When to replace a cam chain tensioner on a dirt bike?
If you hear a buzzing or slapping sound (remember when your chain was too loose on a bicycle or the drive chain on your old dirt bike) then ‘maybe’ the extenders have reached their limit. This procedure will give new life to the extender so you don’t have to tear down the entire engine to replace a chain.
What does cam chain tensioner do on Vulcan?
The reason is mysterious but it seems one of the first things to give any trouble on Vulcan 1500/1600 engines is the cam chain tensioner. That’s the spring loaded gizmo that keeps an idler pressed against the chain so it doesn’t whip or come off the sprocket or even make nasty grinding noises as it stretches through normal use.
Why does my cam chain tensioner keep rattling?
At some point though the tensioner reaches the end of its travel and then, when the chain stretches just a little more it starts rattling, usually against the spark plug tunnels (tubes) causing the damage shown at right.
What’s the best way to set the cam timing?
Rotate crank until the rockers on cylinder one are holding both valves open a little. This is the overlap period and how you are going to set the cam timing. Look at the pointer and pulley. Rotate crank to set them so they are directly opposite each other.
If you hear a buzzing or slapping sound (remember when your chain was too loose on a bicycle or the drive chain on your old dirt bike) then ‘maybe’ the extenders have reached their limit. This procedure will give new life to the extender so you don’t have to tear down the entire engine to replace a chain. The part is available through:
Why is my timing chain making a rattling noise?
A bad timing chain will often emit a rattling sound for a few minutes before the engine warms up, and then will lower in intensity or dissipate altogether after it warms up.
How do you remove the cap from a cam chain tensioner?
Remove the tensioner’s cap by first loosening the small 8mm lockbolt on the side of the tensioner body then removing the 12mm bolt on the end of the tensioner body. Be aware that there are some small parts as shown in the next photo. Remove the cap slowly so everything comes apart together in one piece.
When to replace the cam chain on a Moto?
When I set the plunger with the old chain installed the ninth tooth was engaged on the plunger. Observations like this can be used to gauge cam chain wear and to determine when the chain should be replaced. Every engine will have specific marks designed into components to aid in the timing of the engine.
What happens when exhaust cam chain is worn?
As the chain wears the tensioner will absorb slack and the cams will retard. In this image with the old chain installed the exhaust cam punch mark is far too high in relation to the cylinder head machined surface and the intake cam is not even visible. This is a good indication that the chain is worn and should be replaced.
What happens when the timing chain is off on a Moto?
Cam timings that are off several degrees will result in a loss of power and the cam chain tensioner will have quite a job trying to take slack out of the valvetrain. When a timing chain elongates it may not do so in a uniform way and parts of the chain may be tighter or looser than others.
How many pins between sprockets on twin cam engine?
I like to span around 6 – 8 pins between the sprockets on a twin cam engine. Unicam engines are trickier and the number of pins you can measure is usually less. It is important to try and measure across multiple pins because the variation between new and old chain measurements will be more pronounced this way.