Worn cam tensioner

I checked out my cam chain tensioner today on my 80 750LTD. The rubber pad was pretty well worn off. My question is why? and does anyone think that now my cam timing is off from not having proper tension for awhile. It did seem to run worse toward the end of last year. Is there a better way to set the tension with a 750? On my tensioner it seems like it locks at the furthest point out and doesnt have any give to it, at least I cant compress it with my hands when I have it just tightened enough to hold it all together.

I brought my tensioner in to dealership for same reason, looked worn as heck. They said just normal wear. It is running up against a chain. If your cam timing is off, you will be lucky if it runs worse. Ususally it bends valves. Good luck buying new ones from dealership.

I used to have one of the old style tensioners but for the life of me cant remember a rubber pad on it. I wondered if you were talking about the cam chain guide against which the tensioner pushes.

With the old style tensioner you pretty much have to let the rod come out all the way first before you can compress it by hand or even start to push it back in. Can be fun trying to hold it in in the compressed position while trying to set the lock screw.

I bought a simple manual one from APE a few years back and it seems to work just fine.
Check here kzrider.com/component/option,com_joomlab...id,2/id,26747/#26747 and scroll down for a pic of the old style tensioner.
One last thing - is your cam chain noisy ?

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Woodstock ON Canada
1980 kz750E1, 4->1, K&N pods

Post edited by: jr, at: 2006/03/06 21:45

@#$%^&*(&@!$#% I got everything put back together, put the carbs on, got the cables just right, tank on, all the goodies. Started up like never before, or at least not in a long time before. Then the valve clatter came at idle, but got mellow at 2000 rpm. So I shut the bike off to readjust the tensioner, pulled the tensioner back off, got it to compress very nicely and stay locked into place while I put it back on. Then as Im putting it back on suddenly the top bolt seems to spin easier than it should be @#!%^&#$@* stripped got the bottom one in nicely, let the plunger loose to get the tension and the bike still started nicely, only the top needs to be retapped now. It leaks like crazy.

Cant make it to the parts store, got to go to the beer store I guess.

DanOz7Five0 wrote:

@#$%^&*(&@!$#% I got everything put back together, put the carbs on, got the cables just right, tank on, all the goodies. Started up like never before, or at least not in a long time before. Then the valve clatter came at idle, but got mellow at 2000 rpm. So I shut the bike off to readjust the tensioner, pulled the tensioner back off, got it to compress very nicely and stay locked into place while I put it back on. Then as Im putting it back on suddenly the top bolt seems to spin easier than it should be @#!%^&#$@* stripped got the bottom one in nicely, let the plunger loose to get the tension and the bike still started nicely, only the top needs to be retapped now. It leaks like crazy.

Cant make it to the parts store, got to go to the beer store I guess.

Well if that ain't a sucky feeling I don't know what is. I hate stripping bolts!

Talked myself out of the beer store too btw.

Times like this I swear the only thing aluminum is good for is beer cans. :lol: