My '87 560SEL is nearing 100K on the engine (215K on the body) so I'm starting to think about chain, guide, and tensioner replacement. I've reviewed posts here, on mbnz.org, and mbz.org and all seem to indicate that this is a possible DIY job that simply requires some time and lots of patience. I've rebuild a couple of non-MB engines in my day so I'm no stranger to the inside of a V8 but have never dealt with an overhead cam engine. I like the idea of replacing the chain with only one valve cover removed rather than having to pull the entire front of the engine apart ;-)

However, I do have one question - where are the various chain guides that seem to be the most important part of this repair and can they too be replaced without removing all the front accessories and the timing cover?

Any advice or tricks to this job would be much appreciated.
jlc