Engine block suggestions asked
 

I was thinking to mod another engine I have to my main Porsche. Time ago I installed a cylinder head for a friend's car. It was a 1987 944. The block had the self adjust (spring) timing belt tensioner. I remember before I started to disassemble the cylinder head, I red the tension of the belt with an OTC belt tensioner gauge (not the expensive recommended one). Then, when I rebuilt my engine (1983 car) on 1998, I manually adjusted the timing belt with the OTC tensioner, at the same tension the automatic tensioner gives. I haven't had any problems with my timing belt until now. But, due to issues about the manual adjust on timing belts I was thinking to use the later engine block (with the automatic spring tensioner). Now I started to think since I can adjust the belt with the normal tension (thanks to the OTC belt tensioner), using another block is useless and expensive. Do you think it's an advantage to use the later block over an early one, though I can adjust the timing belt correctly? Is it a good idea? If so, can the '83 crank and pistons be use in an '87 block without problems? I'm inclined to stick with my "old" engine block... What do ya' think?

with these cars, if it 'aint broke... dont mess with it ;) :p

I could be wrong but I thought you could just swap the tensioner over to the block that doesn have it.

According to most, the tensioner can't be retrofitted to the early blocks. I can understand why this would be appealing, but it seems like a lot of work for one mod that isn't necessary as long as you keep up your belt maintenance.

And it is a big, ugly-arse contraption.

CMIIW, but I thought the bosses for mounting the spring-tensioner exist on the early blocks, except they are not machined/drilled/tapped.

Thats what my understanding was too