Replacing cam chain tensioners...

[rah rah 986]

I replaced mine several months ago on my '98. One of the questions that comes up again and again is, "do I have to lock the cams". The answer that I have seen most is that if you lock the crank at top dead center and replace one tensioner at a time, you may be able to complete the repair without consequence. But, not everyone gets lucky, and there is the possibility that the chain could skip a tooth. It is my understanding that early boxsters with double row IMS bearings have more chain tension and are less likely to skip time. I rolled the dice and won. If doing it again, I think I would purchase the tool kit from ln for doing the IMS bearing. It includes the cam locking tool along with the other specialty tools needed for replacing the IMS bearing, yet costs about the same or less than the Sir P253. Since I plan to replace the IMS sometime in the future, it may have made sense to have purchased the kit when doing the tensioners. In retrospect, it was probably foolish to risk an engine over the cost of a $200 tool.

I wish I would have known to purchase the updated tensioners with the external spring. My engine still has start-up rattle even after replacing the tensioners....bummer