Added the APE tensioner today

An excess of chain noise caused me to add the APE tensioner today. I can't report on how it sounds yet since I need to get my hands on a starter brush plate before I light it up again. The upper bolt on the automatic adjuster was a B*TCH to get at but I found a tool setup I'd recommend. Sears sells a flex ratchet head wrench and special low-profile sockets that work with the wrench. That was the only thing that I had that allowed me to get at the upper bolt.

I'm not sure when I did this but I disconnected the rubber boots at the front of each carb and pushed the front of the carbs up to make the job a little easier. I'm ready to button it up now but JEEZ... that's not easy to get back into position. I screwed around with it for almost 30 min so far and getting the 8 boots to line up hasn'thappend yet. I'm sure I'll discover the magic words sometime soon... probably right after this magical riding weather has passed.

I looked at the automatic adjuster and everything LOOKED fine and moved smoothly. I think what had failed was the chain (stretch), not the tensioner. Even before I fire it up, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go back to the automatic deal as soon as I put a new chain in the engine (next valve adjust... you can do this without splitting the cases... right?).

The adjustment of the manual unit looks like it's going to be a pain, especially once I get the carbs and the starter back into position. There are a half-dozen differences in the details for how to do the adjustment around the internet. Basically, you turn the engine forward (clockwise) with your 17mm wrench and at different places in the cycle of the engine, you find different depths where the bolt contacts the timing chain. No good explanations as to which place you use. I like more certainty than this.

As I said, the automatic tensioner seemed fine... I'm thinking the chain is just stretched beyond the automatic tensioner's ability to adjust. Oh.. and using the two 16mm wrenches go tighten up the locking nut.. I'm guessing that will suck huge too once the starter motor is back and the carbs are lowered. I'm predicting it will be a very large pushup.

Mike W. wrote:

The upper bolt on the automatic adjuster was a B*TCH to get at

I removed my carbs. BTW if you still have the stock airbox, and the rubber carb-to-airbox hoses are hard to put on, then new ones from Jeff are a must!

I looked at the automatic adjuster and everything LOOKED fine and moved smoothly. I think what had failed was the chain (stretch), not the tensioner.

Or even more likely, the chain guides. The J engine has slidey-guides instead of rollers, and they wear. (The chain could be streached too, of course). I've heard of folks welding a nut to the end of the auto-tensioner pushrod to give it the travel needed on older engines.

Even before I fire it up, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go back to the automatic deal as soon as I put a new chain in the engine (next valve adjust... you can do this without splitting the cases... right?).

No.

The adjustment of the manual unit looks like it's going to be a pain, especially once I get the carbs and the starter back into position. There are a half-dozen differences in the details for how to do the adjustment around the internet.

I use the instructions on the back of the APE adjuster package, with great success. It's a little finger-tippy with the open-end wrenches, but with a little patience it's really not too bad. I just roll the engine forward with a wrench under the points cover to take up the slack at the front of the engine (and put the slack at the back, where the tensioner is) and adjust it like APE tells me to.

No good explanations as to which place you use. I like more certainty than this.

I really don't think it matters, as long as all the slack in the chain is on the side of the engine where the tensioner is.

Actually,You don't have tp split the cases to replace the timing chain,if You don't use an "endless" chain.Jeff(@z1) sells the open chains,and if You do it right,You can get a new one on without splitting the cases.I(Tony and I) installed one a couple years back now on My engine,and no issues at all.
Get a rivet-style master link,and just make sure it's installed properly.

Sandy wrote:

Actually,You don't have tp split the cases to replace the timing chain,if You don't use an "endless" chain....

Hey, that could work!

If you got a '99 police bike, isn't that a J motor? If it's a J motor, it uses a hi-vo cam chain rather than a roller, and you have to split the cases. There is no master link on a hi-vo chain and to my knowledge, none can be had or modified for such.

Stephen

If you got a '99 police bike, isn't that a J motor? If it's a J motor, it uses a hi-vo cam chain rather than a roller, and you have to split the cases. There is no master link on a hi-vo chain and to my knowledge, none can be had or modified for such.

Stephen

Sorry, my back button seams to be causing double posts.
Hi-vo chain same as "endless".
Stephen