I have a customer car that has a conversion insert to the stock chain tensioner.
During reassembly, I compressed them to install and the piston remained down on both tensioners. Does anyone know about this tensioner? The customer won't pop for the Carerra set. Your information would be appreciated. Brad

A "conversion insert"? What's that? I have always just kitted the OE tensioners and (usually) install the chain guards. Never had a bad result, and the $25-30 kits are waaaay cheaper than the so-called "upgrade" oil fed tensioners, which also fail. I have a box full of the "reinvented wheels", none of which seem to work very well (Except for the Hoeptner Improved Products unit). I have rebuildable cores, if you need them, and the dealer sells the kits.

The Cap'n

Tell your customer the consensus is he's being pennywise and pound foolish. Have him call around for a complete engine rebuild that includes a couple new pistons, valves, etc.

i think those are hoepner ratchet tensioners.
Just buy a pair of SR 011 solid tensioners $82.00 a pair
http://www.stomskiracing.com/

I also think those are the Hoeptner ones. No direct experience, but
those are rumored to be great parts. Before assuming they are dead,
try to see how they are supposed to operate.

No help on those tensioners.

There is a mod to protect the pressure fed tensioners from complete failure.
I have a set of those solid tensioners, not stromski (I think) but I'd sell them for half that price with econo post shipping included.

Hoepner tensioners are identifiable by their distinctive housings, which carry his logo and don't have a Porsche part number embossed on the body. Only a fool (or a person easily swayed by advertising and what other fools tell him) would run solid chain tensioners in a street engine.

The Cap'n

Thats pretty harsh Cap'n, lost of people run em.

And if you read he doesnt want to spend money, So thats a compromise stituation all around.
Really it depends how much a person drives their 914 .

So how much does he plan to drive the car ?


Oh sorry I missed the fact that you offered some used OE so he can rebuild them, with gaurds they will be great.
They will probably be sitting on the gaurds and never know it.

Even the porsche tensioners are the tensioner piece and the separate aluminum
housing just glued together. It's not a stretch for me to think somebody in the
last 30 years or so mated the two for some strange reason.

Also, looks like a space on the shaft, I can't tell, are the idler arms not the wide ones?
Gotta have the wider arm with the narrow late tensioner housing.

Is this engine in a 914? If so, regardless of people's opinions of solid tensioners, I
would think it would be crazy to use them in a 914, as the access is terrible.

"Harsh"? Solid tensioners, if they're set so they're tight enough when the engine is at operating temperature, are noisy, eat up the chains, the rails, and the chain wheels, and generally shorten the life of the engine. Not my idea of a way to save money. As for "lots of people run 'em", I only see them when someone brings a car in for an engine overhaul. I don't know a single knowledgeable Porsche tech or shop owner who uses 'em. Of course, I don't know very many "hacks".


The Cap'n

Really the hoeptner ones are designed to take up slack and not retract,
therefore in a heatcycle they get tight and never retract, but I guess thats OK , because they just compensate for wear as they go.

In everday commuter life your right .


BTW you never commented on the factory ones sitting on the stops and the owner not even nowing it .(loose chains)



Now its hacks / wow

The car was brought in for oil leaks. Checking further this "fresh rebuilt" 2.4 had low compression. Disassembled, the valve seats and cylinders had deep pitting from water setting in the engine. The damage was done before the "rebuild" I recommended splitting cases but the customer was tapped out. With new P&Cs And the heads properly repaired he is not willing to spend anything more.
Sad that we aren't all rich or willing to get a loan to repair a "toy"

I still have some stock tensioners and new kits. Good as new isn't perfect but good enough.

Thank you all for your input. Brad

I have found that our rebuilt tensioners perform every bit as well as new ones, and perhaps even last longer. It's the seals that go, not the "hard parts". The Cap'n

I'm proud I made the fool / hacks list as solids are in my engine now.

I also have an engine with the oil fed tensioners and a couple with stock tensioners.

All of the above have safety collars on them ('cept solids ), hoping if they fail, the carnage will be minimal.

I agree with the Cap'n.....only cause I love to disagree with Slits.

that was brutal JP

I love it when old farts fight.

In the end, it works out 'cause they can't remember what the hell they were fighting about!