All,

I'm in search of timing cover 601 015 06 01. If you have one, please let me know what you are asking for it.

My timing cover broke on my 1987 300SDL where the belt tensioner bolts onto it. It is the same repair that I have observed through other threads that I have read on this site.

Thanks to all of you for any help with this and for any suggestions.

I have been looking for a used one since May, in my thread on this site.

If you need it fast, best recommendation is to buy a new one. There are also a few other, small ancillary bits you need when you use the most updated unit.

Sorry yours failed, this is exactly the reason I am going to replace mine when I have the head off.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

What other bits are needed with this cover (601-015-06-01)?

The best price I saw for a new cover was $210.00 from Mercedes Benz of South Atlanta (mbpartsworld.com). I ordered it and payed for it. Then a day later, I was sent an email saying that my payment was refunded because the part wasn't in stock.

I looked elsewhere and found the part to be $535.00. Is that the going price now? This seems very steep.

I've ordered a replacement vacuum pump gasket and water pump gasket for when I reassemble it. The vacuum pump in the car has already been upgraded to the newer style.

Here's what I've done so far. I've managed to get everything off with the engine still in the car by removing the radiator and fan for clearance. I then removed the water pump and the harmonic balancer by turning the key in the ignition with a breaker bar and socket attached to the crank pulley bolt. It came off within 1 second of cranking. I then rented a pulley remover from Autozone and pulled the harmonic balancer pulley off the crankshaft.

I'm going to loosen the bolts on the oil pan and drop it carefully so I don't mess up the oil pan gasket and create leaks. Then I'm very carefully going to take off the front 2 allen bolts of the head gasket and try to slide the timing cover down toward the oil pan and out so I don't mess up the head gasket. The biggest challenge for me will be to take out and reassemble these two allen bolts carefully without dropping them into the timing chain area. It's a tight space and you can't reach in there to finger tighten the allen bolts.

The timing chain has 70,000 miles on it and was installed in 2006, so I'm going to leave that intact and won't mess with it. I haven't had any trouble with the engine before this tensioner broke. The engine has 250,000 miles on it, and I just don't feel it's worth the investment to remove it from the car to replace everything.

The last challenge will be to figure out how I can retighten and torque the crank pulley bolt when I put everything back in. I don't have that special MB harmonic balancer tool.

One last question. When I remove the oil pan bolts, should I leave the rear bolts in (the few on the back end of the pan facing the rear of the vehicle) and just tip down the front of the oil pan so the timing cover will clear it? Or should I loosen all the bolts on the oil pan and drop the whole thing, then reassemble it? I read that it's near impossible to remove the oil pan with the engine in the car.

I appreciate any advice or suggestions with any of this. Just wanted to talk through it with you folks before I proceed with the rest of the physical operation.

Wow, $535 is the current list price? I remember it being in the low $200s like you found for a retail price. Guess I should have ordered then. Maybe ask the local dealer for a quote and about an MB Club of America discount, it is $55/year.

Parts .com shows $401 currently.

Did they explain it further? NLA or out of stock?

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

do you have to remove the alternator and then its bracket, also?

If you doo a search under the forum name "oilslick" he just did an on the car timing chase cover replacement a month or two ago.

I've got 2 extra used ones.... let me check the part number. Are you interested if its another part number?

Hit Man X, the response I got from mbpartsworld was "CANCEL // ITEM OUT OF STOCK". What other ancillary bits do you need if you get this cover? I'll get a quote from my local dealer for the cover.

BatteredBenz, I'll have to look again and see if the alternator and bracket needs to come off...it didn't appear that way when I last worked on it, but I could be mistaken. I was trying to find that thread when I searched for "oilslick" but haven't been able to find it.

ajnorris, thanks for offering an alternative cover. I was primarily looking for part # 601-015-06-01 wherever I could find it since this was the 3rd casting and was reinforced around the belt tensioner area. I know I won't have a use for 603-015-00-01 because that is the same original casting that broke. Please let me know what numbers you have and I'll see if I can cross reference them. The engine is a OM603 and the vehicle is a 1987 300SDL with a W126 chassis.

Here's one I found

603 belt tensioner bolt stripped.. Helicoil?

Here are the numbers on the ones I have...

One was from an 87 300d, the other a 3.5 factory rebuild.

603 015 02 01 14
603 015 00 01 5
Guessing the 14 is the newer of them...

__________________
1990 300e 230k (old reliable) sold
1987 300D 230K sold
1987 300D 232K 5 speed
1998 E300 140K

BatteredBenz, thanks for the link. I'm reading about it.

ajnorris, PM sent for the parts you listed.

From the EPC:

IF NECESSARY, ORDER ALSO CLAMPING SLEEVES FOR T.D.C. SENDER UNIT AND POWER STEERING PUMP MOUNTING

Up to engine: 971 007421

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

In September 2013, cover 601-015-06-01 was $282 list, $226 wholesale. Not sure when exactly the price went up, but it was probably with the annual price hikes MB has been doing every January (there are price changes occurring all during the year, but they generally do mass updates effective Jan-1). Bummer.

__________________
Dave
Boise, ID
Check out my website photos, documents, and movies!

Thanks for the info. I have a friend overseas in Sri Lanka who owns a MB parts distributorship who can sell me 601-015-06-01 for $180 used and $280 new, however I'm trying to figure out how much shipping would be since it's a heavy part. May or may not be worth it. If you guys are interested, I can try to connect you with him.

ajnorris, I'm interested in your part 603 015 02 01 14 as I believe it will fit my 300SDL. Did you get my PM?

Thanks!

Sent you a pm... Give me your contact info and Ill send you the pics. The two are quite different when you look close..

If needed, I've got a cover off a low mileage OM603, with part number 603 015 02 01. Threaded area for tensioner mount are good.