Evaluate Timing chain sets

Two weeks back, I fitted a new R/master t/chain set to an engine I am building. When I turned the crank by hand I heard a clicking noise. The Iwis chain was hanging up on the cam sprocket teeth. I compared the spkt to an old R/master spkt & you could see a difference in the tooth shape. Faulty machining. I fitted a spare Cloyes t/chain set with the Iwis chain, problem fixed.

The engine owner had bought the RM chain set. Had I known, I would have advised against it.

The RM history. Originally made in Queensland; well made, looked nice but neither spkt was hardened, just machined from hard steel. Result: spkt wear was quite rapid. Bob, the owner of RM, sold the business to JP Engineering in Sth Australia. JP now call them
selves Nornda. JP was in competition with RM & in my opinion the JP stuff was inferior. The current RM sets now have an induction hardened crank spkt, but the cam spkt remains un-hardened. I have been using Cloyes t/chain sets which have either hardened steel spkts, or hardened crank spkt & cast iron cam spkt which wears very well.