Lifespan of an M117?
 

My brother is looking for temporary transportation. He'll need a car for six months to a year. There are few possibilities in the local area including a 500SE with 250,000 miles on it. The photos look surprisingly good for age and mileage but I was concerned about the timing chain. What is the recommended interval for the upper rails?

I thought it was around 100K miles.

How much are they asking and it is 100,000!

John1

800 Usd

fwiw, I saw a 560SEL in the junkyard with 321k.
Smashed in the front (premature death not from engine failure).

200k is fairly easy. I'd think 300k is possible with a well-maintained engine. I hope my SL never finds out.

The chain guides are typically what breaks in these motor, which causes interference, etc....




As long as the guides are good, you will be OK. My indy mechanic saw a 560SEL with 400k on it with the original chain, just new guides every 125k miles.



He also said he has never seen the chain just break, there has always been some other failure, leading to the chain snapping.

not a 117 but I've got a 420SEL in the shop right now with 420,000 on it. Not even a drop leaking from it. It's getting a new seat frame.

Wow....if you assume an average mpg for that car of 15mpg (might be too high?) then it has used over 28,000 gallons of gas in its lifetime so far. Yikes! :eek:

I was also wondering about this, how big of a hassle/$$$ is it for the guides to be replaced on this motor?

you need a pin puller, and ps pump and alternator need to be taken off for starters.

I guess the question to ask then would be how much $$ and time for you to do it?? :D

arm, leg.

sounds fair

Hate to double post but I picked up the car today, someone at some point took very good care of this car at some point I must say. Anyways, the previous owner said that the cause of the rough idle is supposedly the fuel distributer, is it possible to verify this and get the car running a little better without dumping too much $$$? This one is definitely a keeper.

My 84 500sec had a bit of a rough idle when I got it with 80k miles on it. I spent at least $500 chasing it, I imagine, new rotor, plugs, wires, various things relating to the fuel injection, all the while it never really quit with the rough idle. Finally I gave up and just kept driving it. When I sold it it had about 140K on it and it was going strong. The last summer I had it I autocrossed it. I don't think the guides were ever done. Probably should have been. But it never missed a beat and as long as I owned it it kept running better and better.

Just put the gas pedal down about a third of the way on every startup and when it is good and hot don't shut it down unless it will get a chance to cool off or it will be hard to start.

I was going to say that 500K was possible but given the statement about the 420 above, I suspect that figure might be too low.

I would recommend not trying too hard to get a dead smooth idle like a modern fuel injected car. The system is really really simple and durable but its not perfect.

They are rugged durable beasts.....if you can afford the fuel.

Tom W

Thank you for the comments all :) I should have a chance to look at it on Sunday and go over the maintenance records such that there are.

:( I bought it today

This one is defintly a keeper, It's a 2ND gen W126 500SE, Imported in 1989 apparently by the stickers on it. One dead hole on the fuel distributor for cyl 3 causing the rough idle, and a poorly repaired radiator that leaks and will need to be replaced. All in all not a bad car and should see service for many years to come.

The best part about it? Tri-Y's!

Sounds like you have a handle on it.

Enjoy!

Tom W

Yeah I'm definitely very excited about the car, though I think John may have actually been more excited when he saw the exhaust headers...:confused:

Perhaps leaving the car there this week wasn't such a good idea

I think 15 is too low. My 420SEL used to get 19 or so in Denver (more highway travel) and 17-18 in New Orleans. A 560, now, might be closer to 15.

Mine had "only" 198,000 on it when it was totalled while parked.
.

that's good to hear, the biggest risk we're taking with this car is the fuel bill, but with diesel jumping so high because of ultra low sulfur regulations premium in a newer (albeit higher mileage) V8 almost sounds logical.

fifteen is not too low unless you don't drive city at all, imho.

ninteen was the best I ever got with my 500sec on the required regular gas. that was driving 65.

I drove about 35k miles almost all highway between Lafayette and Indy one year when my first grandson was in the hospital there for the first eight months of his little life.

Tom W

I got 14-15mpg out of my 380 this weekend during the NC gtg. I was driving with a lead foot most of the time though.

This thread is just worthless without pics, here's some of the 500SE:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...0SE/pic004.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...0SE/pic003.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...0SE/pic002.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...0SE/pic001.jpg

thanks a lot John those pics are beautiful, I was thinking about trading you for the wagon but now that I have seen those pics you've got me back on track ;)

Does yours require premium unleaded? Mine did.

That 19 mpg in Denver was about 50% highway, and the 17-18 was about 75% city down here in The Swamp. Mine had regular oil (15W-40) and tranny fluid changes, had the timing chain changed at 150K, breathed through a K & N air filter, and rode on tires I kept at least a pound or two higher than the stock psi, so some or all of that might have helped.

I love my Buick . . . but looking at the pics of your 500SE's giant steering wheel and dash layout makes me wish I could have another one. . . .

(No! Down, sir! Behave yourself!)
.

well it has an ECE which I believe is for changing the timing for different available fuels but I will always be putting 93 octane in it.

So... I've got an 85 500SEL grey mkt car in the back field.

Does it have these elusive headers as well?

Jim

the best way to tell would be to look, if the headers are one piece "logs" then they aren't if the middle two and outer two cylinders on each bank have their own header and down pipe then you have tri ys, look in the second pic John posted

Just an update, car is running a lot better now with a new fuel distributor (was running as a miracle V7 before with now fuel to #3 cylinder) but I still have a pretty strong miss at around 2000rpm that I believe may be caused by a stripped screw on the distributor cap. Any thoughts?