Cost of doing the timing chain and valve guides

[m-racer]

I'm looking at an 88 M5 with 132k. Seems to be in good shape. Haven't done compression or leakdown yet. It has not had the timing chain and valve guides done. Anyone have an idea on the cost? Anything else to recommend while having this done? Thanks.

[Rich Euro M5]

I'm looking at an 88 M5 with 132k. Seems to be in good shape. Haven't done compression or leakdown yet. It has not had the timing chain and valve guides done. Anyone have an idea on the cost? Anything else to recommend while having this done? Thanks.

I think you meant timing chain guides vs valve guides. But to provide you with some sort of idea. The cost of refreshing the timing chain components is dependent on a couple of factors. Who you buy the parts from and what you decide to remove and replace.

Considering the scope of this job it would be foolish to NOT change everything that is made of plastic, moves or involves the actual chain itself. That said, at a minimum you should change the plastic guides, the chain tensioners (the parts that push the chain) the oil operated tensioner assembly, the timing chain and sprockets. Cost of these parts will probably be in the $600 -1000 range.

If the leakdown and compression tests look good and you decide to buy the car, use the lack of the timing chain service as a bargaining tool. It's probably a $2k job to have done. To put it another way, if the car is in good to excellent condition overall it might be worth $9k with a fresh timing chain service documented. The same car needing the timing chain service is worth about $7K.

Rich

[m-racer]

Rich, Thanks and righto about the guides. I drove one of my 02's today and it smoked like a son of a gun when I downshifted into 3rd. Think I need valve guides. I should never think and type at the same time. Is the rule of thumb to do the chain and guides every 50k like in the E39 M3's?

[Rich Euro M5]

Rich, Thanks and righto about the guides. I drove one of my 02's today and it smoked like a son of a gun when I downshifted into 3rd. Think I need valve guides. I should never think and type at the same time. Is the rule of thumb to do the chain and guides every 50k like in the E39 M3's?

Don't know what an E39 M3 is, if you mean E30 M3 with the S14 engine then the answer is no not every 50K miles. My mechanic recommends every 75K miles for the Euro M88/3 with the single row timing chain. With the dual row chain it isn't a matter of the chain breaking like the M88/3 engines. It's more a function of the plastic guide rails breaking and a bit of the rail getting caught in the timing chain causing it to jump time.

Rich

[lkfoster]

I'm looking at an 88 M5 with 132k. Seems to be in good shape. Haven't done compression or leakdown yet. It has not had the timing chain and valve guides done. Anyone have an idea on the cost? Anything else to recommend while having this done? Thanks.

I think you meant timing chain guides vs valve guides. But to provide you with some sort of idea. The cost of refreshing the timing chain components is dependent on a couple of factors. Who you buy the parts from and what you decide to remove and replace.

Considering the scope of this job it would be foolish to NOT change everything that is made of plastic, moves or involves the actual chain itself. That said, at a minimum you should change the plastic guides, the chain tensioners (the parts that push the chain) the oil operated tensioner assembly, the timing chain and sprockets. Cost of these parts will probably be in the $600 -1000 range.
Rich

I did my timing chain a few months ago. Parts ran about $1,200 from Steve Heygood and included everything that could conceivably be replaced without removing the head. Changed the exhaust sprocket to the Evo, but the cost was nearly the same as the OEM. Did the oil pump also, but not the Fahey pulley as I never spin the engine above 7,000 rpm.

Not included was a $200 600 ft-lb torque wrench off of eBay and a crank holder for the crank hub nut.

[m-racer]

E30.