Timing chain advice, split roller or solid

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340doc

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Doing a 340 for my son's Duster. I have two chain sets. One is a Howard's Cams unit. Sprockets made in USA with a Rolon solid roller chain. Second one is a JP performance, made in Australia. Iwis chain with split rollers. Engine will have a .530 lift hydraulic cam calling for 300lbs open pressure. I've been told I over think things sometime, lol.
 
I've heard good things about both, I'd lean towards the chain with solid rollers but that's me, I haven't actually had my own experience with either... curious to see what others recommend
 
Use a timing chain tensioner.

Cloyes Gear 9-5387 Cloyes Replacement Timing Chain Tensioners | Summit Racing

I’m running a Pro Gear chain set from Hughes. Not sure on the Howard’s. Have heard good things about the JP set.

I ran a tensioner once with a double-roller chain, after 25k miles the chain had worn grooves into the tensioner pad and I'd bet with another 20k miles or less it would have worn all the way through to the steel which would have been no bueno. IMO they're only intended to be used with stock-style link chains with a flat back side, not double rollers where the links protrude radially from the rollers. But plenty of others seem to have run them with no issues soo...
 
Doing a 340 for my son's Duster. I have two chain sets. One is a Howard's Cams unit. Sprockets made in USA with a Rolon solid roller chain. Second one is a JP performance, made in Australia. Iwis chain with split rollers. Engine will have a .530 lift hydraulic cam calling for 300lbs open pressure. I've been told I over think things sometime, lol.
JP is a premium set without a doubt !!! The Aussies make some fine products now
 
I had to change from the Cloyes this past summer due to chain stretch after about 25 hours on the motor.
Several folks were talking about that last year , I want to say someone might have found some proof that some of their products may be produced now in China !!!
 
I ran a tensioner once with a double-roller chain, after 25k miles the chain had worn grooves into the tensioner pad and I'd bet with another 20k miles or less it would have worn all the way through to the steel which would have been no bueno. IMO they're only intended to be used with stock-style link chains with a flat back side, not double rollers where the links protrude radially from the rollers. But plenty of others seem to have run them with no issues soo...

Hughes says to use them. The tensioner that I linked is the same of the stock that was used on the V6 from the factory. But yeah, who knows on the chain. I don’t put that type of mileage on my car / motor. I’m at about 35 hours now, and it’s coming out this winter for a freshing up...
 
Several folks were talking about that last year , I want to say someone might have found some proof that some of their products may be produced now in China !!!

Yeah. Think box for the tensioner says made in Taiwan... have to go out and check...
 
I bought my Cloyes timing set and tensioner a few years back, I recently rebuilt my 340 and reused them, they were fine.

Jeff
 
I am surprised to hear that Iwis chain uses split rollers. Must be a lower grade than their premium grade.

Rolon chain. I have one here you can have! Been sitting in the cupboard ever since I saw Made in India on the box.....
 
I would never nohow no way use a split roller chain. I'm really surprised that JP chain was like that. I have one on the current slant 6 I am running, one for my next build going together and one on a member's engine I have built for him. All three of those are solid roller chains from Rollmaster/JP. I'm like @Bewy, I think maybe that was an entry level quality chain if it has split rollers.
 
I am surprised to hear that Iwis chain uses split rollers. Must be a lower grade than their premium grade.

Rolon chain. I have one here you can have! Been sitting in the cupboard ever since I saw Made in India on the box.....
I'm wondering how to know if I'm purchasing a timing set with the premium chain. No mention of roller type that I've seen on Summit for instance. I'll have to poke around. I miss when things were easier!
 
I would never nohow no way use a split roller chain. I'm really surprised that JP chain was like that. I have one on the current slant 6 I am running, one for my next build going together and one on a member's engine I have built for him. All three of those are solid roller chains from Rollmaster/JP. I'm like @Bewy, I think maybe that was an entry level quality chain if it has split rollers.
I'll Ck out Rollmaster, see if they specific chain type
 
i've used Cloyes in the past bought mine 5 years ago no problems yet , maybe things have changed i
ll find out soon my 340 is being built with a Cloyes chain bought last year
 
This summit gear set for cheap or the Pro Gear set for Hughes. Cloyes is junk...



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Pro Gear is a quality product as is JP. Pro Gear pictured below. The slack that occurs can often occur by the gears wearing in the valley between the peaks thus shortening the distance between the gears. You want both gears to be hardened so that wear is reduced. Some chain kits do not have hardened gears and in some other kits only one gear is.

8D466648-42E7-41F7-9156-14AC7F2696E0.jpeg
78BF1BE2-1BFB-41D0-AAD9-FCECF2E9079D.jpeg
 
Just got a mancini timing set. It has a bush link IWIS chain. i also have cloyes c3028 with a made in usa stamped chain. The german chain looks way better.
 
Chains...stretch and chains....then theres the cam bearings too and it all stacks up.
I like the Mancini billet set. No stretchy.
I've used the JP. I remember it had the rolon chain...it stretched. I used it with the tensioner after that.
 
When Rollmaster first appeared, they used hard steel for the sprockets. Hard steel, not hardened.....
There is a difference. The hard steel was easy to machine, but the teeth wore quickly. I have early sets here with less than 10,000m on them & you can clearly see the teeth developing a hook from wear. After JP bought RM, they are using hardened steel which doesn't wear as fast. I like c/iron for the cam spkt, excellent wear properties.
 
double rollers wearing the nylon on the tensioners only wear on the link ends. Once they do that (3 ditches) , they dont wear anymore as the rollers are now spreading the load of the chain on the nylon pad. Ever hear of a hydrodynamic wedge? It rides on an oil film. They have been used on millions of motors and work. My 82 Mazda has the same nylon chain guides and uses a double roller style chain and has a much smaller tensioner that does not wear past the initial tracks of the link ends.
 
I’m pulling my motor out sometime in the next month for some upgrades. We’ll see how much ware there is on the tensioner pad after the 10-15 hours since I change the timing chain..
 
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