Cam plate question?

Oldmanmopar said
If there is slack on the tensioner side It has to come from chain stretch. If the chain is loose That means the pull side has to be longer. If it is longer that means there is a change in timing. Take the tensioner off and push one side then the other. You will see the cam sprocket move. Movement is timing change. It's a no brainer if you really think about it. I am only stating what I see after seeing many motors done at our shop.

Yeah, its come from chain stretch, not the tensioner... you ever install a chain that had no slack in it on either side installed? Maybe one that you could buy .010 under or whatever your main bearing bore bar took out. The point I was making was that if you keep the slack side (any slack, even the smallest new slack and the slack that seems to set in after 5K) in check, you will stabilize the cam timing, even if it is retarted slightly. The fact that the timing set wears is a given, but the variance in cam timing while revving it as your looking at the timing light is a product of the slop in the chain. under load the timing is going to be stable, retarded as allowed with a stretched chain, but it will be a constant retard unless you get off the gas then you'll see the whip and the variance happens. Look at the sloppy chain that @toolmanmike is showing off. He's pushing on the chain on one side and the cog aint moving, now push real hard and the cam cog will move but only until the tension side locks out, then he can wiggle that slack side all he wants and the cam cog aint gonna move any more. Turn the cam the other direction and it will turn until the slack side locks out...there is your variance you'll see on your timing gun. Now put the tensioner with its stiff spring on and as it takes up the slack side, it also takes up the 'backlash' of the cam so your timing gun wont see it any more (or very little). Its not there to prevent the cam from stretching, it's there to take up the slack on the 'coast' side from a fact of life, chain stretch (or cog wear...whatever you believe is the case). Billet cogs tend to wear slower..double rollers...?