I have never put a tensioner on a timing chain, not unless it came stock with one. A lot of folks recommend it, but, I personally, don't see the point. The tensioner keeps the chain tight on the slack side in any event, so, maybe the timing is a bit more stable, but, with a new chain, that's hardly an issue. Maybe 75-100K miles down the road it may make more of a difference, but, I would take me a couple decades to put that many miles on anything, so I just don't bother.

 

I thought you were one of the guys here who recommend it. I've been wrong before though lol

 

You guys could keep a chain tight with the tension in here lol.

 

That was good

 

I keep a chain tensioner.
they are recommended and original equipment in 6 cylinders. the smaller engines are more susceptible to confused signals.
lots of 408 stroke crate engines come with one. engine builders like Hughes and Mopar Madness both use them too. just saying.

 

The parrots might tell you, without understanding why, to run a tensioner, but think about it. How much can the timing vary under throttle load? The crank is pulling the cam as fast as it can, the the most variance will be under off throttle/deceleration it would seem to me. For a long chain overhead cam motor, a bucks up mega power build, or even if you are just fussy about precision, sure, why not? For a pickup, what's the (cost)point?

 

I've never rationalized logic through criticism! that just doesn't make sense.
I just wouldn't pass that off as reality.
truthfully, I don't know how much an engine will benefit from the use of a tensioner. but why is it standard equipment for a 6 cylinder when those engines are harder to balance , make a smooth idle and cheaper to run? personally I don't believe anything but a solid timing gear to gear to set is more reliable, precise and way more cool to here!

 

My original point is that I think new chains should fit better. If you ten took new timing sets from different manufactures and put on the same engine my guess is the fit would vary substantially. But if don't and they all run pretty close I'm thinking if a new standard set has a half inch of slack I don't see why a .005 or .010 under size wouldn't fit?

 

I had a few gear drives back in my Chevy days. Noise would be noticeable maybe even annoying these days in a daily driver. They make kind of a super charger sound which was cool back then because we ran as loud as we could get away with.lol

 

Yeah, the gear drives with straight cut gears were indeed loud. There was at least one manufacturer though, that had angle cut gears, and that set ran pretty quiet. Standing by the engine with the hood open you could hear it, but, sitting in the drivers seat, even with the window down, it was pretty much silent. I haven't see gear drives for the magnums though..... But then, I haven't looked for them either.