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My tensioner was definitely leaking and degraded at 88K on a 560sl when I changed it this spring. You shouldn't have to take apart the engine to replace it, just the RH valve cover, the bottles (maybe, on your car) and the alternator bracket. Interesting: I got mine with a "this side up" on the box (which no one paid attention to...). Some oil leaked out. I pumped it up as far as possible. Then I couldn't install it, so I pushed enough oil out of it to just barely permit catching the screws to draw it towards the block. I did this so that it would be fully pumped up the moment that I turned the engine over after reinstallation. I'm not sure that you need to do this but it seems like a good idea.
I used the pin puller on the guides and felt that it was worth the money. I think you would need to notch the washers in order to do the "bolt and washers" method. I would NOT use the slap hammer tool or method - unless you want to use the radiator as a backstop. One of my pins came out like a rifle shot and who knows what would have happened with the slap hammer.
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