Cam Chain

4695 Views 26 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Cobram, Mar 11, 2011

79cx500

Discussion Starter · Mar 8, 2011

Well I realize once I posted this it isn't the best picture. I have been reading other threads about cam chains and how to tell when its time to replace them. When I looked at mine though the cam chain tensioner looks different then all the other ones I have seen pictures posted on.

I guess though since I have the whole motor open I should just replace it anyway, but I would still like to know how I can tell.

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bandit

· #2 · Mar 8, 2011

i can,t see from the picture,the adjuster that is..can you post a square on picture.....

but,from the angle that the chain leaves the sproket,id edge on the side of caution,and replace it.

ok,mine is different to yours,but can you see the throw on the adjuster,and the angle the chain leaves the sproket

fyi,thats a new chain

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79cx500

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 8, 2011

my tensioner looks different from yours but just looking at your cam gear I need a new one.

bandit

· #4 · Mar 8, 2011

82COG said:
my tensioner looks different from yours but just looking at your cam gear I need a new one.

i did say that mine is different.your is a manual adjuster,mine is automatic.

but,thats the sorta picture to post....showing the travel out of your adjuster

kingston73

· #5 · Mar 8, 2011

Here's my manual tensioner when I first opened it up, before replacement. It's the amount of space in the slot either above or below the bolt you're looking at, a brand new chain will have all the space above the arm. Another way to say it is the tensioner arm should be pushed up as high as it can go against the bolt:

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Blindstitch

· #6 · Mar 8, 2011

More details would help. Yes you have a manual tensioner but how many miles are on the bike? Why do you have it apart? What does the slot that the bolt rides on looks like?

You see how the one in the picture below shows a lot of notch under the bolt head. That ones shot. All the way the opposite way is perfect. In the middle is still fine since it tends to last roughly 50,000 miles.

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79cx500

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 8, 2011

Thanks guys, I will get a better picture tonight when I get home so better judgements can be made. The bike od reads 29995. I took the motor apart for two reasons one: I wanted to replace the gaskets because they where leaking in various places and I am still waiting for things like the frame being painted carbs getting rebuilt and tuned etc...and the biggest reason it is apart is that I have tinkeritous. So while its apart I might as well replace what needs to be replaced right?

bandit

· #8 · Mar 8, 2011

82COG said:
Thanks guys, I will get a better picture tonight when I get home so better judgements can be made. The bike od reads 29995. I took the motor apart for two reasons one: I wanted to replace the gaskets because they where leaking in various places and I am still waiting for things like the frame being painted carbs getting rebuilt and tuned etc...and the biggest reason it is apart is that I have tinkeritous. So while its apart I might as well replace what needs to be replaced right?

30k miles,its out anyway,buy the camchain.you know your good to go for maybe another 50k miles

79cx500

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 9, 2011

looks to be just about dead center on the bolt on the tensioner.

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thackney

· #10 · Mar 9, 2011

It all looks fine to me. I replaced mine at a little more wear than that just because I was in there, but yours looks really serviceable to me.

ramprat06

· #11 · Mar 9, 2011

I'm with boulder on this one. At halfway, 30k, you have plenty of time to go on that one. It would be a good idea to get a new one though, as you never know what may come next. It's not a huge expense, and in the meantime start tracking down the tensioner bits too.

Looks pretty nice inside there though.

*note to self, better start thinking this way too. I'm at 26k.*

Joel in the Couve

Cobram

· #12 · Mar 9, 2011

Have you adjusted the chain yet? Loosen the bolt holding the tensioner and push down a little on it. See how much slack it takes up by slowly rotating the engine. Does the tensioner have a reinforcing block on the back of it? Is the tensioner is straight in the back? If it is you have an early version, I would change it for the new reinforced style.

From the pics I can't tell if the case cover and bolt has been buzz cut by the chain, and if so, how bad.

If you can post some better pics, it would be easier to assess. If it were me, I'd replace the tensioner and chain. Once you loosen the tensioner adjuster bolt, I think you'll find it might not have that much life left in it. Going back in later means the expense of another set of gaskets etc. The fixed tensioner is no longer available new anywhere.

Change all the oil seals, O-rings and water pump seal while you're there. Plenty of people that thought they didn't need to they "looked" fine, later regretted it when they had to pull the engine apart again.

I have a non-reinforced early tensioner I pulled from my CX, if I find it I'll snap a pic and post so you can compare to what you have. From the pic, the engine looks clean, how was the overall condition of the bike?

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79cx500

Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 9, 2011

I plan to go ahead and replace the cam chain all the gaskets etc I will have to hunt the mrs down and get the camera to get better pictures to see if I need a different tensioner. The overall condition of the bike I thought was pretty good it was complete nothing was missing. It even had the little tool bag and all the tools. Most of the work needing to be done is a result of it just sitting. It had surface rust all over the frame which was driving me crazy so....

I stripped the bike down to take care of that issue. It is now getting painted. Mailed the carbs off to get rebuilt. Once the bike is running will go through the brakes and etc. Just doing a complete run through of the bike for the most part. This is my first bike but not my first time "wrenching" I really enjoy the process of working on things and it is much cheaper then my last project...a 2004 cavalier that made 260whp. 260wtq. Being that I like to pick things that shouldn't be up graded this bike is a perfect fit! lol

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Panther

· #14 · Mar 9, 2011

82COG said:
Mailed the carbs off to get rebuilt.

I hope those went to Larry. lol.

Looking forward to your completed project.

Randall-in-Mpls

· #15 · Mar 9, 2011

Cobram said:
Have you adjusted the chain yet? Loosen the bolt holding the tensioner and push down a little on it.

Have the left piston at TDC on compression, first.

R

bandit

· #16 · Mar 9, 2011

Randall-in-Mpls said:
Have the left piston at TDC on compression, first.

R

this has reared its head a lot lately

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Cobram

· #17 · Mar 9, 2011

Randall-in-Mpls said:
Have the left piston at TDC on compression, first.

Shouldn't make any difference. With the engine open and slight pressure on the top of the adjuster, when you turn it over by hand it will give a good indication of what's happening when it's running.

My adjuster wasn't at the end of it's adjustment, it looked like it had a ways to go before bottoming out. But after a couple of revolutions by hand with finger pressure on adjuster, it became very apparent the chain had stretched and the tensioner was doing very little to prevent chain slap. Extrapolate this test and multiply by 5000X (when the bike is at red line) it's a mechanical marvel it hadn't all just grenaded. Lesser designs and parts on other bikes go right through the case of the engine under similar circumstances.

Randall-in-Mpls

· #18 · Mar 9, 2011

Cobram said:
Shouldn't make any difference. With the engine open and slight pressure on the top of the adjuster, when you turn it over by hand it will give a good indication of what's happening when it's running.

My adjuster wasn't at the end of it's adjustment, it looked like it had a ways to go before bottoming out. But after a couple of revolutions by hand with finger pressure on adjuster, it became very apparent the chain had stretched and the tensioner was doing very little to prevent chain slap.

That's because yours was at the end of its adjustment. If he sets the tension per the manual, and there's any life left in the chain, that extra slack won't be there.

We've been telling him to judge chain health based on a visual check of the adjuster. But until it's set properly, what he sees won't provide for an adequate assessment.

R

Cobram

· #19 · Mar 9, 2011

Randall-in-Mpls said:
That's because yours was at the end of its adjustment. If he sets the tension per the manual, and there's any life left in the chain, that extra slack won't be there.

We've been telling him to judge chain health based on a visual check of the adjuster. But until it's set properly, what he sees won't provide for an adequate assessment.

R

Even when set and adjusted as per the manual, that doesn't mean it's doing it's job. Only by doing what I detailed above did I find that the old style tensioner blade (no buffer reinforcement on the back) wasn't applying the force it was supposed to. The chain still had slack even though the adjustment was "perfect." Here's the pic, you can see that the adjuster still had a ways to go, but didn't have the "oomph" to keep the chain from slacking. It is kind of a moot point, in that if you open an engine and find the old style tensioner, it should be replaced with the new style no matter how good it looks. The one in my bike was original, adjusted at every oil change since new (or maybe it was replaced as part of the original recall?)

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Randall-in-Mpls

· #20 · Mar 10, 2011

Cobram said:
Here's the pic, you can see that the adjuster still had a ways to go, but didn't have the "oomph" to keep the chain from slacking.

Stretch or loss of temper in the adjuster spring, maybe? Or was it the old-style blade losing stiffness?

R

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