Engine shutoff while riding and now will not start. Help!

[Redman]

....................... Not surprising that it jumped a few teeth because the chain is hanging on by one side of a link in a spot. ...................

Seems like you found the problem, so dont need to do the checks. The symptoms you stated (have spark, not fire with starter fluid, crank easy) all sound like no compression due to valve timing.... and... now you see why. I do not recall any other posting of a failed cam chain.
So, yes, would like to see pics.

You may not like to hear about what is required to replace a cam chain. Oh, you did not ask.

.................. I'll post pics- what is the easiest way- do I have to upload them to a host first? What host?

Any host that makes the IMG code available. Might also be called "3rd party hosting". So about any photo hosting site (well other than Photobucket that started charging hundreds of dollars a year for that service).

[Burque73]

Well im not sure how to do these checks, but I popped the valve cover off and the cam chain is shot. Not surprising that it jumped a few teeth because the chain is hanging on by one side of a link in a spot. I'll post pics- what is the easiest way- do I have to upload them to a host first? What host?

You can attach a single file pic for now but if you want to upload to a site like Flikr, here's how.

If you haven't signed up for a Yahoo email account you'll have to start there as you access Flickr through Yahoo.

Once Yahoo and Flickr are setup, on your flickr home screen in the top right corner there's a cloud with an arrow pointing up which is the upload link.

Self explanatory here, drag and drop then some options appear on the left. You'll see the owner's settings for that pic; License, Privacy, Content Filters. I had to click any red squares and make them green. In other words, instead of private- visible to anyone and instead of restricted- safe. Then in the top right click the blue square, upload.

Once uploaded it will show up in your photostream. Click on the pic and it opens in a new window, then four options appear next to the pic, click on the arrow pointing up and to the right to share it. (If that arrow is not there, try clicking the two arrows pointing away from each other to expand the pic. If it's still not, the settings may be private and it can't be shared.)

Now, after clicking the share arrow a window pops up with what should be four options; Share, Embed, Email and BBCode. The BBCode is what get's copied and pasted into the body of the post here on the GSR. (If you don't see the BBCode link, the settings are not right. Go back and make sure they are set to safe and at a minimum visible to other members or friends and family.)

Once the BBCode link is clicked, your size options appear in a drop down. Choose the size you want, right click and copy the BBCode then paste it in you post. The largest format will overwhelm the screen So maybe two sizes from the largest is best. Preview post shows you what it will look like. Also if you preview your post, you can delete your name and file info that appears after the pic, then post it.

Hope this helps.

[Keepongsing]

Well I only got 1 good picture, hard to show the breakage.

[Cipher]

2nd pin back from sprocket arrow. if it jumped you may have dodged a bullet as total breakage would have resulted in carnage. Now begins the debate of using a master link in the new chain or tearing down the engine.

[Burque73]

Can you find the missing part from that chain?

[Redman]

Well I only got 1 good picture, hard to show the breakage.

Ah, at highest point on sprocket (highest point in engine, not top of picture), on left, inside plate......



Ew, is that piece cracked and then bend baqck still attatched (I doubt it)?
Or did it break off and that piece is laying around somewhere?
If laying on bottom of oil sump, is one thing,
..... if it bounces around and gets in transmission gears you are gonna be skidding down the road... or something gonna shatter apart and you be coasting down the road.

[Keepongsing]

http://imgur.com/SxkVTAA

Can you find the missing part from that chain?

No and there is another link that is missing completely, I'm guessing it made its way down into the crankcase, hopefully it will make its way out when I flush iT.

pic linked above to missing inside plate

[Keepongsing]

2nd pin back from sprocket arrow. if it jumped you may have dodged a bullet as total breakage would have resulted in carnage. Now begins the debate of using a master link in the new chain or tearing down the engine.

Im hoping to do the master link trick, I have a tutorial with pictures to try. New chain is on the way and I have somebody that is lending me a chain breaker. I'm thinking I'll flush the sump first to try to locate the missing pieces

[Cipher]

sump flushing is fun people find crazy things down there. You might want to peruse the valvetrain with a magnifying glass or some young eyes. Piece could get up in a spring or whatever.

[Redman]

Intersting that the broken/missing links are on the same side. (but do not know if any significance to that)

I might suspect others link plates are damaged, near failure, so good to hear you are getting a different chain and not just trying to replace those links.

And do I see a damaged sprocket tooth...(in pic of exhaust cams)...?

I was wondering how it could be that once a link plate broke on one end, what could possible break the other end, since that link plate would not be transmitting any tension.
....oh, duh, the link could be flopping around and get jammed against something, like, ah, the adjacent sprocket tooth......

Might be good to inspect the cam chain guides to see if that got damaged by the broke link plate wizzing around while still attached on one end but other end flopping around.

.

[bwringer]

It's small consolation, but I believe you've come up with a problem we haven't really seen before.

Or at least, an actual damaged cam chain on a GS is so rare I don't recall ever seeing one.

Uhhhh.... congratulations, I guess? Condolences?


Anyway, it sounds like your odds of a successful repair are fair if the valves aren't damaged and if the loose chain bits didn't cause any other damage. You may need to remove the oil pan to find the missing bits, or maybe try fishing around through the drain plug with a magnet on a flexible stalk.

Before proceeding, I'd really want to take a good look at the aluminum cam chain guide down at the bottom around the crankshaft; that's the part that would take the most damage, and I suspect it's pretty chewed up.

I've got a little flexible borescope camera that plugs in to my phone; they're about $25 on Amazon, and that's about the only way I can think of to get a look down there without taking the engine apart.

[Keepongsing]

Well the new cam chain is installed but I ended up with a few more headaches along the way. I broke the old chain and the new chain and temporarily linked the 2 chains together. Then I manually cranked the engine with a wrench to feed the new chain around the crank gear until the old chain was out, using zip ties and wishing I had more hands to keep from dropping the loose ends into the engine. Then I was able to peen the pin back into the new chain to seal the deal.

Of course when I reinstalled the cams I stripped several of the threads out of the cam journal capholes so I had to order a heli-coil kit (M6). Drilled the old threads out (using grease to capture the chips), installed the heli-coils and called it a day. Put the bike back together and it fired right up.

Sorry I didn't do a full write-up with pictures or anything. Link to the tutorial I followed:

https://biketech7.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-change-your-camchain-or-timing.html?_sm_au_=iVVRqRtt3J6j7WmP

[steve murdoch]

Congrats on getting it sorted......again.

[chuck hahn]

Next time you change a chain just wire the new one to the end of the old one and have it in Neutral. Just pull the old chain and drag the new one around. Dont even take the sprocket cover off.

[Keepongsing]

Next time you change a chain just wire the new one to the end of the old one and have it in Neutral. Just pull the old chain and drag the new one around. Dont even take the sprocket cover off.

Hopefully it will be awhile until I have to change it again, not sure what you mean by sprocket cover here, the only thing covering the cam sprockets is the valve cover