Joe77911S

I installed a new timing chain and new spring-loaded tensioner on my '77. Since the chain is new and there isn't much slack to take up, the new tensioner when installed only extends out of its housing a little - just enough for the safety collar to fit on it. Is this okay?

There is room for the tensioner to add more tension to the chain, but it can not 'relax' its tension since the collar is stopping it.

I know all about the Carrera tensioners upgrade, so please don't bother mentioning those. I've spoken to very experienced Porsche mechanics and made my choice...

Thanks,
Joe

theiceman

if i was you i would upgrade to the pressure fed tensioners.....



..... hahaha..... sorry couldn't resist

Truth is Joe so many people have upgraded no one may jnow. Your best bet may be the most experienced among us like Pete Z and Steve W. doesn't seam like a problem to me however.

Stevie 77 930

So you made your choice about using non-pressure fed tensioners, just make sure you replace both tensioners and replace all the ramps. With the new tensioners inplace, i'd scrap the collar and allow them to work as the factory intended. I did this with my 911 some time back and never worried about it again.

Edgy01

I don't understand why EVERYONE hasn't switched over to the oil fed tensioners by now. That mod has been out since 1984. If you acquired your 77 used, then everyone in front of you was just plain cheap. Once done it is no longer a concern.

race911

Is it? I had more than one fail on customer cars back in the 80's-early '90's, including my own SC when I was about 500 miles from home.

Thankfully, the customers noticed the huge oil leak and I never had to buy a top end for anyone....... On my own car, the pot metal cap holding the relief valve together failed.

Joe77911S

None of the tensioners are perfect, and according to the Porsche mechanic I've spoken to even the pressure fed type can fail... I personally very much like the idea of 'safety collars', currently only commercially available for the tensioner style originally installed in my '77. Once 'safety collars' are available for the Carrera tensioners, I might upgrade.

race911

And to go back deep in the wayback machine, I can't ever remember a "safety collar" saving anything. Luckily, as I was getting the game, the latest SC revision had been installed in the new cars and had made its way into the repair sector. Along with the idlers.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Those safety collars do prevent immediate damage from a tensioner collapse causing the chain to jump a tooth or two. Some folks don't hear anything wrong until its too late so some diligence is required since the noise is very distinctive.

Other problems are caused by the older, narrow idlers binding on the shafts and causing tensioner failure so these should be installed regardles of which tensioner setup is used.

The combination of wide idlers and Turbo tensioners with the collars isn't bad at all as long as the ramps are fresh and the owner is aware of what a problem sounds like when it happens. The key to preventing an expensive problem is to NOT run the engine when it happens.