cam chain tensioner

[Cajunrider]

I put the bearings back in the same way they came out. No science to it. Just follow the shop manual instructions on resetting the tensioner after you measure the travel of the push rod. Taking the cap off to measure how much travel you have left and screwing the cap back on without resetting the tensioner by using the lock bolt as the manual shows is where you will get in trouble. Using the cap to compress the spring beneath the bearing is how it jammed the spring between the bearing and cap for three of us. Compressing the spring by using a small flat screwdriver against the bearing and holding it in place with the lock bolt eliminates the problem. Doing it this way only compresses the smaller push rod spring. There is nothing for this spring to jam in or against. Resetting the tensioners the correct way may be difficult with the assemblies still bolted to the engine, especially on the front cylinder.

[medicaldawg]

Originally Posted by Clayton

I think it is time for a MAC MAC write up :)

agree here here

[ndbigfish]

I pushed my bearing and spring assembly back in with a small screwdriver, but I did it the first time blind. The second time I used a mirror to verify everything was straight and aligned and the result was much better.

Gadget's explanation is very good just make sure you can see where your working and don't assume you pushed the bearing and spring in straight.

[macmac]

I disagree with some of Gadjets write up. 2 main things are getting the old part off. he mentions cutting with a hack saw and or a wizz wheel. No good IMO. The end that comes off is not pressed on all that tight in the first place.

Since the end bis coming off and won't be used again a vise is a good way to hold that part and a rag to catch the rest is good, Then with a brass drift you can hammer the part off the shaft and create no abrasive dust or filings.

With that said the next thing gadjet goes into is the side bolt, which he say to inspect you should loosen. There is no point to loosen it, so far as i can tell.

There is a point to takling it out if you go by the book, as the 2 spings, the bearing holder which has a taper wide part towards the clyinder and the bearing must be locked back in the housing, whether or not you just look and reset, or install a extender.

i did it by the book and had no problem.

To just look, still to me means removing the whole housing and allowing it to reset.

Nothing told me about cly 2 the rear one. I stuck my finger in the hole and found the guide rail there as close to the hole as it could get. I did that on cly 1 and the guide rail was still leaning on the chain.

So I did cly 2 last and pressed the rod in more real easy till I felt the guide rail via the rod push against the chain.

I wish this were in better memory, and next time which should be pretty soon I will make notes and see about a few pics. Radco is working on getting the parts, I am a ways away from needing extenders myself.

I would suggest anyone going ahead before me assembe the device and look at it all off the bike. Do it untill you are sure you understand it.

You can set it all up to install, and trip the side bolt unlocking the device off the bike and nothing bad will happen, or at least I don;t think so. The worst would be breaking the spring. How the spring gets broken exactly I am not sure of, I didn't break any.

It is a lot better to get that right than break the spring(s)

If you get it wrong on the bike, and are not aware all hell will break loose. literally

[ndbigfish]

Mac,
I believe that loosening the small bolt gets it out of the way of the large spring and allows it to clear without interference during extraction.

I found that I could not get the stock caps off by twisting or prying, so I carefully cut a slot in them with a hacksaw and popped them off with a large flat blade screwdriver. I covered the tensioner body to protect it from any fines or particulate matter.

Did you hold the tensioner body or the cap with the vise ? If you held the cap, where do you contact the drift punch; on the side of flange common to the engine?

[Cajunrider]

Originally Posted by macmac

I disagree with some of Gadjets write up. 2 main things are getting the old part off. he mentions cutting with a hack saw and or a wizz wheel. No good IMO. The end that comes off is not pressed on all that tight in the first place.

Since the end bis coming off and won't be used again a vise is a good way to hold that part and a rag to catch the rest is good, Then with a brass drift you can hammer the part off the shaft and create no abrasive dust or filings.

With that said the next thing gadjet goes into is the side bolt, which he say to inspect you should loosen. There is no point to loosen it, so far as i can tell.

There is a point to takling it out if you go by the book, as the 2 spings, the bearing holder which has a taper wide part towards the clyinder and the bearing must be locked back in the housing, whether or not you just look and reset, or install a extender.

i did it by the book and had no problem.

To just look, still to me means removing the whole housing and allowing it to reset.
Nothing told me about cly 2 the rear one. I stuck my finger in the hole and found the guide rail there as close to the hole as it could get. I did that on cly 1 and the guide rail was still leaning on the chain.

So I did cly 2 last and pressed the rod in more real easy till I felt the guide rail via the rod push against the chain.

I wish this were in better memory, and next time which should be pretty soon I will make notes and see about a few pics. Radco is working on getting the parts, I am a ways away from needing extenders myself.

I would suggest anyone going ahead before me assembe the device and look at it all off the bike. Do it untill you are sure you understand it.

You can set it all up to install, and trip the side bolt unlocking the device off the bike and nothing bad will happen, or at least I don;t think so. The worst would be breaking the spring. How the spring gets broken exactly I am not sure of, I didn't break any.
It is a lot better to get that right than break the spring(s)

If you get it wrong on the bike, and are not aware all hell will break loose. literally

Amen. Take the assemblies off of the engine and reset them by the book. Mac, you didn't break a spring because you did it as the book says to. Compressing the big spring by screwing the cap back on stands a very good chance of binding and breaking the spring between the cap and bearing. That's how mine broke when I pulled the cap off of the rear cylinder assembly to measure how much travel I had left. I didn't have the extenders yet so I screwed the cap back on without pulling it off and resetting it as the shop manual says to. Those of us who take this shortcut are just plain lucky if the spring doesn't bind and break.

Another thing very much worth mentioning is to never loosen the bolts holding the assembly to the cylinder and then tighten them back up without pulling it off completely and resetting it. As the assembly pulls away from the cylinder, any remaining travel will extend completely and jam against the rail when the bolts are tightened again. As I said before, it's not a difficult job but if you don't do it correctly it can turn into your worst nightmare when you crank up the engine.

[ringadingh]

Gadgets instructions are real easy and well detailed to do the job, Do one step at a time and you should be able to get it done troublefree. The Kawi shop manual will show you how to remove and reset the tensioners, but not how to install the new extender.