged spring. I think it is doing its job and does it well.

Just out of curiosity, what made you go in to replace the chain to begin with? Was it making noise?

Cylinder #1 compression was low. They were around <100, 400+, 400+, 400+. I overhauled the engine by removing the head, oil pan and pushed all cylinders out. Honed cylinder #1 and replaced the oil chain as part of the process. I found the oil chain guide was loose but I could not determine whether it was loose all along. The reason is that the OM601 oil pan is a pain to remove with the engine in car. I lifted the engine but the oil pan still would not come out because of its geometry and the cross bar is in the way. I needed to drop the oil pump inside the pan to withdraw the same. As a result, what the oil chain guide was like before was not known.

btw: the oil pan can be dropped and removed without removing the oil pump for OM603 engine. Not sure about OM602.