Be carefull about doing certain maint "early"

[skiman]

Exactly Jared

[trosco]

Jared & Ski, I thik it is just the oposite from sooner is better. Follow me on this; the tensioner foot is "pressed" against the cam chain to remove slack. It's job is to prevent cam chain whip which is the real danger: that leads first to the contact with spark plug tubes but can go on to the chains jumping teeth, altering valve timing and then catastophic engine failure when valves and piston attempt to occupy the same space at the same time (we have what is commonly refered to as a intrusion motor). Anyway, the tensioner plunger is extended by the long smaller diameter coil spring that goes inside the plunger with the other end in the cap that rides against the bearing in the tensioner cover. When new the chain has little slack, the plunger is extended little and therefore the coil spring is compressed most and exerting it's greatest pressure. As the chain stretches the tensioner is extended and the coil spring extends. The by product is that the pressure exterted by the coil spring decreases. My opinion is that is decreasd tensioner pressure on the chain is a contributing factor to the apparent "slowing " of chain stretch. Hence my suggestion that if you wait as long as possible before adding the thicker foot to the extender you can lengthen cam chain useful life by subjecting it to the lowest safe level of tensioner pressure for the longest possible time. And I think that majic point for replacement is more often above 40,000 miles (60,000K) than it is in the 20-30,000 mile range.
Guy, your 70,000 clicks is Kilometers and so we are on about the same schedule with me at 45,000 miles. Looking forward to seeing everyone in PA also. Sorry Donnie won't make it but healing is more important.

[nmd07]

Originally Posted by schoeney

So what should you do if you are half way through a 1500 mile trip and you start hearing the "buzz"?

Can someone describe the "buzz" that a couple have mentioned? My 1600 nomad has a hypercharger on it and when I am going through the gears moderately hard I hear a buzz that I believe is coming from the hypercharger but now I am second guessing it. The bike has @ 20,000 miles on it.

[roadhawg]

I think what trosco is saying is that its better to try and go as far as possible before replacing tensioners? At least thats how I read it.

I have brand new tensioners I just got from Chucksters, but until i hear some "buzzing" and or unfamilar noises, I will wait to install them.

I am all about good maintenance, but I gotta go with "If it aint broke dont fix it".

I have about 38 K on bike now.
i would also like to know more about this Buzz sound?

[Sin City Stan]

Originally Posted by trosco

My opinion is that is decreasd tensioner pressure on the chain is a contributing factor to the apparent "slowing " of chain stretch.

I think the real stretching comes from the forces exerted on the chain as the gear teeth pull it around. Abrupt changes in RPM would be the biggest culprit. The pressure applied by the tensioner is nothing compared to the grear forces. Just sayin.

[trosco]

Stan, I agree with you whole heartedly. Many forces greater than the extender's contributions work on those cam chains. I just think it is one small factor that we happen to have a degree of control over.
There are some people reporting 5,000 mile tire life, new clutch springs at 15,000 then new brakes before 20,000 and new extenders at just over 20,000. That maybe the right choice for them based on their experience but "MY OPINION" (which are like belly buttons, every one has atleast one but no two are exactly the same) is that they may be doing some of their maint. prematurely.
Oh and the "buzz" is what some people call the noise of the cam chain coming in contact with the spark plug tube. Because my rear extender was fully extended I did pull the rear plug tube to check for damage. There was no evidence of contact so I don't know what that contact would sound like.

[Rasta]

Time to bring an old thread back to life since this an often discussed topic. On my 2004 Nomad I did my pensioners at about 24000miles. The rear didn't have any clicks left if my memory serves me right and the front had on click left. On the 2000 Nomad I bought about a year ago with about 97000 miles on it did not have it done when I got it. When I went to look at the bike and heard it run, it was making a hell of a racket. My buddy and I just looked at each other but I had a feeling I knew what it was so I went ahead and bought the bike. I had to tear into the motor to fix the charging system in it but before I was going to do that, the first thing I did was order the extenders from Joe. A couple days later I got the extenders, put them on and the bike run much more quieter. After being satisfied that was the noise I was hearing when I got the bike, I went ahead and did the other repairs. Even though the chain was making all kinds of racket it had not started rubbing on the tubes yet.

[minst7877]

I need to check the extenders on my 99. They were done at about 28000 miles and then the oil gear went out and the engine was rebuilt at 35000+ with new chains and gears. It now has 20000 on the rebuild so I will start keeping track of the extender position. Once they at inside by 5/16 inch I will put the extenders back in.

DC

[DragonLady58]

I like Jared beating that horse....as much as its been done....you'd think all the bases would be covered.
These extenders are needed whenever the plunger is close to the end of its travel. It makes a noise when it starts gnawing on the sparkplug tube.
All a person has to do is unscrew the cap and look at the plunger once a year to see. If its all the way in, you need extenders, its that simple. Put them in.
When you get your engine rebuilt, if your running extenders, just add new timing chains and replace the shoes that press on the chains. Simple insurance. Then upon reassembly, pull out the extenders out, throw them into a drawer in your toolbox and your engine is ready for another 150,000 or so.
I added extenders to the 1500 when my mileage hit 75,000.

[MAS Tequila]

The tensioner doesn't actually push on the chain.

That would wear the tensioner base out, and likely the chain, very quickly.

There are 2 plastic composite chain guides, one on each outer side of each chain.

The tensioner pushes against one of the guides to maintain the pressure along the length of (I believe, not having an engine in parts here) the upwards side of the chain, the entire length.

The guide bolts to the case down by the crank pulley and runs full length up into the head.

The other slides into a slot down low near the crank.

If you ever put a 1500/1600 back together make sure you put the guides in before you start reassembling the top end.

The first time I found out the hard way, that they have to be in before the jugs go on.

It's no fun taking the heads and jugs off just to put the chain guides in, and ruining a cylinder base gasket.

MT

[DragonLady58]

Yea MAS, I ruined a set of base gaskets just exactly like that. Its funny, that the composite material the guides, which I refer to shoes sometimes, will outlast all the adjustment, then outlast everything else before a entire engine rebuild, which could be as long as 150,000 + miles.
Because the steadily rub on the timing chains all the time, when I rebuild a high mileage engine, I replace those guides when I install new chains....
The reliability of these engines is amazing, if treated decently, theres no reason why these beasts can't go 150,000 + miles easily.
Sure, sometimes components fail, but not very often. Usually 80% of the time on these things, its replacing pistons/rings, and or valve guides/seals.