Carrera Chain Tensioner Priming

[KTL]

Installed my new chain tensioners this past weekend and have some questions about how the priming of these things turned out.

The first tensioner took a while to build pressure. I submerged the tensioner in a tub of 20W50 oil and I pumped it up about ten times. Was ready to give up when all of a sudden the tensioner firmed up. You know when these things firm up, because they get rock solid. Recompressed it with a C-clamp and put the pin back in. Seemed good to me.

#2 was not as simple. I pumped it for a good while and it just didn't want to pressurize. Had to resort to holding the oil feed side of the tensioner closed with my finger as I primed the tensioner in the oil bath. Started to build a little pressure toward the bottom of the compression movement on the tensioner, but on the next cycle it didn't build any more pressure. Took it out of the oil bath and was looking it over. For whatever reason, I placed my finger on the little nipple thingamajigger next to the tensioner piston and the tensioner let out a little gurgle. Pumped it up again and it built pressure throughout the entire compression movement. Put the pin in and that was it. What's up with this?

Went back to #1 and wanted to see if it still had pressure. Put it in the C-clamp and pulled the pin. When released it and then recompressed it, there was no pressure. Remember, this is the first one that built up pressure rather simply and quickly. Had to go through the whole business again to get it to build pressure, put the pin in and called it quits.

Any of this seem out of the ordinary to you guys?

Thanks for any advice/ similar experiences you may have..............

BTW, haven't started the car yet because i'm still working on installing the oil tank lines, exhaust system, and putting the spring plates/torsion bars back in.

[Superman]

I did not bench bleed mine when I first installed them, and I also did not do this when reassembling at the close of my rebuild. I think pressure takes just a moment to build each time I start the engine. Even without pressure, the spring in those things seems stiff enough to avoid a loose chain while the unit is being pressurized.

But it's a good question since there may be a way to identify a 'bad' one before installation.

[Early_S_Man]

Here is the thread with the supplier's bleeding procedure that Wayne posted a few months back:

Alert - 911 Carrera Chain Tensioner Installation!!!