do chains really stretch?

do chains really stretch?

This is the voice of experience folks. Read it well cause he's right on the money.....as usual I might add. BUT I will add this. A cheap *** split roller chain will stretch even if it installs a little loose. Because the split rollers collapse almost immediately. That equals a stretched chain because the rollers are squished into a smaller diameter than they were and it happens literally the first time you spin the engine over with a cheap chain. If you make sure you use a solid true roller, with at least .250 roller pins, that will help. Also too, the tensioner itself can be "cheated" a little by loosening the mounting bolts and moving the entire thing around a little, should you run out of tensioning room. Lastly, you need to make damn sure that you use the hold down bolt with the hole through it, or drill one yourself and install it in the hole on the passenger side that's at the bottom of the lifter valley, so the chain and gears and tensioner will get proper lubrication. That's right. If the tensioner itself doesn't get lubricated well, it WILL burn up. The polymer coating ain't indestructible, but it is pretty tough. It cannot however, stand to run without the cooling and lubrication of engine oil. I reckon the concensus seems to be IF you're gonna use a chain, don't get the cheapest one.

Oldmanmopar said
The tensioners looked good to me when Shady dell introduced them to me with a roll master. 14 pulls on a dyno and the tensioner was at its almost at its limit. They bought me every thing new when the motor left go. HTA machine would not use the chain or tensioner they bought. He ordered a custom length true roller chain. The tensioner that you are all describing was not design for a roller. A tight roller will wear real fast. a properly installed correct length true roller chain usually does not get alot of slack after use. I will be pulling my motor apart shortly to install a billet cover. We will see how loose the chain is . High seat pressure and sees 9000. I will take some pics when its apart.