With regard to oil temperature & pressure, the leakdown rate of the compensators (lifters) will be slightly greater at higher temperatures, which will in turn lead to slightly later timing and lower lift of the inlet valves, which may be just enough to eliminate the valve to piston interference.

Well I have checked the engine running without the belt, and the sound is still there, laud and clear.
as I stand next to the front whell "either side" the sound is so clearly comming from between cylinder 3 and 4 just right under the valve cover.
Its very clearly when you move your head from side to side just above the valve cover.

and it almost sound like the whole stuff inside is ratling around, like something is realy about to snap or have a huge tolerence play to make this sound.
Not so cool

Have Mercedes discontinued the timing chain tensioner or is it just out-of-stock?

That's a concern if it has been discontinued on a car as young as 1991. If they do it for one engine variant, then they will probably do it for all engines in the W124 generation...and maybe the W126 and W140 too.

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1995 E300 Diesel

Yes I was VERY serpriced as well about this info.
But I use the Mercedes EPC net program my self and it tells it right in the system that this item is no longer awailable

This number is the complete chain tensioner "kit"
120 050 02 11 and this is not awailable anymore.
But you can not buy the trust pin seperatly
Only the compresion spring and the detent spring can be bought seperately.
See pictur.

But perhaps the unofficail dealers have som unoriginal parts that is still in production

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