SBM Timing chain Tensioner Tech write up

Chris Holley at Mopar Connection did this write up. I have used this on a 360 and it settled the timing down because of jumping NEW chain slop.

https://moparconnectionmagazine.com...9e55ac78a3e67755868586bbcca#comment-3168

A part derived from a fix for noisy 3.9 v6 engines....

Yes. But it also fits 273, 318, 340, 360, 3.9, 5.2, 5.9 and any Poly that uses the same timing chain cover. All these engines have a longer timing chain.

Years ago there was a video where someone put a camera in the fuel pump hole. You could see the new timing chain dancing real bad. Those harmonics were also shown at the timing mark.

Put the mag pickup of your timing light on the coil wire and watch the timing marks dance around. My harmonic balancer has marks every 90 degrees and you can see the distortion effect.
Install this tensioner and rock steady timing marks.

Works ok in stock set ups. I wouldn't use one in anything more than
a stock build.

In a months time I will be pulling my 360 out of my LRT. It has a Comp Extreme 272 cam, ported closed chamber heads, KB 0.030 over 9.5 pistons so 10:1 CR, 1.6:1 rockers. It has seen 6500 RPM many times. The timing chain tensioner has been in that engine for about 70,000 miles. I will post pictures. I class this engine as stock.

That's actually well written, especially the part about using it with an OEM/quiet style link chain instead of the traditonal hot rod aftermarket double row or double roller that most of us use as a go-to item.

The double type chain that most everyone wants to use can really gouge the hell out of the tensioner, and will also deposit some plastic into the oil pan.
So it is good they addressed that point in the article.

I use one on a double roller chain.. I cut the slots in the plastic the depth of the chain.. I will
see how it holds up

Have ran sb's my whole life, never ran a tensioner until my street car that's 97 percent daily nice weather driver and maybe one time to the track a season. Tensioner looks new and I have the wrong chain..... 12,500 miles on it. Put it on as my chain was sloppy loose and this deal was a budget deal. Seems mint...

I like that idea. maybe that would take care of it.

I will see. The timing chain in my LRT is a Cloye double roller and not the silent type. Like I said, I have about 70K miles on that rebuild.

I tried to fit one on with a Rollmaster Billet. After spinning the motor by hand it was apparent that the chain was going to tear it up so I removed it.

There is a potential problem with using the tensioner on anything other than a magnum series engine. I just built a stroker 410 (73 360 LA, 040 over) and installed a Hughes Pro Gear double roller chain. After carefully degreeing the cam, I installed the tensioner (purchased from Hughes as I did with all my other engine parts). Then, when installing the OIL SLINGER, I noticed the outside diameter of it was hitting the lower corner edge of the slinger... the slinger was not square.. it was at a slight angle because of this interference. So, carefully, I masked and shielded the timing chain setup... and using a Dremel grinder, I removed a small area of that lower tensioner. Now, the slinger clears it, seats squarely... and should be OK.

I questioned Hughes (Rich?, tech line).. and he said the tensioner was never OE intended for anything other than the Magnum series engines (as well as saying they/Hughes never heard of this interference issue.)

After reading more about the potential wear issues of the material, I'm a bit concerned and hope that won't happen to me... time will tell.

PS: I sent a memo to the MOPAR Connection magazine editor about this... but he never replied in any way.

I've put them in most the SB engines I've built. Never had any issues, timing is more stable. The Pro-Gear and double roller chains cut grooves in the teflon but work fine. I've reused them on rebuilds as well.

OK, had to do some searching but I found an oil slinger. The Magnums did not run these. I took some pictures. But I did slide my harmonic balancer on and snugged it down and measured the gap between the slingers ring and the tensioner. I could slide a 0.020" feeler gauge in but a 0.022" would not fit.
The pictures are my 410 Scat crank 4" stroke in a 2006 5.9 Mag block.

I also have done this on a few engines. I drill a 1/32 hole in the right side oil gallery core plug and then in the plate I drill a 3/32 hole in a downward angle towards the drip pointer. It adds a steady flow to the timing chain but does not reduce oil pressure much, if any. See last picture.

I would have just tossed the slinger, doesn't need it anyway.

This has been talked about over the years. It is said that it does nothing. It is said it keeps some excess oil off the front crank seal.

Its like that thick felt part that comes with some timing chain cover gasket sets. Some say to put it in the Harmonic balancer, some say no. On the old 273 and 318's it is there. It should be lightly oiled so it does not wear on the outside of the crank seal.

That was back when those seals were crap. Materials have improved greatly since then. The Magnums don't have them and it's basically the same thing.

Agreed.

Like I said, I had to dig around in a lot of boxes to find 2 slingers. One is an old 273 and is tighter fitting and rubs on the Double roller timing chain. It may not rub on the OEM silent chain.
The one in the pictures is off a 78 LeBaron's 318 or my 82 Dippy 360 Cop car engine.

Gear drive? Set and forget it.

Thats what I am running on my new street engine.. its a back up