Jet 16 Inch Planer question

[Rick Hubbard]

We are doing some serious rebuilding work on a Jet 16 inch planer and when we took the drive chain cover off, we saw this:
362055

One of the chains has a tensioner. The other does not. There appears not to be enough slop in the chain to take out a link, so I'm wondering if it is OK the way it is.

Any ideas would be appreciated

[Malcolm McLeod]

Tough to do from a photo, but I'm going to guess there's not enough slack to take a link out. A little slop won't hurt anyway, so long as it can't jump a tooth.

My father's Belsaw planer was similar, and for years I tried to convince him to let me 'play'. He told me to keep my hands off. I listened. It worked.