AAAAAAARGHHHHHHH - nooooo!

[cowsurgeon]

My beautiful (recently resprayed) 1980 350SL has just had its timing chain tensioner disintegrate, causing untold damage to the valves. I'm told at least 3 have bent, and that's from only taking one of the rocker covers off. Unfortunately I don't have the time, or the knowledge to strip down the cylinder heads and replace/regrind the valves myself and the (local) garage I've taken it to has quoted a conservative estimate of £1800 to fix it. They suggested sourcing a new w107 engine, and said that it would be cheaper to buy that and drop it in rather than rebuild my engine, with its possibility of even worse damage yet unseen.

So, my questions are, do you think they're right? Does anyone know of where I could lay my hands on a second hand 3.5 w107 V8 engine (oh, and it's manual transmission if that makes a difference)? Does anyone have an idea of how much one would cost?

I've been warned against local breakers yards, and told that merc specialists will be the way to go....

Please help - it's my only car...

Chris

 

[jberks]

Id get a copy of the Mercedes enthusiast magazine.
The specialist breakers are
http://www.mercman.net/
and
http://www.dronsfields.com/

Whether they would have something so rare however is another matter. Worth a call though or they may know someone who does.

 

[Chazchuzzlewitt]

I know a car that's got a fairly low mileage 450 (M117) V8 engine in it going cheap, though it's been sitting in a car for over a year in damp conditions so I don't know how much good it would be to you...

 

[G MAN]

That's unlucky.... Blue Star up your way or Crewe Engines are worth a shout
both should have ads. in Merc Enthusiast

 

[cowsurgeon]

Thank you all for your advice -
here's what's happened:

Dronsfields had an engine on the shelf for £750 - but not stripped down or reconditioned, and the cheapest reconditioned one was from Crewe engines for £1795 + VAT.

So.... I've decided to try and do the work myself with the help of my new father in law, who's a dab hand at engine maintenance/rebuilding (he's just stripped down and rebuilt a 3.5 litre rover engine to drop into a AC cobra replica kit car) and I've bought - wait for it - a £300, 11 year old ford mondeo with 172,000 on the clock to tide me over until we get it finished. My god, what have I let myself in for?

I dare say over the next few months I'll be bending your ears for a bit more help here and there - but thanks again for your advice already!

Wish me luck!

Chris

 

[cowsurgeon]

Here's a picture of my broken joy...

 

[Shambolic]

Here's a picture of my broken joy...

Oops you forgot the Pic :wink:

 

[cowsurgeon]

I'd just added (or so I thought) the pic to my profile in the user control panel but it hasn't appeared... Am I just being thick?

 

[television]

Thank you all for your advice -
here's what's happened:

Dronsfields had an engine on the shelf for £750 - but not stripped down or reconditioned, and the cheapest reconditioned one was from Crewe engines for £1795 + VAT.

So.... I've decided to try and do the work myself with the help of my new father in law, who's a dab hand at engine maintenance/rebuilding (he's just stripped down and rebuilt a 3.5 litre rover engine to drop into a AC cobra replica kit car) and I've bought - wait for it - a £300, 11 year old ford mondeo with 172,000 on the clock to tide me over until we get it finished. My god, what have I let myself in for?

I dare say over the next few months I'll be bending your ears for a bit more help here and there - but thanks again for your advice already!

Wish me luck!

Chris

Good luck with it, if you want any help with how to gap the rings, end floats etc or spec of components.just ask.

malcolm

 

[Shambolic]

I'd just added (or so I thought) the pic to my profile in the user control panel but it hasn't appeared... Am I just being thick?

no it takes a wee fiddle to add picture you could got to tinypic.com and browse for pic on you comp upload it and use the one with IMG on either side copy and paste it into post and Bobs your mother's lover!!!!
Good luck!

 

[cowsurgeon]

Let's try again!

 

[television]

That's nice, in fact very nice.

Malcolm

 

[Shambolic]

Thats better there you go !!!!!!
Lovely car too!!!
Here is a wee pic of mine with 2 lovelies behind the wheel!!

 

[cowsurgeon]

Thanks! You can see why I'm p****d off!!
Shambolic - your lovelies appear to have strange black square heads!?
Nice car though...

 

[Shambolic]

Just protecting the innocent!!!
To be honest I prefer your car but my missus uses hers everyday to go to train station for work so needed something newer.
Would dearlylove to have one as weekend car but cant afford one
(green with envy)

 

[cowsurgeon]

(Until now) it's been my only car for four years, and has been extremely reliable - only twice have I had to find other means to get to work, and that was because of snow and ice - not something that only affects classics! It was in the garage for a couple of weeks for a respray and new wings, but that was mainly cosmetic.

 

[cowsurgeon]

oh, forgot to mention the incredible fuel costs though - that'll put you off before anything else, and mine's not even a 500!!!

 

[hawk20]

Let's try again!

Wow. She really is a beauty.
Malcolm said the engine is very rare. Why is that?

 

[Myros]

I hate to be a damp squib

but is it legal to have a Black and Silver number plate on a V reg?
Other than that, welcome aboard and what a nice looking car.

 

[Myros]

whoops, just read your other thread

it would seem you know about your number plates.

I have a factory manual for the fuel injection system, if you have any trouble with it, post up here and we'll try our best.