Shops that don't recommend Carrera Tensioner Update?

JdBuyer · 01-04-2005, 07:16 AM

I was looking through Ebay this morning and I was stumped by what I read in this auction.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4515969832&category=10156

QUOTE]Originally posted by ebay moron
I know what you are thinking, and no, the engine does not have the updated oil-fed Carrera chain tensioners. I spoke with two independent Porsche shops in Phoenix (Becks and Stuttgart Southwest), and they did not recommend this upgrade as they have seen the Carrera tensioners fail, too. They recommend installing the mechanical lockouts which prevent the stock tensioners from collapsing. I was quoted about $500 parts/labor for this job but have not done it yet. If you are mechanically minded, you can buy them on eBay for $25 and install them yourselves. [/QUOTE]

Let's see for the price quoted above you can put the carrera tensioner updates instead of these mechanical lockouts, is it me or are these shops full of it?

ipapilot · 01-04-2005, 07:22 AM

Regardless of whether they recommend the carrera tensioners, all you have to do is pull the covers off to install the mechanical stops. Of course it is easier to do if you pull the muffler, and you gotta pull some engine tin....Still, $500 sounds high.

MotoSook · 01-04-2005, 07:26 AM

$500 for Parts and Labor doesn't sound high for that job. [Edit...for Carrera tensioner install... but yeah Brian...it's a bit much to install the stops]

I have the mechanical stops on my 3.0 and I like it that way. The pressure fed tensioners are not failure proof. The mechanical stops are always there, and I know they will be there if a tensioner(s) fails. The stops are simple and work...pressure or no pressure.

Would I recommend the stops over the Carrera tensioners...yes. But that's one man's opinion.

Jim Richards · 01-04-2005, 07:26 AM

I won't put Carrera pressure-fed tensioners on my engine. I'll stick with the 930-style tensioners with the safety collars.

MotoSook · 01-04-2005, 07:29 AM

Jim..you have to disagree...edit your post...and state the opposite NOW!

ipapilot · 07:34 AM

Funny Souk, I guess I'm just not use to paying shop labor rates. Why give somebody else $400plus dollars to do something I can do in a few hours drinking beer...

edit: Let me add that I run solid tensioners!

Zeke · 01-04-2005, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JdBuyer

Let's see for the price quoted above you can put the carrera tensioner updates instead of these mechanical lockouts, is it me or are these shops full of it?

For the price quoted above, you can BUY Carrera tensioners. Aren't you a little too eager to jump the gun?

I run solid tensioners, albiet I don't have a lot of miles to give you as a testimonial. Yep, I'm supposed to check and adjust after 25,000 miles. Lessee, what year will that be? 2010?

My point is, many of us won't get 25,000 miles w/o pulling the motor for something if not just something to do. What other drawback is there to solid tensioners?

Oh yeah, the moron is right, Carrera tensioners can fail. Some right out of the box. How would you like them apples? $10K in a new engine and...., crunch. Maybe that happened once to Beck and/or Stuugart.

MotoSook · 01-04-2005, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ipapilot
Funny Souk, I guess I'm just not use to paying shop labor rates. Why give somebody else $400plus dollars to do something I can do in a few hours drinking beer...

edit: Let me add that I run solid tensioners!

I'm with you there Brian. I haven't had a car into a shop and pay for it in over a decade (I don't count body and paint or warranty work). I just read too fast and thought the $500 was for P-tentioners and install.

sammyg2 · 01-04-2005, 07:43 AM

I don't run the carrera tensioners either.

JdBuyer · 01-04-2005, 07:48 AM

So the carrera tensioner update, the pop off valve and other updates for those older engine's 74-83 are a waste of money?

MotoSook · 01-04-2005, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JdBuyer
So the carrera tensioner update, the pop off valve and other updates for those older engine's 74-83 are a waste of money?

You didn't mention the pop-off valve...but that's a worthy upgrade for the CIS airbox.

JdBuyer · 01-04-2005, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Souk
You didn't mention the pop-off valve...but that's a worthy upgrade for the CIS airbox.

The same could be said of the Carrera Tensioner update kit

For the longest time I was led to believe this update was vital to the older engines, even Porsche recommands it. My own opionion nothing is fail safe but if its a recommended update I would use it.

ckissick · 01-04-2005, 08:14 AM

FWIW... I put the oil-fed chain tensioners on my rebuilt 3.0, and the left one failed at about 100 miles, and the chain slipped. The engine is in the shop again.

tsuter · 01-04-2005, 08:21 AM

My stock tensioners (1) failed in 1988 on a drive to Montana. Crawled to a Minneapolis Porsche dealer who installed oil fed tensioners and whined about some "aftermarket turbo cr@p" so that he wouldn't warranty the tensioner update work longer than he "could see my taillights leaving the shop".
Anyway, four hours later I was on the road to Glacier Natl and now it's 2005 and they still work fine.

ipapilot · 01-04-2005, 08:23 AM

JdBuyer, Porsche made the carrera tensioners, so of course they recommend them and I do think they are a good update especially if you are not very hands on mechanically with your car. I don't think there are that many out there that failed out of the box (sorry Charlie...), but with the collars there will be no $$$ damage if a mechanical tensioner fails. Plus, they're Cheap!
And yes, I do have a popoff valve

MotoSook · 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JdBuyer
The same could be said of the Carrera Tensioner update kit

For the longest time I was led to believe this update was vital to the older engines, even Porsche recommands it. My own opionion nothing is fail safe but if its a recommended update I would use it.

You are not talking about the same things; P-tensioners and pop-off valves.

The stop and the pop-off valve are mechanical devices...very simple mechanical devices. Their failure modes are...minimal and simple! When was the last time you hear of a stop failing? Unless the screws back out..they will always be there. When was the last time you heard a pop-off valve didn't open? If the PO valve didn't open, it was probably because the installer expoxy'd it shut...and if it fell out..the airbox is still saved and the thing can be re-installed with some cleaning. It's not the part that fails with the two..it's often the installation.

Even the P-tensioner can be modified to accept a stop..that's to prevent total collapse w/o oil pressure.

Don't confuse the merit of one part with another.

Zeke · 01-04-2005, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JdBuyer
So the carrera tensioner update, the pop off valve and other updates for those older engine's 74-83 are a waste of money?

You really like to jump to conclusions. Why bring up "other updates" at this point?? And, besides the pop off valve, what other updates are you implicating?

I, for one, DO reccommend the pop off. I learned the hard way.

BTW, one can buy the solid tensioners from Stomski Racing for $65. I don't know if Pelican has them or not. If they do, my apologies.

Paco Anton · Paco Anton's Garage

My mechanic is probably the most reputed classic P-car wrench in Spain.

I took the car for an oil change, he listened to my engine and decided that the tensioners could fail, so he said he would rebuild them.

I tried to tell him about the carrera tensioners but he insisted on ordering the inexpensive rebuild kit and rebuilding them.

When I learn to diagnose an engine by "listening" to it I will argue with him.

VaSteve · 01-04-2005, 08:35 AM

Ummm. I guessing that if you already have Carerra Tensioners, you can't add this Stomski product and have both. My engine is currently 1/2 apart. If I can find another way to spend money...

Zeke · 01-04-2005, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by VaSteve
Ummm. I guessing that if you already have Carerra Tensioners, you can't add this Stomski product and have both. My engine is currently 1/2 apart. If I can find another way to spend money...

I think you can add these:

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