cam chain to tight

OK, so here is the situation. I tore down the engine to replace the base gasket and cylinder head gasket on my 81' GPZ 550. I reasembled it today and while putting the cams on I am finding the chain is really tight. So tight I can't get the cam chain tensioner back in. I turned the bottom crankshft to TDC on 1 and 4 pistons, lined up the EX on the exhaust cam and the Z/5 on the intake so my timing is right. I know this shouldn't affect cam chain tension, So I am wondering three things.

1. Have any of you had this happen and what did you do to fix it?
2. Is it possible the cam chain has come off the crankshaft sproket?
3. Did i possibly put the cam chain guide, twoards the front of the motor, back in upside down or backwards?

You guys have been very helpful and I thank you in advance for your advice. I have read Loudgvx's warning on installing the cam chain tension with the cross wedge installed, but still scratching my head.

The chain is not seated correctly on the crank sprocket.

Thanks Baldy, that's what I thought but was afraid to admit. Now I have to tear it back down and get that chain on correctly, I knew I wouldn't like the answer....

You don't have to tear the engine down to fix this. Just remove the cams and hold the chain with your hand as you rotate the engine with the 17mm nut off the rotor. You will know it is seated by how it feels nad turnes over. Very easy to do.

Thanks, I took your advice and the chain seems ok down on the crankshaft. Cams back in and cam caps torqued to spec. but apon turning the crankshaft to see if the timing marks line up again, it bound up and got very hard to turn. So i didn't push it, I took the cams off again, checked how the chain felt and moved. The chain seems to move freely. I'm stumped.....?

Which way did you turn the engine? Also, if you turned the engine sans tensioner and the chain is a little stretched, perhaps it's possible for the chain to jump the crank sprocket?

I turned my wrench on the crankshaft clockwise. Yes, i did this without the cam chain tensioner installed. I think I should try it again with it installed and it's cap off and crosswedge removed. I don't think the cam chain is stretched as it is on there really shug...almost to snug.

It sounds like you fixed the "tight timing chain" but now the cams sound like they are not timed right. Double check your cam timing, DO NOT force it to turn over. If the engine does not turn over frelly by hand there is something wrong, most likely your cam timing.

Yes, agreed on the do not force it to turn statement. It appears I am off on my cam pin count by one link. I start on one by the EX line as per the manual and count 1,2,3.....I reach 42 on the Z5 line. Try as I may, I can't seem to get it to 44. It's only one link away! Beacause the chain is so dam tight! I will try and try again but I think that is what I have been getting wrong this whole time. But let me ask again, should I do this with the tensioner in, cap released and crosswedge out or leave the entire cam chain tensioner out of the equation?

Frustration, clueless... Two words describe me right now. It's 2am I have been trying this over and over. I can get the cams lined up according to the book. I can count over 44 pins on the cam chain. I tighten down the cam caps, give a turn with my 17 mil wrench on the crankshaft and it turns about 85% around and it just doesn't want to go anymore....WTF!??! I can't figure it out....clueless.

Iam not sure about the 550s but are you sure that your on top dead center for 1&4? and you will want to make sure the adjuster and everything is in place before you rotate the engine over by hand. If not it will just jump time.

Pull the cams back out and see if the engine turns over freely without them, all the valves will be closed so it will tell you if it is your cam timimg or something else. Also when you are counting the pins the number 1 pin is not the one that lines up with the exhaust that is pin number 0 the next one up is pin number 1. Do not turn the engine over without the timing chain tensioner. Like Powerstroke said get it all together, line everything up triple check everything then turn the engine over.