You should not be concerned Don, the "newest" chain set is the best ever for a V-6 Buick which was not in the picture over 2 years ago when this thread was started, and yes the old sets are not holding up!
The double roller sets have some issues that have proven un-reliable and un-suited to our turbo application which has more than tripled the HP levels since Ruggles and Smokey were dealing with Buick engines over 30 years ago. Our turbo application in drag racing is also different than running at constant high RPM for hundreds of miles in circle track racing.
Only 2 double roller sets are now supplied with billet gears. The cast cam gear in all the cheaper sets will NOT hold up to the HP and RPM loads of a turbo application.
The cast gear in a street application will wear quickly even in a street application, like 5K miles, and you then have a very loose chain which degrades performance even if it does not fail.
Since all the roller sets cannot use a chain tensioner, this allows LOTS of chain whip when RPM is quickly changed which is why and where most double roller chains break.
Now we have the TA link timing set with billet gears and it can use a tensioner, or even 2 tensioners which we have done in some high HP applications.
The link chain is MUCH stronger as it has a minimum of 5 links vs. 3 in a double roller.
This chain also used a smaller link pin so the link is stronger there than a double roller link, which is exactly where the link will fail.
We have not personally conducted a pull test on the link chain, but the manufacturer has rated it much stronger than a double roller chain and from common sense we can easily tell this is true.
With all the good stuff stated about the new link set, it is 1/3 the price of a billet gear double roller.
Having tried every double roller set available, and all have failed [some more than once], I feel very confident that the new link chain will last beyond the time for an engine freshen. So far the link set is beyond the number of runs where the double rollers have failed.