E320 CDI TIMING CHAIN BROKE - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Bigdaddybenz · #46 06-22-2019, 12:03 PM

Hey 97, no that is the cost from an independent shop that specializes in Mercedes, I only paid $5,600 for the car so that is why I'm debating if the repair is even worth it!

I LOVE the car!!!

ROLLGUY · #47 06-22-2019, 01:44 PM

My opinion is that you should fix it yourself, and save some $. It is worth the effort.....Rich

97 SL320 · #48 06-22-2019, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigdaddybenz

I only paid $5,600 for the car so that is why I'm debating if the repair is even worth it!

I LOVE the car!!!

I place little value on what a car is " worth on the open market " and more value on " If I make repairs that cost $ XX, will the car give me $ XX of service?"

The reality is you _might_ get $ 500 in actual trade in value for this car ( not what they say you are getting for the car, actual $ .)

So, would you pay $ 3,500 for your current car in running condition?

Bigdaddybenz · #49 06-23-2019, 06:59 AM

Thanks for the replies guys, you both bring up very valid points.

I was a mechanic years ago and Ive worked on countless W123, W116, and many older diesels, so I still have tools mostly Mac and Snap On. I have no idea as to how difficult replacing the timing chain is and cannot seem to find instructions for doing so. Are any special tools required?

I also think the point of what would it cost to replace the vehicle is convincing enough to make the repairs..... This car is almost flawless and the former owner invested a small fortune to keep it that way, I'd be hard pressed to find another CDI in this condition.

Though Ive made many repairs in the past, I have never replaced a timing chain so I'm a bit skittish about doing so. Ive worked on many other engines so I do have experience just not Mercedes experience.

I really hate the thought of spending 3K with an Indy who may or may not perform the repairs correctly.

Just how difficult is this repair and are there any instructions or success stories on line that may give me insight into making the repairs myself?

Thanks for all of the replies guys, I need to do something with this car :-)

97 SL320 · #50 06-23-2019, 09:20 AM

Given you won't be under much of a time constraint, take lots of pictures during the process. Also take a piece of card board, trace out the gasket then poke each removed bolt through the cardboard. This keeps various bolts in their proper position.

Bigdaddybenz · #51 06-23-2019, 12:02 PM

I will 97, is that for the timing cover or the valve gasket????..... I'll post pictures because I may need other perspectives on the root cause of the failure.

jay_bob · #52 06-23-2019, 12:12 PM

Another trick, use an 18-cell egg carton, number the cells, and put the bolts in the order of the torque sequence in the WIS. If you use a foam egg carton you can poke them out the bottom if they are too long.

Real important on a 642 intake manifold, there are multiple different sizes of bolts used there.

barry12345 · #53 06-23-2019, 02:24 PM

Past experience as a working mechanic should make this go easy enough. Largest part is probably getting any shards of what broke up out. Plus checking for any other damage. I do not know if there is an access panel for the oil pan or how hard it would be to drop it.

Used parts like the valve cover are your friend. The car has been disabled for a time. So you should have time to source them.

Personally I would change the timing chain. As they wear they also wear the chain sprockets. Financially this could be fairly reasonable.

I was surprised when I checked the suggested change of the wives Toyota timing chain. Every 200k was suggested by Toyota. Although in your case I do not suspect the chain was actually damaged.

If something was missed and the chain let go you would really be both into money and a pretty sorry person. Something pretty obviously rode up on the outside of the chain I suspect. If by chance it rode up on the inside of the chain. You were very lucky to maintain timing and the chain may have been stressed.

Personally if nothing else is found a three thousand dollar estimate sounds high to me.

97 SL320 · #54 06-23-2019, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigdaddybenz

I will 97, is that for the timing cover or the valve gasket????..... I'll post pictures because I may need other perspectives on the root cause of the failure.

You could do this with both. I recommend doing it with the timing cover because some engines use a few bolts slightly longer / shorter than the majority of bolts. At minimum this leads to using time to figure out where stuff goes and at max, a long bolt bottoming out in a short hole making it feel like it is tight but offering zero clamping force, while the short bolt is only engaged by a couple of threads.

The other benefit is knowing that all the bolts are out before prying on the cover.

For other items, you can also put bolts back into threaded holes or slide them into parts and retain them with a rubber band / tape.

It is easy to take something unfamiliar apart but more difficult to put it back together. Go slow on disassembly and take time to become familiar with each layer of parts.

97 SL320 · #55 06-23-2019, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barry12345

Although in your case I do not suspect the chain was actually damaged.

If by chance it rode up on the inside of the chain. You were very lucky to maintain timing and the chain may have been stressed.

The chain jumped one row forward on the cam sprocket from what I recall. Changing the chain is a 100% requirement given it saw a very high load when this occurred.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barry12345

Personally if nothing else is found a three thousand dollar estimate sounds high to me.

Anyone have a labor guide to determine typical change out time?

barry12345 · #56 06-23-2019, 11:03 PM

I doubt there is a time specified for this job. What would you even call it?

Bigdaddybenz · #57 06-29-2019, 11:51 AM

Hey guys,

The Indy gave me a total labor hours of 17 man hours at $130.00 per hour which totals to $2,210.00 in labor. The timing chain, rails, tensioner and valve cover come to $1.200 making the total cost of repair $3,410.00 plus tax, so basically $3,500.00..... Seems a bit excessive since that timing chain did not jump time

ROLLGUY · #58 06-29-2019, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigdaddybenz

Hey guys,

The Indy gave me a total labor hours of 17 man hours at $130.00 per hour which totals to $2,210.00 in labor. The timing chain, rails, tensioner and valve cover come to $1.200 making the total cost of repair $3,410.00 plus tax, so basically $3,500.00..... Seems a bit excessive since that timing chain did not jump time

If you paid yourself a decent wage, say $50-hr, I bet you could do the job for half that cost. Even if it took you 30 hours, it would be worth the learning experience.

barry12345 · #59 06-29-2019, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97 SL320

I place little value on what a car is " worth on the open market " and more value on " If I make repairs that cost $ XX, will the car give me $ XX of service?"

The reality is you _might_ get $ 500 in actual trade in value for this car ( not what they say you are getting for the car, actual $ .)

So, would you pay $ 3,500 for your current car in running condition?

I pay whatever I feel is acceptable for great condition cars. Market values are for run of the mill stuff.

I nearly blew it. The son in law dropped off a van he was finished with. Oil pressure sender was bad. I was going to put it back on the road to cart the dogs and everything back and forth to the cottage.

Except he mentioned something about the automatic when he dropped it off. I was not interested in replacing the automatic and these Chrysler products had a high failure rate. I had a good look at it reciently and it is really good.

So I asked him what the issue was with the automatic. The shaft going into the transmission got sticky. Hard to use the shifter. As soon as he mentioned that was all. It is going back on the road I decided. I have the shaft soaking in penetrating oil right now. A common issue when manufactures put a steel shaft through an alloy case. It has been sitting here two years and I had never really examined it.

Of course with a battery it started up like it was running yesterday. The interior is spotless and the body has a few stone chips but no dents. Some kind of special edition dodge caravan. Older with the 3.3 liter engine but actually still in great overall condition for a 2003.

I am too busy to really spend the time to make positive everything is right up to scratch. So I will have the brother in law give it a real going over. Other than brake work from sitting I am not expecting very much. Normally I would not go this far but the wife will be driving it on occasion.

She should have been an auto mechanic. She can pick out the slightest irregularity in a vehicle. Fortunatly the brother in law who is also her brother can take any flak that arises.

As a general rule no matter how long you are married there still can be suprises. She never liked driving other than smaller cars and made a point of it. Yet she had purchased a large dump truck and used it during summers to make money while still in school many years ago. So whatever her rational on larger cars always escaped me.

Now she wants to drive the van? I asked her why? She said she is just tired of trying to cram everything into her car. Plus the dogs can probably be contained behind the third row seats. If I put a piece of plexiglass in there.

When she goes shopping her car comes home loaded. I have always unloaded her cars. The van will increase available space as well unfortunately. With those two sliding side doors she can really stuff it.

97 SL320 · #60 06-29-2019, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigdaddybenz

Hey guys,

The Indy gave me a total labor hours of 17 man hours at $130.00 per hour which totals to $2,210.00 in labor. The timing chain, rails, tensioner and valve cover come to $1.200 making the total cost of repair $3,410.00 plus tax, so basically $3,500.00..... Seems a bit excessive since that timing chain did not jump time

Excessive as in " if the engine jumped time but didn't bend valves, the work to replace the timing chain would have been more labor than a non jumped chain. " ?