Mercedes-Benz Forum banner

1987 5.6 Timing Chain replacement cost -

20K views 29 replies 14 participants last post by  MT_Merc 
#1 · (Edited)
Just picked up a 1987 560 with just over 100,000 miles and considering having this service done as a preventative.


I was quoted $1,795 for new chain, tensioner, guide rails, and valve cover gaskets including labor. All OEM Parts. (Labor $845, parts $826)


This seems high. I understand the need for OEM tensioner, is it necessary to use OEM for chain and guides?

What type of prices are others seeing?
 
#6 ·
Wy don't you remove the valve covers and check the chain for stretch, and the guides for wear, and make a decision to replace the chain if necessary. I would only use M-B parts. Back in 2000 I had my 380SL upgraded to a double row chain. It cost me over $3300. BTW I wish that websites like this were known to me back then. The dealer I bought the car from said the timing chain had been taken care of. It was, with another single row chain. An expensive lesson learned for me.
 
#18 ·
I'm a newbie at maintaining a 560SEL(1990). Can you point me out to an instruction set on how I would go about checking for chain stretch and guides for wear? I am technically oriented so this challenge is not 'quiver in boots' time....
:smile
 
#7 ·
1 - 116 050 18 11 TENSIONER
1 - 000 -997-76 94 CHAIN
1 - 117-050-16 16 GUIDE RAIL NL
2 - 117-052-08 16 GUIDE RAIL
2 - 117 052 09 16 GUIDE RAIL
1 - 116 016 12 21 VALVE GASKET
1 - 116 016 14 21 VALVE GASKET
2 - 116 180 01 84 cam oil kit



Missing anything?
 
#9 ·
That's a pretty fair price as others have said. As far as going with non OE guides, is your total savings of $6 worth the possibility of premature failure. This isn't like a monovalve where no one gives a damn if the $15 part fails prompting them to make a frankenvalve using the old one with the new diaphragm. Something in your timing system breaks and you're shooting a camshaft out of its towers if you're anywhere near 3000 RPM.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GreenT
#13 ·
Remember the correct terminology.


OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer

OE = Original Equipment (Real deal Mercedes-Benz branded part)


You want to use OE timing chain tensioner. OEM for other parts are fine.
 
#17 ·
Ask 10 people, get 10 different answers.

I've been working on cars for several decades now with some solid builds under my belt and typically when it comes to mechanical "break-in" with new parts, I change all parts as a set, doesn't matter if its bearings to suspension or valve train. Maybe its insurance, maybe its a waste, maybe its what works for me.....
 
#21 ·
Ok. Had one other quote for $1,000-$1,200 for chain, tensioner, guides and cam oilers. He comes highly recommended and is an old school German.

He said he only used german parts (Febi, IWIS and SWAG) and did mention the tensioner being FEBI or SWAG. I am leaning towards him but he is about 1:30 hours away ( of course outside of the city where everything is overpriced)
 
#22 ·
The Febi tensioner is not recommended. Mercedes tensioner is about $400 and the Febi is about $50. A client of mine had this service completed on a 1989 560sel and the shop that did the work used the Febi. That tensioner lasted less than 2 months, client then had to pay again for the Mercedes part. Very important component of the service.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mramay
#23 ·
I'm coming up with $505 for the parts, all genuine, priced off mboemparts.com except for the chain itself from Autohausaz.com. It appears you have the tensioner rail itself on your list, when you may just need the plastic liner (part number 117-052-00-83 - can't say I know for sure an 87 uses the same design as the 89 5.6 I did the job on though). So the quote for the parts seems high, not sure if they're adding other things for whatever reason. Also, I don't know what shop rates are like around there, but either they're figuring well over 8 hours, or they're charging $100+/hr. Either way, you should be able to do better. That being said, definitely find someone who's familiar with the job. I'd pay $800 in labor for someone I was confident in to do it, if they were the only shop I could find that I could trust. It may be a hassle to take it another town, but might be the best choice considering the cost and the potential for harm if it's done wrong.
 
  • Like
Reactions: littlehandegan
#25 ·
That's over 50% markup over a retail price (again, assuming we're talking about roughly the same parts list); is that a typical markup for parts? I know, they've got to make a profit, but if I could save $300 by buying the parts myself, I'd do it every time. I know a lot of shops don't like doing business with customer-supplied parts, but I'm not sure I'd be willing to do business with any mechanic who wouldn't at least meet me in the middle. Then again, I don't mind being dirty, sore, and burning through a weekend if it means saving $1000+. Not sure if that makes me a cheapskate. :D
 
#26 ·
We are DIYers, we look at things differently than most customers lacking the knowledge, tools, time, ability or motivation to do the job.

A shop is a business that must be profitable in order to remain viable. Twice the cost is not unreasonable when they have to pay for overhead we don't have (insurance, rent, utility, taxes, advertising, fees, permits, etc, etc)

I can fix a leaking faucet much more cheaply than hiring a plumber. The question is so what? I owned a landscape firm for many years and once in awhile we would get the occasional customer asking for a cost breakdown on a bid, like labor, materials, etc. I never did any business with people like that.

Finally, think about this... how many millionaire mechanics you know? :)
 
#29 ·
There is plenty of info on Google on how to do this job. Is not complicated (actually is pretty easy) and if you have a garage and take your time you can do an excellent job. You need few tools that would cost you less than $100. Other than that, just the will to do it thrust in yourself. IMO even 845 is high for a job that you can do it yourself.

Regarding post 27: No they are not doing hard work. This job is not hard at all, but it requires knowledge to know what you are doing. As it goes in any field, knowledge is not cheap, where the high cost comes from. Is knowledge driving the price, not the job difficulty level.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top