[DDD]

One additional data point -- I am the 2nd owner of my '83 SC. Original owner said he had the tensioners replaced because they failed upon startup one day. I bought the car in 1994, so that was sometime in the first 10 years of its life. No damage to the engine (he said).

I drove the car from CO to MN with no worries, given what I had read about the improved geometry, and given that the tensioners were relatively new. I have also read that despite the improved geometry, the '82 and later SC tensioners WILL fail eventually. It is just a matter of time. The design is better than earlier 911s but it is still a flawed design.

About 7 years ago I installed the collars just to be safe. So far, no problems (though for all I know the collars have fallen off!). I guess if a tensioner did fail, I wouldn't know about it, because the collar would be holding it up. Kind of begs the question about the purpose of the tensioners to begin with, as I know you can buy a "solid" tensioner that doesn't move, and keeps the chain taught.

Given the work it took to get the muffler off and surrounding tin and shroud to get to the tensioners, I probably should have just upgraded to the oil-fed at the time, but it didn't seem worth the $ to me given the function of the collars.

My $.02 -- drive it home, and then do SOMETHING fairly soon about your tensioners. --DDD