Bill P.

Checking the archives I noted that someone stated that the '83SCs did not need the chain tensioner fix as the prior models did. Is this true.

A lady friend of mine has one with 120,000 miles and her mechanic is insisting that she have the upgrade (to the '84 I believe) ASAP. There is no alien sound coming from the motor which runs great otherwise.

Advice would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Bill

john d 81SC

Bill,

I believe they're known as 'Carrera tensioners'(AKA pressure-fed tensioners) for a reason! *G* You may be thinking of the change made to the idler arms in 1980;the earlier version was,according to Bruce Anderson's "Performance Handbook", the major cause of tensioner failure. I've heard interesting opinions re: tensioner failure. Some maintain that it's an exaggerated problem; yet the financial consequences of not recognizing the sound of a tensioner failure could be substantial. I've had SC owners tell me that they're willing to chance it, confident that they'll recognize the sound, and if/when it does go, it's significantly less expensive to simply replace the tensioners, rather than the expense of the pressure-fed tensioner retrofit. I wasn't willing to gamble, although my SC had gone 58K w/o - I had them installed, yet also being warned that THEY fail too! *G*

Bill P.

Thanks for the note, John. Any idea what the cost range for the upgrade is??

Thanks,

Bill

Feeding a 911 for a while

I thought my '78SC was OK as it had only covered 66Kmiles and the engine was quiet. Anyway, I decided to carry out the upgrade just to be sure. When I removed the chain covers everything looked fine - chains in good condition, no emulsified oil etc etc. However, when I removed the tensioners, both were showing signs of failing. The tell-tale sign is that the plunger starts to wear away on one side and does not sit centrally in the hole where it emerges from the tensioner body.

If your car does not have the tensioner oil feed system fitted then it has the old tensioners. My advice would be to change them out.

Good luck

Trak Ratt

I’ve heard a lot of reasons to not upgrade the tensioners but I doubt very many people could react quickly enough to stop serious damage if one failed at 4K rpm. On our ’71 the only warning was a pesky backfire through one carb when that side started to go slack. I found the problem only during the upgrade! I’ve done several other upgrades since & it isn’t difficult. The parts are about $250 & can be purchased separately. Since you need to replace the cam chain covers & remove the front sheet metal it makes sense to upgrade the chain guides & replace the front engine oil seal at the same time if it is leaking.

MM83targa

I went through the upgrade on my recently purchased 83 earlier this year. All pre-84 cars could use the upgrade. I've heard it's not a question of if the originals will fail, it's when they will fail. The cheapest I've seen the kits is $350 - but installed the total cost will likely be $11-1200. Not a difficult procedure for DIY, but you do want to make certain the chains don't go slack and skip a tooth!

Steve Wilwerding

$1100 - $1200 seems high to me. Kit's about $350, the highest I was quoted to change it was $500. So, $800 - $900 is more like it. Of course, you could do it yourself and save the money - that's what I'm going to do this winter. Pelican's got a lot of excellent articles about it and the people on the Pelican BBS can answer most any question.

Feeding a 911 for a while

Yep I agree - it is not that difficult a job. You will need the tensioner upgrade kit which is £260 here in the UK, Oil (you must drain the oil first!), exhaust gaskets etc. It is also a good time to do the tappets and check the dreaded head studs - SC's have a problem with snapped lower studs and it will be quite obvious if tou have this problem as the broken stud is usually hanging out. When you fit the new tensioners you may need to fit a nylon or delrin spacer which is often not supplied with the kit. They are available from Porsche at a hugely inflated price.

bds1

I bought mine from Porsche, HENDRICK's in SC. Price was about 380$ (both sides), they had GREAT service! I highly reccomend them.

MM83targa

I got mine from Hendrick's also, but they're in Charlotte - 1-800-315-8193.

Both shops that I asked about the upgrade said - parts - $500, labor 8 hrs ( @$75/hr ). That's how I got the $11-1200 price range. That's also why I did mine myself

slider

In my experience, the tensioner failure is bit insidious because the chain makes a awful noise at idle, but sounded normal at 2000 rpm. Resist the urge to let it go and also resist the urge to drive it to a shop, or else bent values cometh.

Had mine replaced for around $1K with labor (not talented enough yet to do on my own). But I feel a lot better at 4000 rpm knowing the tensioners are back there doing their job.

Bill P.

Thanks guys. This info is exactly what I've been looking for. My lady friend will be keeping the car another year and it is obvious that she will need this upgrade for piece of mind, if nothing else. It should also help at resale to a knowledgable buyer.

Regards,

Bill