Hello again everyone. I've been a member here for quite some time but haven't posted in a long time. I crossed over to the diesel side for a while, 84 300sd. Liked it a lot but recently relocated to New Jersey from Oklahoma so I sold the SD prior to the move. When I got here I found and bought an 89 420sel, 136k miles with some records. The car seemed fine, good interior and exterior. The only problem was blue smoke on startup and oil consumption of about a quart per 800 miles. Soooo, two days ago after reading all I could on this forum I decided to replace valve seals. All went well and no more smoke on startup or any other time. Pretty proud of myself since I'd never done this job before. Then reality set in. The next day the car starts normally and I go for a drive, about 20 miles of interstate driving at 65-70 mph, then stop to fill up. When I pull into the gas station I hear a tapping sound from the right front of the engine. Kinda sounded like lifter noise to me, but I'm no expert. I drove the car home and by the time I get home the noise is gone. So I'm thinking maybe a piece of dirt stuck in the lifter and worked it's way out or something like that, no big deal right? Wrong!! Once back at home I notice the car is now running rough. It's dark out so I take a peek under the hood with the engine runmning and I can see a nice blue glow around three plugs. Plug wires shot, so I ordered a new set, haven't gotten them yet. I decided to take the car to the store around the corner and the tapping is back, only worse! I drive it nice and easy and the tapping comes and goes. But now the car is missing even worse and the noise gets louder. It now sounds more like a bolt was dropped into the engine! I get to about a block from my driveway and the noise stops, because the engine died!! Now for my question, do you guys think the timing chain went?? I had no symptoms before, no slapping at startup, nothing. I haven't pulled the valve covers to look at the chain yet, the car is still on the side of the street. I didn't even try to restart it, I was so heartbroken I just walked home. HEELLLLPPPPP!!

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U. S. Air Force Air Traffic Controller
"U gotta keep 'em separated!!"

about the problem.

no way to really tell anything til you get more facts.

good luck

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Just hopefully the chain didnt break. Lets just pray. At that mileage, its bound to go. I have got 3 126 V'8s and 1 107. I have more to worry about than you do. When you changed the valve seals, didnt you have the valve covers off anyway? I guess you could of checked the chain and tensioning rails. As for the blue smoke on the plugs, I have never heard of a timing chain break and then having 3 plugs going bust.

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2001 E55

2001 E320 Sedan

2001 Subaru Legacy

2006 SLK280

2016 Subaru Outback 3.6

I just pulled both valve covers off and the timing chain appears to still be in place and tight. The rails do look brown but they are there and I can't see any broken ones. I had recently ordered a new chain and rails and I got them today. Now the problem. When I got in the car today it would not turn over. Sounded like the motor was binding somewhere. It only clicked when I tried to turn it over. It was about a block from home so we used another car to push it home. When we got there I tried one more time to turn it and it turned over. But I had the plug wires off so of course it didn't start. It turned a couple of times and seemed to bind again. What could be causing the binding?? If the timing chain isn't the culprit what else could it be?? Something else wierd, there is oil all over the passenger side valve cover. The gasket was just replaced and wasn't leaking before. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

__________________
U. S. Air Force Air Traffic Controller
"U gotta keep 'em separated!!"

First thing is to discover if it is really binding; the clicking could be caused by a bad connection, old battery, poor alternator, etc.

Why not pull the plugs and turn the engine by hand? If at that point you feel binding, I would look at the work I just completed and make sure all nuts are back in place (properly torqued), all the seals are still where they are supposed to be, etc.

Try to be as systematic as possible in your troubleshooting!

cheers,
dan r.

EDIT: +1 for 'Keep 'em seperated!'

I know it's not as much fun as tearing into an engine, but remove all the belts from the front of the engine. I have heard a lot of stories on here about AC compressors, alternators, and water pumps that have siezed and prevented the engine from turning.