Friday, was a beautiful to break a timing chain.

Smooth stop of power to the side of the road. No Noise, No warning just stopped.

I plan on replacing the timing chain myself.

With the special riveting tool (double).........are there a lot of ways of messing this up?

Any tips for success.........I'd like to do this once.

Tool Source.......one better than another?

Thanks in Advance..........

Bill in Boston (there's no greater joy than accomplishing something new...learning!)

PS
I did however, remove the whole chain. I plan to fish a leader under the crank gear and up ......pull the chain through. Turn the crank manually.( I have done this {to the right}and it has come to a stop.....shouldn't I be able to do this indefinately???????? or is this maybe a reason the chain broke??? Then riveting etc, etc. etc.

I believe I brought this on myself. I didn't disassemble the piston of the tensioning assembly when I put it back in 25 miles ago. 30 minutes at 4000rpm the oil preassure fatigued the cahin to failure? Rereading the manual it says to disassemble because it hangs up. I used finger force and it plunged before reassembly......i thought it was enough!?!?!!

Am I missing something???????

Comments are always appreciated

This is an interference engine. That's why the engine came to a stop while you rotated it. Your plan of fishing the chain through and rotating the crank is sound if you turn the cams at the same time at half the rotational rate. But I'm afraid your problem may be bigger than the timing chain. If the chain broke while driving, you can expect damage to the intake and exhaust valves.

You're probably correct about the tensioner. The tensioner needs to be removed, then reinstalled correctly AFTER the chain is installed, or else the timing chain is under tremendous pressure. That's because the tensioner design includes a one-way ratchet that won't retract the plunger once the chain goes slack. Reinstalled correctly means it must be disassembled, the tensioner body mounted back on the engine, then the tensioner internals inserted back into the tensioner body.

Make sure the plastice chain guides are not damaged.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K