Cam chain tensioner week!

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Stormer Dave
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Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by Stormer Dave »

Hi folks...seen the earlier post on cct...........

Looks like I've got the same problem.....

Loud clatter sounds like the front is starved of oil and very metallic rattle....

Whats the deal if my valves are bent what am I looking for?

If I strip...

Dave
:clap: complex personalities lead you to v-twin happiness......if you can get to turn in.......that is.....
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benny hedges
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by benny hedges »

hide your key. post it to yourself 2nd class.
dont attempt to start it.
get some tensioners ordered up asap & get digesting the how to guide.

you may have got away with it.
easy way to tell without taking the heads off is measure the valve clearances while you are replacing the tensioners.
if there is no gap or the gap is massive the valves arent seating and the head will have to come off.
if the clearances are normal (or very close) you have most likely had a lucky escape.
You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when posting something which you later rely on in quote. Anything you do say may be ripped to sh*t.
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Stormer Dave
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by Stormer Dave »

Benny a source of inspiration and help......

Must meet up sometime.....

Thanks

Dave
:clap: complex personalities lead you to v-twin happiness......if you can get to turn in.......that is.....
tony.mon
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by tony.mon »

To save yourself a bit of time undo the cap bolt on each tensioner (a dribble of oil will come out of the rear one) and put in a tiny flat blade screwdriver.
You will be able to feel spring tension on one but not the other; that tells you which one has failed.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
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sirch345
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by sirch345 »

Stormer Dave wrote:Hi folks...seen the earlier post on cct...........

Looks like I've got the same problem.....

Loud clatter sounds like the front is starved of oil and very metallic rattle....

Whats the deal if my valves are bent what am I looking for?

If I strip...

Dave
I don't think taking your clothes off will help :wink: :lol:

Seriously though, hopefully it's not to bad. If you're going to be stripping it down, use this link on how to set the valve timing before you start:-
http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=8326

If you do need to replace valves you will also need a head gasket. Get yourself over to http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/ for valve and gasket prices.

Chris.
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Stormer Dave
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by Stormer Dave »

Tony,

Tried your approach first and maybe I'm just thick but neither front nor the back seem to have any movement if I gently try to turn the screw? then they both move freely..........

But what am I to expect, should there be free play ish or ?

They both just feel fixed, but a little oil did drop out on the rear front as dry as a bone....

Dave
:clap: complex personalities lead you to v-twin happiness......if you can get to turn in.......that is.....
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firestarter1977
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by firestarter1977 »

when turning the cct you should be able to retract the plunger with a small flat bladed screwdriver.. if its working you will feel resistance from the spring trying to screw the plunger back against the cam chain.


not sure if that makes any sense lol
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AMCQ46
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by AMCQ46 »

mmm. if it will screw freely in both directions the spring has failed [should be tight in one direction and spring loaded in the other]

BUT

If they both feel the same, my 1st guess is that you are doing it wrong........the chances of both failing is very very slim, so you should notice a clear difference between the good one and the failed one.
AMcQ
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Stormer Dave
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by Stormer Dave »

firestarter1977 wrote:when turning the cct you should be able to retract the plunger with a small flat bladed screwdriver.. if its working you will feel resistance from the spring trying to screw the plunger back against the cam chain.


not sure if that makes any sense lol

Ha ha now I've got ouch it's fecked...............bottom one moves like on ice with resistance top one had a bit but clunky and dry as a dogs..........Ar@e..............

So now the pain begins.........................

Seeing as most of you guys have had this problem and seems like most of the US guys have the problem can't we make a big bad statement to Honda to let them know how shite this design is, seems so obvious to solve? Just don't get why Honda don't sort this out...................it appears to be down to lack of lubrication have I got it right...............

I'm ready for the MD at Honda.....................

Tony.mon for local - PM
Benny H for - MEP
Firestarter for vote counting.......you guys get my vote not forgetting sirch and anch for excellent literature which I now need to train myself up on assuming I didn't take the valves or piston out - in which case look out for some really good VTR parts...........

Cheers
:clap: complex personalities lead you to v-twin happiness......if you can get to turn in.......that is.....
tony.mon
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by tony.mon »

In which case buy a 2nd hand motor and search the forum for how to get the bloody engine mount bolts out....
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
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sirch345
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by sirch345 »

Stormer Dave wrote:
Seeing as most of you guys have had this problem and seems like most of the US guys have the problem can't we make a big bad statement to Honda to let them know how shite this design is, seems so obvious to solve? Just don't get why Honda don't sort this out...................it appears to be down to lack of lubrication have I got it right...............

I'm ready for the MD at Honda.....................


Cheers
Dave,

A petition was presented to Honda many years ago. It was signed by Superhawk forum members and members from this forum too about this cam chain tensioner problem. But I'm afraid Honda dismissed it, end of story.

The problem is many bikes from the four big Japanese manufactures have had, and still do have cam chain tensioner problems. So Honda most likely felt if they accepted there was a problem for one model, then spent money and time coming up with a solution for it, they'd have to do the same for all other models which gave CCT problems too. Also you have to remember not all Storm/Hawk owners experienced failures in the earlier years of their bikes life. It just that most of the members on here (or the S/Hawk forum) have, as the first thing you do when your bike has a problem (providing you have Internet access of course) is you start looking for help or advice, hence finding this forum or the Superhawk one.

Good luck in getting yours sorted,

Chris.
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alec
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by alec »

is there no way of taking an oil feed from somewhere and making a screw in joint to replace the bolt on top of the tensionors and feeding oil in from the top somehow, would keep the auto's oiled and possibly be a kind of fix ? i'm no mechanic so dont really understand pressures etc.
98% of all Harleys ever sold are still on the road. The other 2% made it home Image
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Stormer Dave
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by Stormer Dave »

So it was the front and the chain had slipped, I rotated probably unwisely, the crank nut and gently set it towards the FT mark, the chain slipped back onto the cams, and I'm just about to check where the marks should be in relation to where they are now and attempt to check the clearances.

Some pics on the way.

At this point am I following haynes banual and looking for the fe fi marks to be flush with the cylinder head or is that rubbish?

What is the deal with the engine out bolt?

Dave
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tony.mon
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by tony.mon »

Step away from the haynes manual and print out the instruction in Workshop, follow those instead.

The engine mounting bolts often seize in place, and make swapping engines on these a nightmare.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
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sirch345
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Re: Cam chain tensioner week!

Post by sirch345 »

tony.mon wrote:Step away from the haynes manual and print out the instruction in Workshop, follow those instead.
Dave, I also suggested (in my earlier post above) to follow the instructions in the Workshop section knowledgebase for valve timing, I even posted a link to it too :!:

Chris.
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