Broken Timing Chain Guides - Leave in Oil Pan? NO!
 

I read on another board where a very tenacious 420 owner replaced his timing chain after discovering broken guides. There were still pieces in the engine. He started it up and the pressure was low. He dropped the oil pan and sure enough, there were pieces at the pickup. I know people have done this in the past with the 116/117 engine, but apparently, this is NOT a good idea. Worse, the problem seemed to come and go.

No comprende - what's not a good idea - not pulling the oil pan after a broken guide?

That's what I mean - people have left parts in the oil pan after broken guides (sometimes the chain doesn't go) - hoping that the plastic will settle to the bottom. I understand that the subframe has to be dropped or the engine lifted out in order to take the pan off on a 107.

I agree - my 119 motor oil pump intake pipe was almost completely clogged with little plastic pieces. There's a wire screen there but they get sucked in and stick against the screen - can't be a good thing. This was a 124 on which it's fairly easy to remove the pan.

Ich bin confused. Mine (560SL) are at the bottom of the pan I'm sure. Is that good, bad or just the opposite?

If by "mine" you mean "your" broken plastic pieces of your shattered timing chain rails, it's a bad thing, because some of them are likely not in the bottom of the pan - but clogged in the intake pipe for the oil pump.

I couldn't agree more, I sure do not want them there, but as stated by Strife, I hear that pan removal in the 560 is a major job. Is it worth it?. On the other hand, oil lubrication (looking at the oil tubes on top of the camshaft bearings) appears to be OK. And the broken rails have been down there for over two years now ...

Jl

I wouldent loose to much sleep over this unless oil pressure was low. Just about every Ford car engine I pulled the pan on had pices of deteriorated valve stem seals plugging up the oil inlet. While it is not good to have this stuff in there, the cost of repacement of your engine with a good low milage used engine is low enough to warrent the gamble.

But if you are going to do it. Pull the engine, pull the pan and front cover and replace the lower guides and oil pump chain as well. And of course put a new seal in the front cover and you may want to consider a new water pump as well.

John Roncallo