Can anyone let me use theirs? I want to change my timing chain soon, but would prefer not to buy the tool.

I can give references and.. maybe leave my wife or one of my kids as a deposit... But you would probably give me the tool to take them back.

Please get in touch if you are in the area.

John
910-867-9747

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1985 MB 300D/T

Fell off the WVO bandwagon when people started trying to charge $2.50 a gallon for dirty vegetable oil.

Yea, I am going to find a way to do this without buying a $200 tool.

F'IN RIDICULOUS

I grinded a nail punch at a 45deg angle, blocked the back with sledge hammer held by one of my more burly friends, and went at it with a hammer. It took a while, but I swear I can't tell it from the factory chain links. Noway I was going to buy the tool to do the job once in my life.

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1998 E300D, 287k, barely broken in.

can't blame you there.. I'm just a little paranoid.

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1985 MB 300D/T

Fell off the WVO bandwagon when people started trying to charge $2.50 a gallon for dirty vegetable oil.

A smallish ball peen hammer and a body dolly (or what ever heavy chunk of iron you might have lying around) work very well for that job.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

I was worried about doing this job with a ball peen hammer but I did some searching and came across a post where Larry Bible said that's how he does it and it should be fine. That was good enough for me and I can barely tell the master link from the rest.

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Seth

1984 300D 225K
1985 300D Donor body
1985 300D Turbo 165K. Totaled. Donor Engine. It runs!!!
1980 300SD 311K My New Baby.
1979 BMW 633csi 62K+++? Dead odo

Glad to hear that you had success hammering the chain crimp.

Could you give more details on how to set up the body dolly?

Do you hammer both crimps at the same time?

How hard do you tap?

What prevents you from pressing the crimp with a small C-clamp?

illanrob1

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Robert Illan
1991 190E 2.6L 190Kmi
engine tear down

after reading Larry's post a few years ago, I have used the "peening' method several times. That side plate wont be coming off. I peen the pins one at a time holding the dolly (sledge hammer head, what ever) to the back side if the pin and use the small ball peen hammer on the other end,. You dont have too "tap' it too hard around the perimeter of the pin to "mushroom" it out a little all the way around.

A regular sea clamp is not nearly skookem enough

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

I am not so sure I have enough guts to peen one with a hammer. One of the jobs of the tool is to push everthing togeather and hold the link plate in position while the pin is being mushed over. If I was by myself I would not have enough hands to hold the back up weight, link plate and peen the pin. Even with normal task I have always been a little clumsy.
If I could not buy a used tool I would buy a new tool; use it and after I was sure I would not need it again sell it on Ebay and recover most of the money. The other option is rent out the tool or earn some money replacing the chains on other peoples cars.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

And, I might be giving you a call in a few weeks. I don't have a crimper but I need one and we might ought to plan on renting one.

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1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine)
Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!

I found it more difficult too get the side plate on over the pins than to actually peen the pin. I had a helper hold the body dolly.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

These hammers come in different sizes 8oz and up.
What would a smallish hammer be to peen the chain link?

Robert Illan

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Robert Illan
1991 190E 2.6L 190Kmi
engine tear down

I have several of different sizes as they are also handy for making gaskets epically the small one. Anything you can hold the gasket paper over and "tap" around, will at least mark the paper if not "cut" it. You couldn't go wrong with something midrange for the timing chain, but get a little one too, their nice to have around.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"