Im going to look at a 240d tomorrow.The timing chain broke while the car was being started.Its supposed to have 70.xxx miles on a rebuilt engine.The car is in good shape otherwise.Spoke to the mechanic and he wants to take off the head to fix it....$1300.He says it back fired while being started.My question is should I just replace the timing chain and take a chance everything is ok?The car is dirt cheap and has manual trans....

The valve sprobaly aren't bent- but the real isue is the rebuilt motor- who did it and why?

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Pierre Hedary 1985 280SEL, 1970 111.026 in progress
Mercedes technical advice hotline: 407 765 2867
[servicing older Mercedes in the state of Florida with competence and passion].

From the standpoint of an honest MB technician, Vegetable oil is a threat to your diesel engine's mechanical integrity.

Who did it...no idea.Why...it has 419.xxx on the clock.The mechanic who works on the car said it ran really well before the chain snapped....he also said it looked like the original timing chain.

So it was rebuilt at 350k miles and they didn't replace the timing chain?

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

So then ;

He's told you it wasn't " Rebuilt " , it was a cheapo _Overhaul_ and by a non- Mercedes mechanic because no one familiar with these cars would have skipped installing a new timing chain .

If the car's in VGC , (look for rust around the door edges , in pinchwelds and the trunk) offer no more than $500.00 for it and be ready to replace the engine or put a cylinder head on it at _least_ .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

A number of other posters have mentioned some issues that need to be answered before "dirt cheap" becomes a reality. Don't know if the engine is an interference engine, meaning if the motor was running or just making one revolution, and the timing chain broke, the valves and pistons could be trashed, along with other damage to the head components. The other issue is the possible damage to the timing chain area such as the tensioner, sprockets etc. The idea of an engine being "rebuilt" with the old timing chain left in place is a sure sign of either of three things. One, it was never rebuilt, two, the owner is trying to give you misinformation, and three, it may have been "rebuilt' by someone who had no idea what he is rebuilding or how to do it. Anyone of the three scenarios are telling you to leave this "dirt cheap" car alone. The other clincher in the mix is the "mechanic" who is giving you an estimate of $1300 to fix the head. Unless he has the engine opened up, he hasn't gotten a clue as to what he is going to find, and if that is the case, that $1300 might be just the starting point of what your going to have to pay out to get this car back on the road. Good luck .....

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96 E300d

I would run the other direction from that mechanic.
All the other posts in this thread are on the money. Listen to them carefully unless you have way too much money in your wallet.. email me if that is the case... I have many projects without that problem....

So I checked it out...its blue inside and out,I hate blue interiors!Anyhow its was not in as good a shape as I was informed so I passed.Would not have been interested even if the timing belt was ok.Thanks to all of you for your insight.