A friend recently gave me an '89 300E with 116,000 miles for $100. He said he didn't want to mess with it since the parts were expensive and it has a "tick" in the top of the engine. He had taken it to his regular mechanic (who works on his Ford trucks) who took the valve cover off. He noticed that there was a valve "loose" and was able to "tighten it up". My friend said the "tick" got worse and decided he did not want to mess with it. Knowing I am fond of Mercedes, he decided to give it to me at a low price to get it out of his driveway.
Myquestions:
What did this guy do that made it worse?
Do I need to replace the head?
How much should I limit driving it (it runs nice and has not lost any power)?
I would appreciate any guesses, as it is in great shape runs VERY well and has low miles. I want to keep and repair it, but I cannot spend too much, as I don't have very much. Thank you so much for any assistance.