Removed APE tensioner

A year or two back I put an APE cam tensioner on the beast. I had been reading stuff about the old style tensioner and I think I became paranoid that it would fail so I took it off and replaced it with an APE unit. Generally it was ok to set....well maybe a bit fiddly. I would line up the T 1 4 mark on the advancer with the timing line on the casing, screw in the bolt on the APE until just getting tight and then back off one flat and tighten the locknut. The last few days I felt it needed adjustment so today being Saturday I figured it was time to get at it.

For some reason I just could not get it right today. I got to the point where I took off the tank and carbs twice so I could make sure I was doing it correctly and each time the cam chain was noisier than the last. In frustration I dug out the old original tensioner, cleaned it up, greased it and stuck it back on and set it. Everything normal and the cam chain sounds fine now.

So what's the consensus ?
Are the older units (pic below) bad or prone to failure ?
Should I persevere and put back the APE ?





Post edited by: JR, at: 2006/07/15 21:57

Post edited by: JR, at: 2006/07/16 06:03

Here's the original tensioner back on the bike.
Now I need to figure out how to post 2 pics at a time.

I put a wrench on the end of the crank and rotate it clockwise slowly - until I feel the most pressure on the wrench (so the cam chain is at it's tightest on the front side of the engine) - then I hold that tension. While still putting pressure on the wrench, tighten up the tensioner bolt until I feel pressure and back it off a 1/4 turn. I check by turning the crank forward and back slowly to make sure there isn't any appreciable slack in the cam chain. Having the cam cover off while doing this helps to visually see any slack.

What Jeff said.

Jay

Except don't take off the cam cover when you do it. It's a KZ750 (according to your sig anyway) and it has a cam chain guide mounted in the top of the cam cover (see pic below), and if you take off the cam cover and tighten the tensioner, when you try to bolt down the cam cover again something is going to give. Probably either crack the cam cover or strip the threads out of the bolt holes, unless you are lucky and only break a bolt or three.



Post edited by: steell, at: 2006/07/16 01:49

steell - good catch - I didn't notice the model in the signature.

Thanks guys.
Yeah... knew about the cam cover since I have had it off to check valve clearances. I think taking the cover off to set tension would be way to much work anyway.
Thanks for the input on technique. I'm assuming I would want to turn the crank with the spark plugs out so as no to confuse compression with chain tension.

Post edited by: JR, at: 2006/07/16 11:27