[drjonts]

Thanks Simon.

I suppose the best case scenario would be to find pulley bearings are all OK and just a readjustment of tension and pulley set up is required. If that were the case I suppose being super careful to just compress the tensioner in situ until the pin fits in (and not fully release tension), I could then carefully readjust the pulley position as per INA instructions to recover the tension, tighten the pulley bolt and then release the tensioner again.

That's the least I could possibly get away with...but would only know once everything is opened up for inspection...and then it may be a case of do the job anyway!

I think I have read somewhere (or watched a video?) about making sure a 'hydraulic' tensioner like this is operated very slowly in and out 3 times in a vertical orientation before fitting to ensure air is bled from certain parts. Will try and find it again. I assume the tensioner piston unit must be 'sprung' in some way with a hydraulic damping feature so that it doesn't bounce back and forth during operation? I have heard of hydraulic springs (but these usually rely on deformation of the cylinder walls into which a piston is pushed - usually very high load applications). Could they be like mini gas struts inside? (I'd be worried about that going weak eventually in service).

Has anyone stripped a KV6 tensioner down for a lookie? If I end up with a new one, maybe I will!

Jonty