Mahle Aluminum backed Timing Chain Guide
 

on a post on this forum, someone mentioned, "Mahle Aluminum backed Timing Chain Guides". It sounded as though they may be of superior quality than the standard mercedeso OEM. any idea where one could purchase these for a 1991 560SEL? thanks!

The chain guides you mention are made by Meyle, not Mahle. As far as I know, they only seem to be available for the M116 engine. (See, e.g., EuroPartsDirect.com.) I have had them in my 380 for some time. When I did my chain last year, 70,000 miles after their installation, they still looked like new. It sure would be nice to have that peace of mind for the M117, too.

http://12.153.160.115/webapp/wcs/sto...60521716MY.jpg
It seems he's right. I would have thought the 116 and 117 would share parts like this but maybe not.

...suitable for:

Cabrio (W 111)
01.1969 - 12.1971
Coupé (W 111)
01.1961 - 12.1971
280 SE 3.5 (111.026)

S-Class Stufenh. / Sedan
(W 108, W 109)
01.1966 - 08.1972
280 SE,SEL 3.5 (108.057, 108.058),
300 SEL 3.5 (109.056)

S-Class (W116)
08.1972 - 07.1980
350 SE,SEL (116.028, 116.029)

S-Class (W126)
10.1979 - 06.1991
380 SE,SEL (126.032), 420 SE,SEL,
420 SE,SEL (126.034)

S-Class Coupé (C126)
10.1981 - 06.1991
380 SEC (126.043), 420 SEC
(126.046)

SL Coupé (C 107)
01.1972 - 09.1981
350 SLC (107.023), 380 SLC
(107.025)

SL (R 107)
05.1971 - 09.1989
350 SL (107.043), 380 SL (107.045),
420 SL (107.047)


http://www.meyle.com/pdf/12606.pdf
http://www.meyleusa.com/
...I wish they made these for all MB models...

Go to a junkyard, find a 108/109 or 116 with a 4.5.
As long as nobody replaced the originals, they should have aluminum-backed rails.

So the guides on my 450SE s/b the "good ones' and should work on either 420SEL?

Cheers!

I just put two of these in my 380SL after an "unfortunate incident". It's too bad that they aren't available for the 5.6 117. Seems that there would be a market for it. It could be machined from aluminum by an enterprising person...

To answer StorminNorman's question, no, they're not. Your 450SE is a W116 chassis/body style, but it has an earlier iteration of the M117 engine. Your W126 420SEL has an M116 engine (a development of that in the earlier 380 cars). The old chain rails in your 450 would be transferable to a 500 or a 560, which are later M117 engines, but not to your 420. The suggestion by Tomguy is an interesting idea, but won't work in your case.