Hi:</P>


I own a 1992 R129 500SL with around 150.000KM on the clock. The engine had given me no trouble, burnt no oil, no smoke was emitted from the exhaust and it produced no unusual noises. Certainly no noticeable ticking or tinkling noises from the distribution chain.</P>


After a short speed run, with the engine fully warmed, I parked it and switched the engine off normally. It produced no noise nor vibration on shutdown.</P>


When I attempted to restart it 15 minutes later, the engine was seized solid. Upon later dismantling by a qualified mechanic, a camshaft on the left cylinder bank had totally sheared about 10cm back from the chain sprocket. The cylinder head was not removed, so I don't know whether therewaspiston to valve contact, but after removing all of the valve gear, the engine could not be turned by hand.</P>


Something seriously wrong must have happened inside the engine, because the distributor caps on both sides had shattered after the rotors had been forced upwards through them.</P>


Since I had bought the car a few years back, I had noticed that the oil pressure on iddle dropped below 1 with the engine warm, although the low pressure warning light did not come on.</P>


Since the cost of rebuilding the engine would have been substantial, I had a virtually new engine transplanted from a wreck, so I never found out what really happened and why.</P>


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Any clues anyone?</P>


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