Their initial question about timing chain length was because I supplied them with a timing chain. My guess is if they had sourced the chain themselves they wouldn't have asked me about it. I'm pretty confident with my mechanic's abilities. Diesel Mercedes aren't their specialty but they work on tear downs of all types of engines. They are just being careful and just need some guidance to ensure everything is how it needs to be. I don't think they would have asked me for my input if they thought I was just a "dumb" Benz owner. They know I do a lot of DIY myself, and figured I could add some value to the table.

I appreciate the info on the tensioner. Installing a new tensioner and marking the chain and counting links should be what we need to do.

Thanks again, fellas. Definitely appreciated!

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Ed
-1984 Mercedes 190D 2.2 5-speed gray market(bought@30,000 miles) (Sold back to original owner@170,000 miles)
-1999 Mercedes E300DT (245,000 miles)
-1999 Mercedes S500 Grand Edition (80,000 miles)