It's interesting to me that the engines break chains while in the MDS mode, not so in the 8 cylinder mode. It may be that the four separate power strokes are causing so much crankshaft twist that it's cycling the chains from load to no load.

The pistons are something like 415 grams, that's really light for a cast piston. The connecting rods are also very light, IIRC. While a stock 318 rod weighs something like 728 grams, and some pretty lightweight smallblock chevy rods clock in at 585 grams, IIRC the Hemi rods are in the very low 500s. No extra material in them at all.

They are powdered metal, which I didn't for a long time trust, but the LS motor rods are all powdered metal, as was the Generation 2 chevy LT1 smallblock. Howard's has been selling a powdered metal rod for racing for a few years now, and I don't see them selling junk.

I've seen quite a few advertised with bottom end noises or failure.

R.