Here’s an update: Thanks to a well sealed motor that held onto the parts, my junk box and JB, I’ve resolved the mystery of the timing chain tensioner, put it back together and installed it. I have no idea of why and how it fell apart. The housing was bolted in place and there’s no unexpected damage except to the metal at that narrow end of the foot. It looks as if it “rolled” out of the housing with the chain. Before I got it back in place, the only scenario I could come up with was that the tensioner had been at the limit of its extension. As you can see in the photo, this wasn’t the reason. Que in Twilight Zone music.