Eek, manual cct fitting

[vtrjock]

Far be it from me to usually be a bit paranoid during spannering..but

I've just fitted the Krieger manual kiddies as per the rather magnifico instructions from Carl.
Having set the tension as per the instructions (5 - 7mm) and locked it all off, I got a tad paranoid about the amount of sideways movement on the camchain. Prior to removing the old tensioners, there was no sideways movement to the camchain itself (for a very good reason I'm sure). Looking at the rear pot, as you wind the motor over with a socket wrench now, the chain does appear to lift slightly off the very first section of the front cam sprocket teeth whereas prior to replacement it was tight as a nut.
Am I being overly cautious or do the original tensioners run a lot tighter?
Thanks for listening

[VTRDark]

Looking at the rear pot, as you wind the motor over with a socket wrench now, the chain does appear to lift slightly off the very first section of the front cam sprocket teeth whereas prior to replacement it was tight as a nut.

Mmmm Are you turning the engine over anti-clockwise. It may have just been taking up a little slack on the non tensioner side depending on how taught it was to begin with. I would turn the engine over by hand at the crank a couple of revolutions and double check the chain tension just to be on the safe side.

With the original Honda autos on the compression stroke you will have 5mm slack in the chain between the two cam sprockets.

(:-})

[vtrjock]

Yup, anti-clockwise. Turned it over several times now.

[sirch345]

With fitting manual CCT's you are setting the tension of the cam-chains at a compromise, a compromise that covers all of the rev range. So some parts of the rev range with manual CCT's fitted the tension will be spot on and other parts it may be a little more slack than it would have been with a standard CCT's. With the original standard CCT's which are self adjusting, that takes care of the different tensions at different rev's of the engine. My guess is the standard CCT's take up a little more slack in the cam-chains than the manuals CCT's do when the engine is stopped.

Fitting manual CCT's at least takes away the worry of one failing, just make sure the lock nuts are done up tight, using a thread lock is also a good idea,

Chris.

[VTRDark]

Now that makes sense to me now going back and reading the OP's post after your answer Chris. I was a bit confused as to the sideways movement on the camchain. Jock do you mean the up and down movement, yes up and down, not sideways movement in the chain between the two cam sprockets.

You will find that even the original Honda tensioners leave some slack in the chain while on the compression stroke. When I measured mine it was 5mm with the Honda auto. With manuals anywhere between 5 and 7 is good, but better to be on the loose side rather than the tight side of things.

Make sure you take the measure the up and down movement of the chain from the outside edge. See vids in the MCCT guide.

(:-})

[vtrjock]

Cheers guys. Lock nuts were indeed loctited. The 'up and down' movement is the vertical movement at the chain's center point between the cam sprockets as in the you tube vids (and the same as how you would measure a drive chain). This is set at approximately 5 - 7mm as in the vid. The slight sideways movement is where the cam chain itself can be moved slightly from side to side as it sits on the sprocket, much the same way as you can sometimes move a drive chain slightly left and right as it sits on the sprocket. Centering itself when moving I
guess. It just feels odd after the original set up with the honda tensioners.

[VTRDark]

Sounds perfectly normal to me mate, can't say I have noticed a comparison side to side play with standard Honda tensioners. A little play I would have thought is a good thing as you don't wont things rubbing face to face and wearing each other out. It also leaves room for thermal expansion. I think you may be over worrying about things.

(:-})

[vtrjock]

I am indeed probably being a big girl's blouse

[sirch345]

The slight sideways movement is where the cam chain itself can be moved slightly from side to side as it sits on the sprocket, much the same way as you can sometimes move a drive chain slightly left and right as it sits on the sprocket. Centering itself when moving I
guess. It just feels odd after the original set up with the honda tensioners.

I'm sure that'll be down to what I wrote in my last post, and nothing to worry about. It certainly sounds like you have done everything correctly :-

My guess is the standard CCT's take up a little more slack in the cam-chains than the manuals CCT's do when the engine is stopped.

Chris.

[vtrjock]

All back together now and running
nicely. I tightened up the tensioners a gnat's todger more b4 loctiting and locking off.
Job done. Cheers for the help fellas.

[sirch345]

That's good, well done

Chris.