As a coworker of mine found out, Toyota 22RE engines are worse -- they use cheapo plastic rails that break off and the timing chain then proceeds to chew through the front cover into the water pump passage.

First sign of trouble is typical chain knock at low speeds, but this gets ignored as it never gets worse and the engine runs fine (dizzy is driven off the cam). Next thing you know, there is a whole lot of coolant in the oil and the engine is locked up.

Single row chain, plastic guides, just liek the 380. Cure is the same, too -- get a chain, sprokets, and cover from a 22R engine, that one is the "old" two row chain, runs forever on steel guides with rubber faces.

Sometimes changes aren't improvements, just changes!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!