Hi Ian,

Sorry, I meant that I like to take my car to my mechanic for stuff that is borderline because I can count on it getting done bulletproof and I know it won't be expensive.

I usually bring over my own parts, which are always genuine Porsche. For example, I'm thinking about taking it over to his house for new plugs, valve adjust, oil and filter, fuel filter, install new cat, new o2 sensor, and anything else I can think of between now and then. I'd expect the cost of labor to be around $90-110. I'd drop it off in the morning and it'll be done by 3:00pm.

For advanced stuff like yours, I think he'd have it figured out in less than a half hour, no charge for labor, then he'd drop the motor and change the tensioners and re time the cams for about $500 after the parts came in. I know I sound lazy, maybe extremely lazy, but I think I also like talking to my mechanic and watching him work on the car.

ianc,
From the picture posted, sorry to say that those chains are stretched. Your left tensioner is nearly fully extended, can't see the right.

After listening to this... I don't have the clicking noise you experience, but mine has recently exhibited the same hollow thumpy noise that your car has. Almost sounds like a abrupt vibration but with a deeper pitch... to me it sounds like someone tapping a hollow shoe box with their finger. Has yours always done this too?

-Troy
86 Carrera

Sure they're stretched; the car's got 135K on it! As to whether they're too stretched to allow the tensioners to work properly I don't know. Remember that everything above the first step on the tensioner is meant to protrude above the tensioner body...

Yeah, as far as I know. I always thought it was some harmonic associated with the alternator\fan assembly...

ianc

Check out this thread. The chains are about equal to yours. May be helpful to you.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/311387-3-2-timing-chain-noise.html