Should I replace the oil pump chain and guide?
 

I have a 1989 300TE with 137,000 miles on it and since I have to removed the lower timing chain cover and oil pan due to oil leaks I am also replacing the timing chain guides, now since I am also doing all this should I also do the oil pump chain and guide.

This is not something I have ever read about or seen on the forums, most people just do the timing chain and don't seem to worry about the guides but for roughly 35 dollars I am going to making sure I don't have to go through all that labor again.

Is the oil pump chain even something that anyone worries about?

"If you're in there"
 

"Cheap Insurance"

[Inspect your OP system Sprockets for wear and/or chipping as per FSM;they
may be O.K. to continue using with the New Chain.]

Oil Pump:Chain ,Spring,Guide,AND Sprockets (One for OP, one for Crankshaft)
are inexpensive. 'Just make sure you use "Loctite"on the Oil Pump Sprocket Bolt!
(The Factory does not...But you, being a Savvy Owner,will want the extra
insurance of KNOWING that bolt CAN NEVER BACK OUT!)

Yeah that is what I was thinking, just nice to hear from someone else. Now I checked Peach Parts and just to make sure double checked with Arizona ******** and I see the pump chains and the guide but no spring so I will have to send out some emails.

That Loctite stuff sounds like a good idea as well.

If you're in there, why not. Do the front main seal too.

If I keep going by the "since I'm already here I might as well replace this" state of mind I am going to end up with the whole lower end rebuilt:laugh:


I shouldn't laugh at what I just said though, my Wife and I know how bad my obsessive are and we could end up with one of the nicest restored 300's in the U.S.

Lower ends almost never fail- new guides from MB only. That's what I do for internal stuff... not worth re-work of off-brand parts.

x2. Bottom end is rock solid.

I wish I had replaced the chain/rails/guides on mine....but I didn't have the lower cover off when I rebuilt my top end on my 88 300TE. Not that it looked like anything was wrong....just simply for peace of mind.

Rememeber that your car is a taxi that would otherwise do 300K easy (Last trip to Vienna W211 with 480K km in 4yrs, "starke Maschine"). Aside from fixing leaks or damage from poor maintenance, most everything else (esp. oil pump) is overkill.