Â£1.20 HomeMade Manual CCT

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:38 pm

Courtesy of LotusSevenMan Designs Incorperatedâ„¢

He was right it was real easy to make too. Went round my mates house to use his tap and pillar drill. We just took all the old CCT gubbins out of the middle, drilled out the centre, tapped it and shoved the bolt in

Just gotta weld the end nut on (seen here on the far right) so I can adjust it.

The bolt's a 180 BTW

Thanks again LSM

Hoping to have my bike back on the road prety soon too, built a whole new head out of bits ready to fit, just waiting for the head gasket

Pete.L · Post by **Pete.L** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:33 pm

Ratty
pop a little silcone around the thread on the rear cct or a little Blue Hylamar (Skuz Spellin). cause they are prone to drip oil when warm.

Pete.l

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:37 pm

Looks good!
Glad to be of service!!!

Post by **sirch345** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:21 am

Nice job Ratty

I second the silicone sealer (as Pete.L says) on the threads as a good sealer

Chris

gilson · Post by **gilson** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:34 pm

I've obviously seen the CCT issue, and I understand that there is a spring that constantly pushes on to the cam belt to maintain tension.

Wouldn't the head of that bolt wear quickly? Or does it actually push onto something that pushes on the the belt?

All this talk makes me weary of the swines. I haven't had a problem with them at all...but then I haven't done many miles on either of my Firestorms....

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:42 pm

Gilson.
The bolt bears onto a tensioning plate so not a direct contact with the cam chain as such; just onto this plate.
See the front CCT plate here:-

Hope that helps put your mind at ease!!!

LSM

bikerpiker · Post by **bikerpiker** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:17 pm

This cct issue is really gettin to me , im actually thinking twice about going out on the bike now, 'till i get the cct mod done

Basically ,from what ive read, we have 4 choices.....

1.-- Fit new original standard Honda cct's (treat as a service item ),ie every 5k miles or so.

2-- Fit Ape's ..bling manual cct

3--Cheapo modify your own standard Honda cct's with coach-bolts ,as above pic . (does excactly same job as Ape's)

4--Do Sirch's modification of your own standard Honda cct ,where it still uses the normal spring to tension the chain, as Honda intended ,.......but even if the spring did break, the chain cant jump a tooth to cause engine damage .

Choices.... Choices .........

Jaglifter · Post by **Jaglifter** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:28 pm

Made manual adjustment ones for my Firestorm. Main problem was getting the tension right. Eventaually did it by trial and error listening to the "chain slap". If you get them too tight it will actually limit the power delivery!!

Must admit i made mine the hard way, from scratch copying a picture of the APE. These look simpler to make.

Never had a problem once they were adjusted.

bikerpiker · Post by **bikerpiker** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:43 pm

I think if Honda thought the 'storm engine didn't need a spring loaded tensioner, they would've designed the cct without the spring, ie fitted manual cct's,.....but having said that there are loads of chains on vehicles and machinery which run without a spring loaded tensioner

On the few occasions i go out on the bike before i manage to decide,i suppose it'll be "fingers crossed "

The old bolt up its butt option looks very cheap and easy, if a bit agricultural (who cares ,as long as it works )but the mod where you leave the spring in place , looks just as cheap to do

tattie · Post by **tattie** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:16 pm

just buy an SP

, all this cct talk does not lead to positive thoughts when you are blatting along. i think you are better not thinking about it. I got mine done 2 years ago and was still thinking about the new ones going on the way home

Dilemma

SP methinks.

Cheers

A.M.

bikerpiker · Post by **bikerpiker** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:41 pm

tattie wrote:just buy an SP , all this cct talk does not lead to positive thoughts when you are blatting along. i think you are better not thinking about it. I got mine done 2 years ago and was still thinking about the new ones going on the way home

Dilemma

SP methinks.

Cheers

A.M.

Hmmm...id need a friggin lottery win mate

Xmas means skint

As well as oor own 2 kids my wife buys everybody, both sets of parents,brothers, sisters, all aunties, uncles, nieces, nephews , cousins, Neighbours kids in street

An SP diecast model if im lucky

gilson · Post by **gilson** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:12 pm

LotusSevenMan wrote:Gilson.
The bolt bears onto a tensioning plate so not a direct contact with the cam chain as such; just onto this plate.
See the front CCT plate here:-

Hope that helps put your mind at ease!!!

LSM

Well that's a bloody good idea then! ;-)

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:01 pm

Well I eventually went down the std CCT modified to make sure that the pressure pad can't work it's way back if the spring breaks by fitting a collar. Basically Sirch's way. I thought that the best of the bunch (if a bit fiddly at initial set-up) to get the correct collar length as it retains the 'proper' spring but has the safety collar built-in.
I used the 'Monkeys' for a while and initially set them up too tight (for fear of them jumping a tooth). The bike squealed (literally) and would hesitate & stall. Loosened them off a bit at a time to get them 'just right'. They were fine once set.
I went on playin' (having found the cheap and perfectly good solution) just because I felt like it. The challenge etc.
I have pressure rigs for testing spring tensions and stuff just to get comparisons with working CCT's and brand new ones etc. I know, sad!!!
Perfectly happy with my/Sirch's existing mod now. Aluminium arrow shaft I had after shortening some arrows made perfect collars as correct i/d and lightweight.
TBH, both ideas work well!!!!!!

PS. Honda have never been clever with CCT's. Their design was suspect back in the CX500 days and nearly killed the bikes good reputation because of them.

Beamish · Post by **Beamish** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:58 am

tattie wrote:just buy an SP , all this cct talk does not lead to positive thoughts when you are blatting along. i think you are better not thinking about it. I got mine done 2 years ago and was still thinking about the new ones going on the way home

Dilemma

SP methinks.

Cheers

A.M.

No CCTs on the SP? After talking to a Honda mechanic it seems that VTRs, Blades/cbr6 and Blackbirds all suffer with CCT faults. Just seems that the VTR fails with catsrophic results.

Post by **sirch345** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:28 pm

Beamish wrote:
tattie wrote:just buy an SP , all this cct talk does not lead to positive thoughts when you are blatting along. i think you are better not thinking about it. I got mine done 2 years ago and was still thinking about the new ones going on the way home

Dilemma

SP methinks.

Cheers

A.M.
No CCTs on the SP? After talking to a Honda mechanic it seems that VTRs, Blades/cbr6 and Blackbirds all suffer with CCT faults. Just seems that the VTR fails with catsrophic results.

The good thing about CCT failure (if there is a good thing

) on the Storm is, it doesn't normally happen when you are blatting along (as Tattie put it), instead if it does happen, it usually happens as you're backing off the throttle

It's not only Honda's that have had CCT problems though. I think you'll find Suzuki and Kawasaki have also had theirs too

Not so sure about Yamaha though, but as all the big four Japanese produce very similar designed engines I wouldn't be surprised if they had had their problems too

Chris.