How many hours of labor to replace engine bearingsin 500E?

[tom woolner]

Last fall I spent close to $11,000 on my 500E motor - timing chain, upper and lower rails, throttle actuator, all hoses, etc. When it was all put together, there was no oil pressure. Apparently ther was a bent oil filter housing. Taken apart, fixed, put back together.
Recently, I heard a chain rattle. While having a/c compressor replaced, my tech replaced the chain tensioner.

A week later, I heard a clanking sound when starting the motor (not the first time started that day - engine was warm). Since then, I have heard intermittantly when starting the engine a noise that seems to be a timing chain rattle.
My tech does not want to takethe engine apart until the symptoms become more consistant, i.e., we can reproduce the sound in his shop. QAmong the possiblities he mentioned were the engine bearings (there were signs that the engine had been taken apart prior to doing the timing chain. I bought the car with 96,000 miles; it now has 155,000.

I'm a bit freaked - I've spent $17,000 miles over the last year, and have
replaced virtually everything that can be replaced, including the transmission two months ago, A/c work done last month. I have little or no more $$ to put into my beast.

If it is in fact the bearings, what am I looking at, labor and part-wise?

Tom

[daveCT]

crank a rod bearings is going to expensive man ,
First the engine has to come out, then the oil pan and pump out, crankshaft out, measure and mic all the lobes at a good manchine shop ,get it all checked out for specs and polished, might has well get it knife cut while your at it , new bearings (the right size ) , with the engine bottom end part might has well check out the pistons rings and bores, and hope they are all OK ,

if you could do everything yourself and bring the crank down to a machineshop it would be around 200-500 bucks total and about a good 10-12 hours of your time within a few days

if you are going to take it in to someone i would think around 7-8 K if everything is within spec, if not get ready cash out 8-rods 8-pistons 8-of everything 10-15K maybe

good luck

Dave

190e 16v
C36 AMG

[-fad]

Greetings Tom-

Any update on this?

Cheap items that you may wish to look into are: oil filter check valve (updated part & cheap & easy to replace), non OE/ OEM Oil filter element, lighter weight oil in use now- - >leak down?, sticky lifter?, clanking sound?->motor mount and or something loose around the engine / trans area?, belt tensioner/ pully...

...just a few ideas, hope this helps

fwiw- more than one Euro member/ owner / has shared his opinon/ observation at 500ecstasy regarding the longevity/wear of the M119...if I recall correctly he indicated that viewing some torn down M119's with 300k miles showed virtually no wear even after living a spirited life

let us know an update
tks-fad
'94 E500

[DR.DIESEL]

Cheap items that you may wish to look into are: oil filter check valve (updated part & cheap & easy to replace), non OE/ OEM Oil filter element, lighter weight oil in use now- - >leak down?, sticky lifter?, clanking sound?->motor mount and or something loose around the engine / trans area?, belt tensioner/ pully...

I would agree with fad. The leaking oil check valve is pretty common on
earlier M119 V-8's. The noise May be the Camshaft timing adjusters rattling until they are re-primed with oil pressure. The updated Check valve kit PN#
is 119 184 01 30. I have had to tell owners of older 400/500 cars to avoid
synthetic oil or at least thin grades. During summer, 15-40 works pretty good
at not draining back into the crankcase. Maybe try switching you oil to another weight and brand just for comparisons sake. The cam adjusters themselves could be worn. I have replaced plenty of those with around 175K mi. The bottom end of a M119 engine is pretty tough! I woundn't think bearings would be close to being needed. Unless some bonehead ran the car on no oil.
Good luck.
Dr.D

[rsmcmahon]

The intermittent chain rattle you are describing is exactly the symptoms my car is experiencing. To address the problem, I changed the chain tensioner, upper rails, but the problem noise still persists. My chain stretch was only 3 degrees, so I didn’t change the timing chain. I also replaced the oil filter housing check valve. I have not replaced the lower guide rails. the 92 400se only has 133,000 miles and I'm the second owner.

Last month I replaced the belt tensioner too.

I replaced one of the camshaft timing adjusters as someone else suggested, but only on the right camshaft - a year ago.

Man… this car is killing me. It’s always something. I don’t mind working on the 400se, but if your "fix" to address the problems turns out to be replacing the bearings - I’m getting rid of this car.

[tom woolner]

Hi Fad (and all),
Sorry I haven't responded in a while. Since that one-time clank, things have been OK. I left my car with my tech (actually, my old tech - I think I paid for someone's house remodel) for a week while I went out of town, and asked them to run it at various times of the day, start it a lot, take it home with them. After a week, the report was - perfect. Trans is fine, no weird noises upon startup.
I think I've just been hypervigilant, due to the amt. of money I've spent.
Right now, I'm just enjoying driving my car, worry free.

We should do another GTG before the rains start.

Tom