Does 80 KZ1000 have primary chain?

There is a rattle at idle, which ,I think, is not cam chain. Cam chain is very tight, I reinstalled tensioner. Can anybody post tensioner installation procedure, because I have 81up manual and tensioner is different for 81up?

The adjusters are diffrent from 81 and up. Are you running oem tensioner or a aftermarket one?

car5car wrote: There is a rattle at idle, which ,I think, is not cam chain. Cam chain is very tight, I reinstalled tensioner. Can anybody post tensioner installation procedure, because I have 81up manual and tensioner is different for 81up?

NO...there is no primary chain.

If it doesn't have a lock nut and a 6mm bolt on the side of the tensioner, it's an automatic type. They can easily be converted to manual lock down with same items...

If it does have the nut and bolt, it's an OEM Manual tensioner or possibly even a modified early automatic type....read on..

Bring cylinders 1 & 4 to TDC [timing marks] Pull the tensioner bolts [2] disassemble and clean the tensioner and plunger. If there's a little one way ball bearing type piece in it, it is for certain an early automatic type. It may have a split plunger with a little wedge piece that matches the angle cut on the plunger or the end of the plunger will be squared off.

You have to preload those to assemble them. There's a service manual you can download that explains it quite clearly. Just replace the short 6mm bolt with a longer one and use a jam nut on it. Install the loaded plunger, Loosen the bolt to let the tensioner take up slack, then tighten the bolt and lock nut. Fire it up and listen to the engine....IF it's quiet, that was your issue.

In future, if you have cam chain noise, simple bring it to TDC on 1&4, loosen the lock nut and bolt.....out goes the plunger....tighten up the bolt and nut again....pretty simple and costs less than a buck

I have early automatic type with little ball bearing inside.
thanks for great advice to convert it to manual by installing longer bolt and jam nut.
I still hope synchronizing will eliminate that rattle.

Get yourself a manual cam chain tensioner. Kreiger makes a great one:
www.clems-garage.com/CCT/

Ive also heard of people saying the out of sync carbs will cause excessive noise which could be mistaken for the cam chain

car5car wrote:

Attachment Tensioner.jpg not found

I have early automatic type with little ball bearing inside.
thanks for great advice to convert it to manual by installing longer bolt and jam nut.
I still hope synchronizing will eliminate that rattle.

The only motors you need an aftermarket tensioner on are motors with Hyvo Cam Chains.

Most of the rattles at idle are the springs in the clutch basket. The easy way to tell. If you pull in the clutch and the rattle ceases, it's the clutch basket springs. On a street bike that's not much of an issue - just an irritant.

Jeff.Saunders wrote: Most of the rattles at idle are the springs in the clutch basket. The easy way to tell. If you pull in the clutch and the rattle ceases, it's the clutch basket springs. On a street bike that's not much of an issue - just an irritant.

That is interesting, thanks!