I reset the balance shaft tensioner again and still have a good amount of slack with barely any pressure applied. Looks like I'm going to order a new balance shaft chain. Hopefully, it didn't damage the guides too. I'm surprised that idling for 5 min caused to stretch.

 

You might be ok, the tensioner for the balance shaft chain is pressurized by the engine oil.

 

That tensioner spring is very weak and won't tension the chain alone. The hydraulic pressure does that. The springs sole function is to advance the plunger to the next ratchet step when there's no pressure on it.

Give the tensioner guide a bit of a push. That should advance the ratchet and take up at least some of that slack.

 

Just do what we have been saying: look at the chain between the sprockets, any slack is bad. Don't bother measuring tension, that means nothing on this engine.

 

Sorry, there is no slack. I didn't think of the oil pressure needed for the tensioner. I pressed in on it twice and it ratcheted to a good amount. I installed the ZZP guide, and it just barely fits. I had to cover it in oil and hit it with a small rubber mallet to get it in place, but it looks like that will hold up for a long time. Just can't tighten the bottom bolt until I get a new top upgraded bolt. The top one was tightened so much that I had to use a torx and breaker bar to break it free. Now I'm just waiting for that bolt to come...
I bought non-brembo SS rotors a couple months ago but I guess I'm holding off on that until I get this engine figured out..

 

If it ratcheted it is probably too tight now. It only goes one way, since chains don't shrink.

 

I would just give it a medium nudge, but you'd need to whack it pretty hard to make it excessively tight. Even if it's on the snug side, it'll run in pretty quick. As long as it wasn't released before installation (making it impossible to install, if we're talking about the balance tensioner,) it'll be fine. I'd be more worried the the hydraulic part of the tensioner isn't working, else why was it loose?

 

I just reset the tensioner to be safe. There's not any visible slack, just gonna leave it as is.

 

Good , you’re gonna be fine.

 

Do they have problems with these ratcheting tensioners getting stripped teeth? I've seen it in other makes.