SMac770

Tensioner alone is normal; I paid the dealership to change my chains and guides and tensioners at 130k (would have been nice if the dealership had mentioned the tensioner had been changed to the new style as part of the rings/pistons work).

Did you ever say what MY this car is? If it's a 09-11 and had the original tensioner, it was a time bomb unless you changed it to the new style. The class action regarding the tensioner was later, should the p.o. had made any claim on that. If you have the old style tensioner, you don't evaluate or wonder anything. You immediately change it to the new style without hesitation. So without more complete descriptions, there's many possibilities on that front.

But no chain work would see the engine pulled. Watched HumbleMechanic replace the head on a 2.0T in a Tiguan (?) with the engine still in place, so it's unlikely the engine was pulled for any reason other than rings/pistons work. Unless it was swapped at some point for some reason.

Rick Burton

I got the car home finally today and removed the alternator. Nothing looks bent, broken or missing, so the owner and I agree that the threads in the oil filter housing have probably gotten sideways after multiple oil changes at various places including the dealer.

The panic finally subsided, but damn, I did one in a Golf 2.0L yesterday with absolutely no issue.

Filter housing, a ton of hardware, 2 gaskets and possibly an O-ring were not in my previous estimate.