560SL Timing Chain Replace

wow thomaspin, that is one heck of a presentation for the procedure. You should submit it for publication. Very well done.

[kip Foss]

Thomaspin,

As a mechanic I compliment you on your timing chain replacement site. Very well done, and very handy to those of us who have yet to do this job.

One item of note about the 8 valve cover crush washer. These are soft copper washers that should not be reused in their current condition. They can be easily purchased at most auto parts stores. To reuse old ones, and there is really no reason you can't in a pinch, just hang them on a piece of wire, heat them to a red hot temp., and then quench them in water. This will soften copper back to its original hardness. Copper work hardens very easily (just tightening a nut onto one will do the trick), and if done repeatedly will cause it to crack. For the cost of new ones it is hardly worth the effort to anneal the old ones, but it can be done successfully with little effort.

Compliments again on your site.

[BDBENZ]

Thomaspin,

Thank you for taking the time to document and post for the rest of us to use. Well done!!!

BD

[Thomaspin]

Originally posted by kip Foss
One item of note about the 8 valve cover crush washer. These are soft copper washers that should not be reused in their current condition. They can be easily purchased at most auto parts stores

Kip - thanks for the kind words - always nice to have a pro compliment us amateurs.

I actually make the point about replacing the crush washers here - they are a few pennies each though I like your idea of heating them in a pinch!

BTW, I consider the Border Terrier a near-essential for the job.

[sms]

I'm in the process of replacing my guide rails and tensioner in my 560sl (117.967 engine) per Thomaspins' detailed instructions on his website. However, I'm having some intial problems. The main area of confusion is in the measuring of the chain stretch. I removed the passenger side valve cover and rotated the crankshaft until the camshaft and tower marks aligned, but when I looked on the balancer marks I was nearest to a mark that looked like this 18|0. I expected to be looking at marks that look like this 3|0 2|0 1|0 O 1|0 2|0 3|0.

What am I missing?

Thanks!

[cbdo]

Thomaspin, your work is beautiful, as always.

To the original question--Being aware of the timing chain/guides/etc. issue, I took mine in at 147K suspecting it might never have been touched. Asked for, and got, timing chain, guides, sprockets and tensioner, for about $1050. Once they had it open, they found the guides did indeed look original--which for a 14-year-old car at 148K means they looked old, dark, worn and brittle. Found one broken guide in the process; I'd started hearing just a little extra noise at startup cold, not lasting more than a second or two. And yes, it was waiting to catch in the chain and turn the engine into a boat anchor.

Yes, get it done. Yes, get the chain, guides, sprockets and tensioner. Pay the bill and know that for the next 100,000 miles you shouldn't have to think about it.

[PeterSLC]

One word on this subject.

Rubber timing belts require replacement at fairly short intervals, 70k to 100k, due to heat, mechanical and chemical wear and tear. Double row timing chains are much more durable. 200k is not out of the question.

It's true that the plastic tensioner rails degrade over time and can eventually cause problems, however changing chains, tensioners and especially sprockets on cars with under 100k on them sounds ridiculously conservative, and we're talking Mercedes here. My old 450SLC has over 230k on it and still runs like a tiger.

I'm planning on doing a chain replacement in the near future and will do the tensioner as well but I would encourage owners to have more faith in their cars.

[Damian]

Love your work on the pictorial changining the guide rails I have an 82 SL500 and after seeing that think I might just hve the confidence to attempt the same. Fantastic pictures and thanks very much for sharing the information.

Regards

Damian

[maheath]

PeterSLC, it's not usually the chain that's the problem. It's the plastic rails breaking. The risk is almost certainly a complete valve job with some risk of bottom end damage. A few hundred dollars every 100k is a small price to pay.

At 96k, I had a valve cover gasket leaking. When they removed the valve cover, they found a broken chain rail. I dodged a huge bullet.

[Armandhammer]

I bought a 560sl sight unseen just outside of SF, late last summer. I had a heart attack a few weeks before so I had someone pick it up a drive it back. According to the shop, who was selling it for someone, the car should be up for the trip. 225,000 miles, and a rebuild 80k before was going to make the trip smooth. It got here, but needs cams, and another 5k of engine work. That cost me $1,300 to confirm that. The timing chain seems to be the least of my worries. Not sure what's next, but I do love the car!

2004 VW Touareg
2004 Jaguar X Type
1988 MB 560SL

[rybikowsk]

I just subscribed.paid with pay pal.it's a bargin.miker