The '97 E300D will have the updated vacuum pump with an improved bearing but it's still worth pulling for an inspection as long as you're working in that area. Even the new bearing can fail and dump pieces into the timing chain case, as vstech has written. This is a failure you do not want to wait for.

Mark's friend's problem (in which a failed tensioner took out the timing case) is also worth remembering. It's a lot more work and money to replace the timing cover than it is to replace the entire tensioner assembly.

EDIT: Also see this thread.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .343,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 148,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 177,300 (2026 projected)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 668,300
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970