Ok - this IS embarassing...
I dragged myself down to the garage this afternoon to do the dirty deed of JB Welding the tensioner bolt into the TC cover on the engine... was not looking forward to it.
Got the torque wrench (my new best fiend...
) set to 73ft/lbs per FSM just in case. I carefully screwed it into place finger tight and started carefully torquing it down... bit by bit... and wouldn't you know it - it clicked! It took full torque tonight - what gives!?!??!?!?!?!?
I have no idea why this bolt felt like it was twisting in the threads last time - I was stunned. I pulled the bolt back off, wiped off all of the JB Weld goop and re-torqued to 73ft/lb again! I can't believe it but it took full torque today - unless my torque wrench is lying... not ready to celebrate just yet.
It's not yet ready for the final test but at least I've got the tensioner, the dampener, and the tension spring on it with good results (so far).
Sorry... guess I panicked and nearly lost it - sorry I sent you all on a 'wild goose chase' in the process...
Not sure I'm completely out of the woods just yet, but I do feel like I just got very lucky (somehow?!).