oiling timing chain

I will just say I have had my hand in a ton of small block mopars (and other makes/engines) in the last few years and have run the best billet chains (only a couple manufacturers left that even make them) and can say for a fact that chain stretch is a problem even with very few miles. These were not cheap chains and/or installed correctly (loose etc.), these were all billet name brand chains, also four speed cars (which most were) are especially hard on chains. To say "I've done this for ten years" holds no merit to me as the same lifters that were good ten years ago are now a crap shoot at best.

Things change, manufacturing/quality of materials, quality control changes and that's just the facts. When it comes to chains we always use a tensioner now and have had zero problems to date with them. The chain will still stretch but it will be better controlled by the tensioner so it doesn't slop around on decel/shifting. I have degreed a few of the chains that were loose and to my surprise it takes a fair amount of play for a chain to move the cam timing even 2 degrees, the most I saw was 1.5. We are building dinosaurs and few companies are putting any effort into the basic replacement parts for them anymore, It's not getting any better.