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.