How much free play should new timing chain have?

furrystump said

I don’t like the tensioners. I have personally had one come apart and the flat spring try to eat its way through the cover. Because the cam and crank center lines are so far apart on an LA we can also run a bunch os stroke, the down side is a long timing chain slapping around. I buy the absolute best chain I can find, IWIS I believe is the chain manufacturer

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I put a tensioner in my 273 when I built it. I also used a double roller. If I was to do it over I wouldn't use a tensioner. It's really not necessary with a good double roller and in the grand scheme of things. Stock timing chains last 50,000 miles or more and I will never put that many miles on that engine. A stock rebuild on a daily driver with a single chain is a different story.