Timing Chain Tensioner 318/360

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'64 Cuda said:
It's not the type of item I'd reuse, but I suppose you could try. They come with a pin installed that holds the tensioner away from the chain. You pull the pin before you button things up & it allows the tensioner shoe to press against the chain. Not sure how hard it would be to try to back one up & put some kind of pin in it so you could reinstall it.
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Well i guess i can always see what I can figure out at the wreckers. If its not doable, then worst case id have to buy one i guess

caferacerx said:
only found on magnum 3.9 V6
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thanks!
 
I don't know what the life expectancy of this item is, but would you put a used timing chain in your engine? I expect that it will last about as long as the timing chain...
C
 
64physhy said:
I originally had one on my stroker, but when I had Brian at IMM (ou812), he recommended against using one. If I remember right, I think he said on high performance engines, it will just eat up the block on the tensioner, than all that plastic ends up in the oil pan/pick-up/filter/etc.
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Just something to break later on.

If you buy a good chain--$100 there isn't no need for it. I watch the timing with a light and its steady--after 15,000 miles...with 3.91 gears.

50,000 miles a top chain a gears should last.

Mopar used them on factory cars cause they used cheap chains and 5,000 rpm is high rpm for a factory car. Factory cars turn 1,500 rpm on the freeway...built 340's turn 4,250...

Thanks but no thanks. If it was helpful racers--the after market would had made them in the 60s..70's..80's.
 
DionR said:
Put one on my 360. Sure like how steady the timing is.
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If you would had brought this chain it done the same thing. Its available in .005 and .010 under sizes also for a perfect fit.

Cloyes Original True Roller timing sets are hand-matched to ensure precise chain tension

Cloyes Gear 9-3103 - Cloyes Original True Roller
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CLO-9-3103/
 
I ran one for a couple of years, the timing was very stable. The issue I have with the mopar performance tensioner is that the material is soft, the tensioner had a wear area where the cam is contacting it. The original cam plates are hardened and ground flat,these ones are not.
 
HemiEd said:
I had always viewed them as a bandaid on the 3.9, as the only time I ever saw one on a Mopar I have taken apart, was on the 3.9 that was in my Dakota.

I picked up a real low mile 91 360 last Saturday, so I am going to put one on it.
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These tensioners are perfect for blocks that have been aligned bored and honed. A plus in my book!
 
I have used them in the past on other engines. I sent one to Brian at IMM Engines when he assembled my TT SBM Short Block and like 64fishy he is against them on a HP Build, the wear on the Pad that rides on the chain is going to go into the oil, filter etc and in your engine.

This one is the one I used on the TT Engine, a CAMDEX True Double Roller that is 7 way adjustable at the Camshaft for degree ing the cam in.

View attachment phpCchbyrPM.jpg

View attachment phpJM1d0pPM.jpg
 
Swinger4me said:
GO GEAR DRIVE or GO HOME! LOL!
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No tensioner required!:toothy8:

geardrive1.jpg


I'm on the fence where cam drives are concerned, but I chose to go this route this time around after finding a few timing chains hanging in despair on similar engines. These dont stretch, or need tensioning. Set the lash and see you next year.
 
HemiEd said:
I had always viewed them as a bandaid on the 3.9, as the only time I ever saw one on a Mopar I have taken apart, was on the 3.9 that was in my Dakota.

I picked up a real low mile 91 360 last Saturday, so I am going to put one on it.
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All 3.9s are hard on timing chains.
 
I believe the key to a good long lasting timing chain is to get one that has both hardened cam and crank gears. Some only have a hardened crank gear. Without hardened gears the chain wears into the gear, sinking the chain and producing slack. With hardened gears and a quality chain the slop will take a lot longer to occur.
 
Gear drives are hard on the crank bearings. The chain doesn't transmit the vibrations from the cam, gear drives do. Race engines get torn apart each season, use a chain on street engines.

This is were the Chevy guys have it made with timing belts that can quickly adjust the cam timing. Nobody makes any thing like that for mopars.
 
rebel said:
I ran one for a couple of years, the timing was very stable. The issue I have with the mopar performance tensioner is that the material is soft, the tensioner had a wear area where the cam is contacting it. The original cam plates are hardened and ground flat,these ones are not.
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That is the big question in my book. Good point.

OEM has a hardened cam plate - very important since its takes all the camshaft thrust loading.

I'd like to know how a plain, stamped steel one works.

Now: better to have slop and a ground plate? no slop and the non-hardened plate?

What's your choice:

1) forget the tensioner, a little slop won't hurt the timing in a street engine.
2) put in the tensioner, its better for timing, the non hardened plate isn't an issue
3) forget the tensioner, it would be good to have it, but I'd rather keep the hardened retainer plate.

I'm leaning #3.
 
I did some more checking; seems this is a big issue with Ferds. The conventional wisdom seems to be:

1) with a roller cam (usually steel core), you need the hardened plate.
2) with a cast iron core and cast iron timing set, non-hardened is fine.
3) with a steel timing set, you get wear in the plate, hardened is needed.

opinions?
 
My last post, what did the engineers do when they made the 340 back in 1967-68..did they ever use a tension thing on the timing chains, no way, Did they design the little engine so it live a long happy life at 6,000 rpm, you bet. Did any racers who built the 305 engines by de-stroking the 340 crank use a tension plate, no way again. If they didn't need it why do us? Place your finger by a running timing chain one day and think how it be long term or at high rpm's.

Just get a good timing chain and forget about it. Use the money to buy a $100+ plus chain set instead of a $50 set.
 
Use a good quality chain with hardened cam and crank gears and no tensioner like the one from Pro Gear. You should not get slop.
 
On the dakota, they were used with the "silent" chain. That is the timing set with aluminum gears and nylon teeth. I took apart a 60K mile 318 (from a 5th ave), and there was a ton of slop, but the engine ran good (I thought).

I'm doing a budget build, and installed the Summit double roller. I figure its GOT to be better than the single tooth nylon timing set! There is a little movement, but there needs to be some or you'd never get the set on!
 
Im with moper on this one. Every motor gets one..it's a bit of a no brainer really.
 
I called Cloyes about they're tensioner (95387). Its 30.99 from Rock Auto. I specifically asked, and they said it was a hardened steel plate to OEM specs. No issues with cam thrust wear.
 
Well, my '99 V-6 Dakota has 150,000 miles now and my son's has 200,000. No noise that I can hear from the timing chains.
As far as "beating it to death", since the pressure is constant to keep the chain tight, I don't think there is any "beating" being done.
I did put one on my 318 in the Duster. I plan for a long, happy, relationship with it...
C
 
i got a tensioner on my hot street 318....no problems at 2000 miles so far...dont see how it could be a bad thing.

i also have a milodon gear drive on my 408...
 
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