If i dont touch the coating the chain is gonna wear it off in a matter of miles anyway. All the pics i have seen show the chain resting on the passenger side guide. I am thinking that metal on metal contact is happening everywhere in an engine anyway, lubricated with oil of course. The old chain was riding on a plastic guide for 190000 miles and that guide was still intact when i removed it.
The kit i have is the same as all the other metal kits, i have looked at pics of all of em and the only difference i see is price. The curved guide is the correct size and the bolts lined up perfect. It just has that coating on it which makes it thicker. I dont believe you could manufacture a rubber coated, metal backed guide and it not be to thick. There isnt enough room between the mounting holes and where the chain should be.
So if a plastic guide shows minimum wear over the span of 190000 miles that means that not much of that plastic ended up in the pan/pickup/filter. I believe the reason for minimum wear is due to lubrication and its for that reason i dont think the metal chain on the metal guide will cause an issue.
Keep in mind that the new metal guide, with the coating removed, is the same exact size and shape as the old plastic one. If metal on plastic multiplied by 190000 miles equals only minimum wear on said plastic guide then i believe metal on metal should equal even less wear on said metal guide.
Makes sense to me anyway
