I do have a MB manual on cd, I will start digging. My lateral play didn't seem to bad, but the thrust surfaces are certainly wore at .33mm. I want to approach this repair in a logical manner & I hate to tear half the engine down in one shot, but if I'm doubling my work by doing one thing at a time, I'm all ears. I know my chain is within spec on stretch, but wouldn't mind knowing the condition of the tensioner, guide rails & such. I know the timing device is a pita to remove because of the timing chain, but losing the routing of the chain or completely dropping it scares me a little. Pulling the IP doesn't scare me, but timing it properly does a little. At this point in the season I'm not in a rippin hurry to get the car going again as I would only drive it for a couple months. (I live in THE rust belt of the world just south of Buffalo, NY) By the same token, I hate tearing something apart & trying to get back in it's groove a month or two down the road. Man, I really like this car & was tickled to death when I heard they were one of the most durable, reliable cars ever built. Nobody told me it wasn't without effort & a bucket of money. Car originally came from CA, but there was still a lot of hidden water damage. (Did a bit of bodywork in all the typical areas) I've gone through the SLS, replaced oil cooler lines, front suspension, brakes, and a lot of other typical stuff. I'm in it too far to quit! I feel I'm at the bottom of a long list of folks that have been there, done that.