How to adjust APE cam chain tensioner

Well, I see in theory how the wedge style tensioner would be better, and I'm always an advocate of "they knew what they were doing when they designed the thing"... but when I took my auto one off and pushed on it, it seemed to have two positions worn into its movement... It wasn't smooth sliding, but rather went "clunk (stopped at one worn in spot) and clunk again (second worn spot)" as I applied force.

I'll have to tinker with my tensioner some more. I think I'll take the advice given here and just try to be on the loose side. I'd have to be on the extreme rattle and banging side to cause any catostrophic damage, right? (I'm talking valve/piston contact, not just excessive chain wear) I'm not planning on leaving the driveway til I know I got this straightened out.

Motor Head wrote:

otakar wrote:

apbling wrote: Ok, tried to report back earlier, but broke the GD throttle cable after I got stuff back together.

Anyway, tensioner is on, and I rotated the engine with a socket and lighty finger tightened all the slack up. So I started it up and couldn't help resisting playing around.... I backed off the tension, began to hear the chain rattle, but what I thought was weird is my idle increased just a bit. I just finger tightened down the tensioner again as the engine was running. Chain noise went away and idle decreased a little bit.

My questions:
1. Would you expect my idle to increase with a more slack chain?
2. Is a sturdy finger tight too tight or ok for tension?
3. Should I want to be in that higher idle range instead of where I am now?

Thanks guys!

This is an interesting point that everyone here has really avoided to answer. When you put slack in the chain (up to a point) you actually increase the cam advance a bit. When the chain is fully tight it locks the cams in full retard. As your chain loosens again due to guide ware the cams are allowed to advance again and the power curve changes a bit again.

A loose chain will Retard if anything, a stretched chain WILL retard, and a tight chain will cause Drag/ friction, wearing the guides and stretching the chain. As the motor rotates the chain is taunt against the cam sprockets, pulling them, then as the cam lobe passes past full valve lift it can then change directions pulling up slack in the chain. You don't want that to be happening, the noise is then the chain slack slapping on the guides.
After experimenting with a manual tensioner myself, I went back to the wedge style tensioner, with new springs, $18 for springs. This holds the correct tension, as Kaw engineered, on both a cold and hot engine. The manual tensioner changes tension between hot and cold. I found the best manual adjustment was HOT as that's where it runs all of the time. Following the adjustment advice you already have been given, rotating the motor and turning in the tensioner adjuster with finger pressure, wear gloves, and then backing out 1/2 turn. It will make a bit of noise cold, till the temp comes back up.

Try Again. A loose chain will ALWAYS advance cams, because the tensioner is on the trailing side of the cam (cams). If it was on the leading side of the cams (only if you reverse the cylinder block) than it would retard the cams. Yes, a stretched chain WILL RETARD the cams. Warn chain guides will also retard the cams.

apbling wrote: Well, I see in theory how the wedge style tensioner would be better, and I'm always an advocate of "they knew what they were doing when they designed the thing"... but when I took my auto one off and pushed on it, it seemed to have two positions worn into its movement... It wasn't smooth sliding, but rather went "clunk (stopped at one worn in spot) and clunk again (second worn spot)" as I applied force.

I'll have to tinker with my tensioner some more. I think I'll take the advice given here and just try to be on the loose side. I'd have to be on the extreme rattle and banging side to cause any catostrophic damage, right? (I'm talking valve/piston contact, not just excessive chain wear) I'm not planning on leaving the driveway til I know I got this straightened out.

If you place any two pistons at TDC while rotating the cams clockwise (never back up into the position and it only has to be an approximate TDC to take any load off the cams), than tighten the tensioner finger tight with one hand and than back off just a hair (1/8 turn), it will be fine.

Will do, chances are tonight because we are scheduled for what seems the 34 straight day of rain.

When the cam chain is loose (slack is at the tensioner) say mis-adjusted, as long as the motor is running under load the timing relationship between the exhaust cam and crankshaft does not change.

However, when the motor is initially placed under load or revved the chain is pulled on by the crankshaft.

Because there is slack at the tensioner, the section of chain between the intake and exhaust cams is loose.

As the crankshaft is turned the exhaust cam will roll forward as it is directly linked to the crankshaft.

However, the intake cam will not follow immediately due to the slack between it and the exhaust cam.

By the time the intake cam begins to move, it has trailed behind the crankshaft a few degrees and is therefore RETARDED!

If you'll buy that hey :woohoo:

I used the stock tensioner with a spring I had strechted with a cnc nadsulater.

My fingers :woohoo:

Don't adjust the cam chain tensioner with your beer drinking hand, next time you tear it down you won't be able to find the little dinky rubber wheel on the schematic :ohmy:

It can be done without removing the carbs, but be prepared for very small (and frustrating) wrench turns. The directions for adjustment are on the package and are pretty simple as well. Also the one of the adjustment bolts is 15mm, a size wrench that most people don't have.

madderkaw, you are correct, small turns... not much room. I think a 5/8 fits too. I just a cresent wrench to hold the adjuster bolt still while I loosened the jam nut.

Why wouldn't you have a 15mm wrench? They come in every set I've ever seen.

I think he meant 16?

Same comment for the 16mm, I've got every size from 6-20, and my set was dirt cheap. Maybe its cause I live in a metric country.

hmm, maybe. I know there is one size my craftsman set doesn't have, and I want to say it's the 16. However, the wife got me those new open end wrenches that can ratchet too...I have every size on those. go figure.