W124 300D hoover apparatus

[QuirkEinstein]

I recently acquired a 1986 W124 300D, featuring a single previous owner and equipped with an OM 603.912 engine. The vacuum pump and timing chain should be inspected at 400,000 kilometres, despite its current optimal performance. Regrettably, the owner did not maintain the service records, and considering the issues encountered with pump failures and debris entangling the timing chain, inspecting the pump is of utmost importance. Is there a suggested alternative for bulletproofing? Has anyone installed an electric pump or alternator with a connected vacuum pump, similar to Japanese truck configurations? Could someone perhaps recommend a workshop handbook for this vehicle and engine? All the information I have encountered online pertains to American vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines. I appreciate your assistance in advance.

[CyberNinja]

The Haynes manual, number 3253, unequivocally addresses that engine. I have utilised it for several years for my various petrol models; please refer to the photographs below, including the page indicating its applicability to your specific engine.

[jimmy47785]

The handbook can be ordered online from the Haynes website; refer to the link below.

[jimmy47785]

https://uk.haynes.com/products/mercedes-benz-124-series-petrol-diesel-1985-aug-1993-haynes-repair-manual

[QuirkEinstein]

I have not experienced much success with Haynes manuals, as they often lack sufficient data on certain topics; but, I will attempt to utilise one.

[Geek2232]

A friend installed a Honda Blackbird engine in a Smart Fortwo, and due to the Honda engine's insufficient vacuum for the brakes, he incorporated an electric vacuum pump from a Jaguar. That was effective, and while one might be inclined to believe that the smart can be quickly halted, it is not the case without a servo.

[QuirkEinstein]

Thank you. I will disassemble the pump this weekend to inspect it and the sprocket cam for signs of wear. A new Pierberg pump, following multiple model revisions, has ostensibly resolved the issues associated with earlier versions; yet, I remain apprehensive about the potential, albeit unlikely, risk of foreign objects entering the engine and interfering with the timing chain.

[QuirkEinstein]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=timing chain&campid=5338181132&customid=2518X1570512Xc076a4d88c761eda30903ca4067674e2&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&subId2=15&toolid=10001