Cam chain guide / gap

Okay..

I've got stuff back together after putting my new APE tensioner on.. which I'm pretty sure I've figured out how to use, but I'm not 100% sure.

Once I have my cams in, I've rotated them to the front a bit to take up the slack in the front, then screwed the tensioner in until I can't turn it with my fingers.. I don't reef on it - just until I can't turn it. I then back it off a bit, and lock it down.

The problem is that once that's done, I have a 1/2" gap between the top chain guide and the cam chain between the cams.. should it be like that? Did something happen between disassembling the engine and putting it back together?



The only thing I can really think of is that when I put the front guide in, I didn't put it in the right place.. I've put it so that there isn't a lot of play in it.. it's been slipped back into the front position, so it's more solid..is this right? It seemed like the right place to put it..and was the place I moved it from in the first place!

Post edited by: pyxen, at: 2007/09/23 15:06

My Honda Nighthawk is the same way.
There is another guide in the camcover
that takes up the play.

I think the problem was that I wasn't turning the tensioner in enough.. once I kept turning it until it wouldn't turn anymore at all, it took up all the slack, and the chain was nice and tight (or at least laid properly).

I was able to get my bike going last night, and she rides beautifully..but this morning I started it up, and the cam chain wasn't right anymore! It was skipping teeth across the cams..a horrible noise.

I went out and got a couple of carriage bolts, though I think I need to get some nice long stainless ones - I didn't think of that - to replace the shaft in the APE tensioner with a longer one. I completely ran out of adjustment room.

Note to those wondering: the KT1100 fits the KZ550, but the adjuster may not be long enough to provide the right tension, with room to spare.

Note to APE: an extended screw would be nice, considering it isn't that hard to take the pin out and remove the nuts to remove the screw in the first place. All you'd need is a new pin, and a longer bolt.

pyxen,
Do you have the cam guide in the top of your valve cover like mentioned?

#12053 in the picture above.

Is your cam chain new? I have a KT1050 from APE waiting to be installed in the near future, and have heard about this, but was wondering if it happens with older cam chains only. This would be something for APE to look into.

If APE Jay is reading this, will the one listed at the top of this thread fit my application, or is the KT1050 correct?

Here's what I see:
EX500 (all years) KT1050
600R Ninja KT1100



Best picture I have.

Post edited by: CoreyClough, at: 2007/09/24 11:39