'81 380sl timing chain question

Any information on breaking timing belts in a 1981 380sl around 60,000 miles?

Reply to
kdr
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This only occurs if you have single row timing chain... just take your oil cap off and you can see the timing chain, if it is like a bicycle chain, it's a single row chain.

60K miles is kinda low for the chain to break. Are you sure the odometer is correct?

MB has recommended that all single row timing chain be converted to double row since 1984.

Reply to
Tiger

You're screwed if you broke the timing chain. You will have at least one bent valve, probably more.

Reply to
Celica Dude

At an old hole in the wall I used to work, the boss taught me how to change the timing chain on one of these motors in a very shadetree manner, but very easy as well. I watched two of them done this way and the third, i assisted.

If the chain is still intact, you remove the chain tensioner first. Then you break a link of the timing chain with a link-breaker. Put yourself a master link in there to connect the new chain to the old chain. Roll the engine around with a ratchet on the crank until all of the old chain has been rolled out of the engine. Try to keep the chain taut throughout this operation (hah!). Remove the old chain and connect the ends of the new timing chain. Thinking back on this method, it's really amazing we didn't damage the engines further. The old chain is slack, so basically all we did was roll a new chain in and possibly kept the cams out of time. If you try this method (cheapo method), make sure your chain guides are not broken and that your cams are in time after the operation....

Why did i tell you this? Who knows..

Reply to
Celica Dude

So you just rolled a duplex chain onto a pair of simplex sprockets?

300 Essie
Reply to
300 Essie

no, i replaced duplex with duplex and single with single.

Reply to
Celica Dude

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