timing chain

Hi Stepdaughters 93 sl2 died today.Car has 90,000 miles.Mechanic says it is
the timing chain. Is this one of the engines that are damaged when the
timing chain breaks? mechanic says could be $1000.00 to replace depending on
what he finds when he looks inside. Sounds high to me but I really don't
know for sure. Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Doug

 

The chain can be had for less than 100 bucks and it is not that hard
to change. 300 to 500 would be a lot more reasonable. It is not a
interferance engine that I am aware of.

 

It is not a interferance engine that I am aware of.

It is definitely an engine with an interference type design. If your timing
chain breaks, it will likely cause a lot of internal damage. If that damage
already occurred, it would be cheaper to purchase and install a used motor
than to try to rebuild the existing one.

That sounds right for what it might cost. Or, if you're mechanically
inclined at all and have a bit of patience, you can pick up a used motor for
a couple hundred bucks and install it yourself in a weekend. I've swapped a
motor without ever having done one before and it's not that bad of a job.

Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]