Hi all - on my old m62 in my 5 series everyone recommended changing the chain tensioner as they shrink with age.

Unless I’m looking in the wrong place very little here is mentioned about it. It’s very easy to do and did it yesterday.

15 mins work a 19mm socket and just under the rocker cover level of the engine.

Rattle is less now and guessing this should help protect the guides a bit .

Here are old and new :

Jeez, those springs are different. The old one has far fewer coils.

Part no. for the kit? Ron B. VK2OTC
2003 L322 V8 Auto
2007 Yamaha XJR1300
Previous: 1983, 1986 RRC; 1995, 1996 P38A; 1995 Disco1; 1984 V8 County 110; Series IIA

I ordered it from dan at duckworths was about £70 from memory Current stable:
2006 BMW M6
2007 4.2 V8 S/C FF
Gone:
2002 4.4 V8 FF

I shall have to find a local supplier. Ron B. VK2OTC
2003 L322 V8 Auto
2007 Yamaha XJR1300
Previous: 1983, 1986 RRC; 1995, 1996 P38A; 1995 Disco1; 1984 V8 County 110; Series IIA

I did mine but it was already the new type and I found it a right mare to get a socket on until I used a deep socket and swivel head bar.
Did you also replace the Aluminium crush washer as they can leak if not ?

Which crush washer for the tensioner? It didn’t come with one and I don’t recall removing so guessing it was stuck in place I will stick my finger around it tomorrow for a leak check Current stable:
2006 BMW M6
2007 4.2 V8 S/C FF
Gone:
2002 4.4 V8 FF

This one, this shows the part numbers, they are available all over ranging from about 50p for a genuine one from landrover which is the RYX number

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Timing-Chain-Te...1675565255

https://www.lrdirect.com/RYX000020-Seal/

Part number 20 here

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts...Id=11_2264

And here's mine

Still no rattle and touch wood no leak there even though there was no new washer good work I thonk Current stable:
2006 BMW M6
2007 4.2 V8 S/C FF
Gone:
2002 4.4 V8 FF

Mine still has a rattle for a while until the engine warms up a bit so although my tensioner is the new type I may still pop it out and have a look.
You were lucky with the washer as I have heard of some leaking like a tap running

I did mine 2 months ago and my guide failed days later. Maybe just bad luck and bad timing . The old tensioner was very stiff with not a lot of spring in it compared to the newer part.. anyway dropped into the deep end and spent 3 days stripping and replacing chains/guides..what I did notice when I removed old guides was it was relatively easy to break them so they were obviously ready to fail

It’s not a bad job is it as long as you do a bit of prep and get the right tools.
The guides being plastic become very brittle although mine weren’t but it is my theory that LPG makes them fail earlier.
Yours obviously didn’t like the extra tension your new part put on them or even the first start up rattle after replacing the tensioner .
Did you do anything to your vanos ?