140 500 cam chain noise...
 

So, now that I have my car "driving" properly (tranny seems near perfect), I have discovered an unusual noise.

When the car is cold, there is chain noise from the front. It goes away after a few minutes.

One mechanic thought it might be guides, but thought it could also be the chain showing wear.

I did a search, and didn't find anything about the chains on these motors, so the question is:

What is life expectancy of cam chain on 92 w140 500sel? (It currently has 161k miles...)

Thanks

-David

How long is a piece of string?

The chains on the M119 usually last a long time, but require frequent oil and filter changes for long life. It's going to depend on the service history and driving patterns of your car. Lots of snapping throttle driving and letting the oil get dirty will severly shorten the chain life.

It is possible to measure the wear by measuring chain stretch at cam timing.

Does anyone know if the M119 suffers the guide problems of the M116? I don't think so, but if so, it should be checked too. My cousin has a 92 500E with that M119, and she replaced the chains and guides at about 275,000kms, which is just a few miles more than you have on your car. Hers were in decent shape, but she did it to sleep better knowing they were fresh. She got the car for a steal and spent some money to go through it with a fine tooth comb. I recall the chain swap was about $1100 parts and labour.

the 119 is tougher - but as soon as the ticking noises start, its time for a full guide / chain repalcemnt im afraid.

161K on a 1992? not bad - im on 160K on a 1996/7 in a country a tenth of the size.. (like towns are separated by 2 miles - not 200 :p )

Probably completely unrelated to your problem, but many M119 engines have problems with what people are calling cam oiler tubes. They are made of plastic and either break or fall off. You'll hear a clicking noise.

Do a search on oil tubes or oiler tubes. There's a ton of info in the archives.

Speak of the devil. A thread hit today on the oil tubes with a pic.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/108313-m119-oil-tubes.html?highlight=oil+tubes