my 87 savage (my only ride) started rattling like the world was coming to an end. The odometer says about 8,500 miles but I have no idea if it's accurate, since it's exempt. I got it in January and have put on about 1,500+ miles myself.
Sounded just like this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSKo7qQH3hEOrdered a VerSlavy and had it in hand within a few days. Opening the cover up was pretty easy - I'm not much of a mechanic, but I didn't have much trouble figuring out what I was doing.
The plunger was at 21.4mm (yikes!!!) - I guess I caught it just in the nick of time. Super easy to take the old tensioner out and put in the verslavy. Great worksmanship and my favorite part was that it had my initials on it

(probably to keep straight whose is whose, but whatever - I thought it was cool!)
Put everything back together, added oil, started her up....and she sounds like a motorcycle again. I won't be embarrassed to ride her anymore.

Plunger about to fall out!!!

The new verslavy!

The verslavy getting settled in its new home

Ready to rock!