I too have built a few SBM, and I see a lot of them with noticeable wear on the BACK side of the trust plate. I choose to put all 3 or 4 bolts in the plate. But thats my choice.
I am a Vendor here, but im not selling a bolt with a hole in it to anyone, just trying to give MY opinion just like you. We(as in all of us) give our opinion and let the end user make his/her own choice.
Agree to Disagree here.
Your right it is up to the builder. but mopar did stop using them for a reason.
A roller motor has forward cam float so they rely on the plate. As tappet motors do not.
My motor is a roller motor I chose not to use one so my chain gets a good supply of oil. My sprockets are bought separate and my chain was a ordered to length. $$$$
Every motor has different line bore to cam tunnel measurement. and The same chain tight on one motor is loose on another. Our shop fits the chain to the motor. No tensioner needed.
I have around 500 miles on my roller motor at 8000 rpm shifts. Rev limit is 9000 . I have two bolts holding my plate. so far the cam is still behind the cover. as all my other motors
I will be taking the motor out soon for new lifters and rod bolts. I will check the plate bolts and the plate . But I always found chain heat is a greater concern then the plate wear. The slippery the chain is. The less the motor has to pull under a hard load.
A cam tensioner does not hold the timing exact on decellaration or load change. That is when the valves usually touch the pistons. Due to cam timing change and piston rock.
Ask Ryan at shady dell he paid for one of my motors from a slight touch at 7200.
I learned the hard way chain slack causes a.lot of damage. and gear drives rob to much torque from a little LA motor. Light weight sprockets and precision chain. and keep it oiled is the way to go.
Nothing comes out of that little bolt hole when the motor is moving forward. and the sling-er loses its oil also. Can't depend on that except for just adding more reciprocating weight.
I am just giving some friendly info that it cost me a lot to learn in 40 years of singing small blocks to there limit . I started with W2 motors in the 70's and scattered many learning.
You can have the best of the best in parts and skip one little thing and you start over with a thinner wallet.
I sing a 12-1 motor on pump gas on the street and my body is still dent free from not oiling the tires. One reason my exhaust dumps under the center of the car as close to the rear housing as I can . Is because I have oiled down a lot of slicks learning. And flattened the sides of many cars.
I am not telling you all what to do .Or telling you you are wrong . I am Only telling you what I've learned The hard way.
