cam chain tensioner all the way in

[Guest]

On my 1982 gs(x)750 I recently replaced the piston rings and had the cylinders slightly honed.

Doing so I measured the cam chain, camshafts etc. These all are within the specifications the manual states. The cam chain guides did show some signs of usage but nothing extraordinary so I did not see the need to replace them.

After startup the bike ran fine en drives great. At idle, especially when the engine is hot it sounds a bit like a diesel engine though. I double checked the valve clearance and timing but this did not change anything.

So next I turned to the cam chain and cam chain tensioner. What I noticed is that the knob is all the way turned in. I took it apart, cleaned it, tightened the spring one turn counterclockwise, installed it, loosened the locknut 1/4 turn.

The situation remains the same. It is all the way in while I still have some slack on the cam chain between the two sprockets. When I turn the engine manually the slack disappears, but I can push the cam chain down and doing so I can create a movement of about 2cm all down to all up without the knob of the tensioner turning out at all.

This does not seem normal to me.

Can it be that the new gaskets are thinner than the old ones making the engine 'less tall'? And what would be a solution? Welding a little something on top of the push rod of the tensioner?

I hope somebody has a solution. I don't really feel like taking the engine apart again

[Steve]

It is not the locknut that you back out 1/4 turn, it is the setscrew.

Might be best to start over to make sure it's RIGHT.

Pull the tensioner (again), retract the plunger fully, lock it into place with the setscrew. Install the tensioner. Release the setscrew. You will hear the plunger move into place. Turn the setscrew in until it stops, then back out 1/4 turn and use the locknut to hold it there. Now, rotate the crank to see if it he tensioner takes up the slack.

.

[berm]

It is not the locknut that you back out 1/4 turn, it is the setscrew.

Might be best to start over to make sure it's RIGHT.

Pull the tensioner (again), retract the plunger fully, lock it into place with the setscrew. Install the tensioner. Release the setscrew. You will hear the plunger move into place. Turn the setscrew in until it stops, then back out 1/4 turn and use the locknut to hold it there. Now, rotate the crank to see if it he tensioner takes up the slack.

.

Ooops wrote that down wrong, my bad. I really said locknut , meant 'setscrew' as you formulate it. (although it does lock something, namely the push rod, so I got confused a bit I think.)

Thanks for clearing that up.

I did it as you said / it is prescribed in the manual. The tensioner works, pushes in etc. But it is at its maximum, which I think does not result in a tight enough cam chain.

[tkent02]

Is the big spring on the knob strong enough and wound up tight enough?

[Steve]

I did it as you said / it is prescribed in the manual.

Yes, it is "prescribed in the manual", but you would be surprised how many will read the first part, but not the rest.

They only read "loosen the setscrew, then turn it in until it stops." They neglect the part that says "then back it out 1/4 turn and lock it into place."

.

[berm]

Is the big spring on the knob strong enough and wound up tight enough?

It is wounded up one whole turn. But the knob is all the way inwards so more pressure from the spring wont do anything.

Maybe I'm just to worried about the 'diesel sound' when idling. The engine does run fine while driving, also in the higher revs. No chain slap or whining noise, I think I will assemble her again and just drive for the time being.

Thanks for thinking with me.