Winter work in the Summer :( Cam Tensioners

[shnyroq]

Well here in California we don't get much of a winter anyway, but I'm going to do some much needed work on the bike. I checked the cam chain tensioners and it looks like I'm really close to being out of travel - at only 25k miles!
So since the extenders need to go in, why not do the Chuckster air mod too? And then of course I need the TFI. And then with the air kit, there will be that naked spot on the left, so in goes a Baron ignition relocation kit. And while the tank's off, might as well run some wiring and relay for the Freeway Blaster horns. And then there's that front turn signal bar I've been meaning to run in the rear to have running lights.
Should be fun and I'm looking forward to the "new" bike!

[Yellow Jacket]

Sounds like fun! Let us know how it comes out.

[Cajunrider]

Shnyroq,

I installed my extenders at 25,000 miles and I was very close to running out of travel. While you have the tank off, it would be a good time to change your coolant, if you haven't already done so. I pulled my stock exhaust system off this afternoon and will install the aftermarket pipes tomorrow.

[macmac]

I just did extenders on a 1600 with 34,000 and they had 3 and 4 clicks left. Each click is 0.90 there are about 16 clicks total. I say about as it was difficult to click each one separate and most often i would click 2 trying to count them.

Be sure to consult the book. Study the devices, and do not screw up.

Other wize this should keep you off the street all of 6 hours maybe.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Sounds like you have a lot of projects to do. I wish I had the time to do all that stuff but since I started back to work it has cut into my time for doing all that stuff.

[shnyroq]

Well I'd been wanting to do most of these mods for some time, the extenders just gave me the motivation. I don't have a lot of tools or experience so I'm budgeting the whole weekend for this job. My wife and daughter are out of town, otherwise I probably wouldn't have the time either. Without a bench vise, I'm going to improvise on removing the old extenders.
I'll post my results soon. Thanks for all the well wishes!

[macmac]

I wouldn't cut the oem extenders off either, but punch them out. They are not pressed on very tight to start with. I do not agree with cutting them with a hack saw and or anything else that makes steel dust. I have access to a small press rated at 10 tons, but it took no 10 tons at all.

With ease of a bench vise you don't have, but should, you could drill a hole on a hard wood block, then saw the block to be 1/2 hole each, place the cam adjuster arm in the opening of the wood clamp the vise closed snug, and drive the cam arm out of the oem extenders easy, with a square faced punch and a light hammer.

The new extenders i installed were loose fitting!!!!!!!!!! I could sort of screw them on and screw them back off by hand. SO YOU WILL NEED a stud installing permanent Loctite for sure!

If one of the new extenders should fall off installing it inside the engine it will ruin your day!

The device is confusing. There is a bearing holder and a bearing. The side lock screw holds the bearing and retainer back in the cam exteder body! during the install.

When the body is mounted to the engine you release the lock bolt and will hear a click, then tighten the lock screw which just becomes a oil seal on the body.

Study, maybe do the first one you take out, and leave the 2nd unit for back up if you mess up and get confused. This isn't hard to do, but it can be confusing.

The hardest part will be removing the ft cly unit if the air flow box is still there.
I know you are considering a right side only air intake set up, so with any luck that flow box tube will be gone forever.

It isn't easy exactly to remove either. The right side must be down (off the bike first to the backing plate. Then with the idea I might want that air flow box back again one day i cut it about 5/8th's inch from the left side flange with a dremel and a whiz wheel on it.

If I wanted i could hammer that tube back in and plastic weld the flange on.

You will still have to hammer the tube out with some care.

[shnyroq]

The gas tank removal and crossover tube removal took me way, way too long!
The extender job wasn't too bad. A couple questions though:

1. Gadget says to push the pushrod in after the tensioners are mounted to the bike - this doesn't screw up their self-adjustment when you start the bike back up, does it?

2. The crankcase breather tube on the new backing plate is kinda pinched - problem?

3. Running a wiring harness for new horns - is it safe to mount the relay under the frame where the front of the seat mounts? Only concern is how close it and the wiring is to the top of the cylinder...

4. Lastly, can I turn on the ignition (not start the bike) with the gas tank off? Want to check the horns and the ignition relocation wiring.

TFI comes in tomorrow, so I still gotta install that. Then waiting for assistance to reinstall gas tank this weekend...
Thanks for your help!!!

[Cajunrider]

In answering question #1, I didn't push mine in by hand. I followed the directions in loading the big spring and let the cap and push rod spring push the rod in to where it needed to be.
I think that if the breather tube is pinched enough to severly restrict the air flow, you could build up crankcase pressure and begin leaking oil somewhere. Just my opinion, I am no expert mechanic by any means. Question #3, that is where my horn relay has been for over a year with no problems so far. Question #4...I wouln't think it would hurt to turn on the ignition with the tank removed. Is the speedo still connected? When I removed my tank, I left the speedo connected and hung it from the right side handlebar with a long zip tie.

[macmac]

"1. Gadget says to push the pushrod in after the tensioners are mounted to the bike - this doesn't screw up their self-adjustment when you start the bike back up, does it?"

You shouldn't need to, but so long as the holder and bearing were locked back in the housing, and you loosend the lock bolt and watched the rod drive IN, then if you pouished it with a finger and it went click more, maybe the rod dropped in a lot more on Cly 2 thats fine.

If you did not lock the bearing holder and bearing deep and well back in the device pull them off and do it again. The top cap cover need not be on to do this.

You MUST have the bearing retain and the bearing locked back on the install. You MUST release the lock bolt and allow the springs to push the rod IN. On Cly 2 you may have to assist with a finger after unlocking the side bolt.

On the one bike i did so far the cly 2 cam guide fell back to the cam tensioner each time i pushed it in with a finger.

To see that which i didn't, you would need a flashlite and a mirror, but you can feel it.

IF YOU DIDN'T DO THIS THIS WAY dO NOT START THE ENGINE!

"2. The crankcase breather tube on the new backing plate is kinda pinched - problem?"

As Cajun said you should make sure there is no restriction in the air flow. If there is you will blow ever engine oil seal there is.

3 is fine.

4 Yes thats fine, but do not install the tank and leave the fuel line off and then turn the key. That will blow gas all over the place for a instant, a very short instant, but there will be a lot of gas as mist. Mist can go BOOM.

[shnyroq]

Ok, I did lock the spring and bearing back before install. After putting the cap on, I loosened the lock bolt and heard the spring click. So I guess all is good.

I'll double check the breather hose.

Good deal with the relay

I don't have any part of the tank or speedo connected. Will it still shoot gas? I wouldn't think so...

[macmac]

You can double ck cly 2 since the weight of the chain guide falls against the springs. It is simple to just un-screw that cap, and test with a light finger pressure on the adjuster push rod. Push as you might push a bolt going into a fuzzy hole in wood. No harder.

No with no gas tank ON, there is no fuel and there is no fuel pump, so no fuel. Test away.

I have a 1600 and the key is on the tank, so I can't exactly do that unless I remove the key from the tank.

The worst thing that can happen with the tank off is that the 1500 too, has wires that must also be to things mounted on the tank. I forget what that was.

A 2002 has a speedo cable? That's odd since my 01 1500 (stolen) did not.

[shnyroq]

It's the front cylinder that I'm concerned about. I did already push it just like you're saying, so I guess it's good to go.

No speedo cable, just disconnected all the wiring harnesses. Once I get the TFI on there, I'll check and see how everything works.
Thanks for the help!

[shnyroq]

I'm thinking of taking out the front cylinder tensioner and reinstalling it without pushing in the rod by hand first.

[macmac]

Looks like it was a good idea to triple check things huh...