Implications of Not changing rear cam chain guide?

[Guest]

Here's the story,
Had bad knock from engine head, i found the a camshaft journal cap was loose due to striped threads.
I didn't have time to deal with it myself so took the bike to my mechanic (which is an o.k guy)
in addition to fixing the head (will be send to a machine shop) he wants to change timing chain (without splitting cases -not spring but rivet link so it fine)
we are installing new front guide,new top guide, new tensioner and off course a new chain - all OEM.
the rear guide is not broken or chipped but it is quite deeply grooved. i know i have to split the cases to replace it.
so, do you think it's safe not to replace the rear guide in this situation ? i wish to avoid the extra labor (and mostly the extra 350$ i'll be charged for this)

thanks
Eran

[pete]

The rear guide is what puts the tension on the cam chain, so it needs to be pretty good.

Having said that, if it seems structurally sound it should be ok... when you say grooved is it really grooved? I can't recall what the rear one looks like but I had the front one out on the weekend while changing my head gasket, and there is a raised bit in the centre that potentially could be mistaken for looking like it is grooved...

Just looking through all my old Photobucket photos now and I can't see a raised ridge like the front one...

Have you got any pic's of the guide?

Edit: This is the only one I have that sort of shows it... it does look like some shallow grooves are meant to be there:

[eran_k]

i found a picture

[eil]

How deep are the grooves? It's hard to get a sense of depth from that photo, maybe you could take another shot with the camera offset left or right a bit.

[pete]

To my eyes they look pretty much the same as mine... I'd say they're the grooves that are meant to be there and nothing more...

[Mekanix]

I don't like it.

Its pitted, scored and cracked.

This is a good one.

[tkent02]

They all look like that.

[GregT]

They all look like that.

Pretty much correct, sir, at least it hasn't started wearing down the center ridge. Some cracking can be tolerated, after all there is a steel backbone under the rubber.