Noob sanity check question on chain tensioners

[Pazuzu]

OK...I was told by the PO that my SC has never had the Carrera tensioners installed. I have no receipt for them either, if they were installed by a PPO...

However, I do have oil lines leading into the chain covers, as shown in these (stolen from Wayne ) pictures:
http://www.101projects.com/911-rebuild/rebuild_CD/Photos/Disassembly-2-Chains/HTML/Page-85.htm
http://www.101projects.com/911-rebuild/rebuild_CD/Photos/Disassembly-2-Chains/HTML/Page-167.htm


These are the pre-rebuild images. I've never seen a close picture of a non-Carrera tensioner-ed engine...every pic I've seen is AFTER the upgrade.

So, my question is...did the early covers have oil lines leading to them, and the Carrera tensioners have DIFFERENT lines, or does the existence of the oil lines on my covers infer that I have Carrera tensioners inside?

[Rot 911]

Those lines are indeed for the Carrera tensioners. Either they are blocked off inside the covers (highly unlikely) or the PO just doesn't know what he had.

[Zef]

No...the the early covers does not have oil lines leading to them...when you do the upgrade with the kit...the new covers come with it...Now...if you wanna be sure...open a cover...you'll see right there if the hyd. tensionner is there...if the line is there...hopefully the upgraded tensionner is there too.

[Pazuzu]

Great! Like I said, it was a sanity check...I was pretty sure that there was no reason for those lines to exist unless someone had done that work on it.

Now...removing the cover to check...what's involved with that? I do not have a garage, I will not drop the engine, and I'm not concerned enough at this point to bring it into a shop...

Is it just a matter of moving some engine tin around, open the cover up, clean up the spilt oil, assembly is the same in reverse?

[David]

The bolts going through the banjo fitting and into the covers go into the cam tensioners. If the bolts are there the tensioners are there.

What part of Houston are you in? Maybe another Pelican can come by and take a look.

[Pazuzu]

West, near the Beltway and Westheimer, although I'm willing to drive

Like I said, I'm not concerned (there's no noise or anything), it's just one of those things that bugs me everytime I open the decklid...but at least now I have a project (damned car is in too good of shape, I don't have any random weekend wrenching to do on it!!)

Yes, the banjo bolts are in. I do know that the top end was messed with at some point many years ago (late 90s), but there is nothing specific in the paperwork that I have that mentions the upgrade.

[Zef]

Should be there...Wait at the next opportunity to open them....

[David]

You're near Protechnik, you could stop by there and have Sam Shalala look at it. I don't know of any Pelicans on that side of town, but you're welcome to come down to Clear Lake although it's pretty far.

[rvanderpyl]

Don't bother opening it up, there is no reason the lines would be there if the tensioners haven't been upgraded. The PO just didn't know he had them, and didn't hang out here to find out.