Cam-chain wearing my valve cover?!?

[Poot]

Hey all,

it's been awhile since I've posted, but I'm not really riding now (insurance, or lack thereof). Everything was peachy-keen before i shut 'er down.

What I noticed when my valve-cover was off, was that the metal on the inside of the cover had been worn by the cam chain.

I had some issues with the tensioner, but I rebuilt it, and there were no marks at that point, or the next time the cover was off.

I did take the bike to a mech. due to some problems of snapped bolts when I took the head off. The chain was rattly again, and i took it out, cleaned it up, and reset it again.

The next time i took the valve cover off, it had been etched by the cam-chain.

It never progressed beyond a certain point of damage to the cover, but still worries me when I'm not riding!


Any ideas?


Poot

[TheRedlineMan]

Auto tensioner on last legs. it isn't maintaining tension correctly and allowing chain lash to hit the rocker cover. APE do a manual tensioner for GS's that is cheap and more effective than the original auto unit.

[Big T]

Change your oil, you have aluminum shavings in there!!!

And get a new tensioner. Are you sure you're installing it correctly?

[sharpy]

loose

Isnt there suppose to be a guide rail attatched to the under side of the cover?

[Steve]

... but still worries me when I'm not riding!

Actually, the solution appears to be rather simple. KEEP RIDING. \\/



Oh, yeah, change the oil and filter before you go too far. Like Big T said, you've got aluminium shavings in there.


.

[Poot]

Auto tensioner on last legs. it isn't maintaining tension correctly and allowing chain lash to hit the rocker cover. APE do a manual tensioner for GS's that is cheap and more effective than the original auto unit.

Where, and what kind/brand (if new) of tensioner should I look for? Ebay?


Yes, I have changed ze oil. The install was done mucho correcto.

Thanks

[ironb12s]

Well, have the decency, and taste, to let us know what year and model your scooter is so we might better assist you... Mileage is good, too...

I's all set to go explore at BikeBandit or BabbittsOnline to see if you have guides under the valve cover, got to thinking your chain might need replaced. There's a test measuring the chain over a number of links, I don't have handy tho.

[chef1366]

Get an Ape manual cam chain tensioner if they make one for your model. I haven't done this but it's on my next "to do' list.

[ironb12s]

Auto tensioner on last legs. it isn't maintaining tension correctly and allowing chain lash to hit the rocker cover. APE do a manual tensioner for GS's that is cheap and more effective than the original auto unit.

A wee bit more information would be, not only helpful, but forthcoming, RLine. Where can APE be found?

[chef1366]

Click on the APE

[ironb12s]

Click on the APE

Thank you, it isn't intuitive... :-D
Kinda like putfile for pictures = http://www.putfile.com

OOOOOH, nice anodized tensioner.... $50

HD Cam Chain.... $50

[ironb12s]

Back to the initial query, what year and model is this? If it is around the turn of the 8th decade of the 20th century, the cam chain was held down by an idler pulley between the cams. No way that would score the valve cover...

If it's one of the big mills, the chain goes thru a pair of guides between the cams...if they are intact, no scouring should occur either.

[Poot]

Mine is a 1980 GS850, with 80,000 km. Oil n' filter changed at or under 5000km since i bought it w/ 30 000 km on it .


Yes, it is held down by the assembly in the middle, and the guide is only in the very front of the engine. The scoring is on the top of the valve cover, on the rear side, BEHIND the pully assembly. It was quite rattly after my big fiasco a la mechanic et taking motor apart. However, after that, as I said, i redid the tensioner again, and the scoring didn't seem to get any worse off (hard to tell tho).

The rattling was much better right off, but gradually seemed to come back a bit, but still not as bad as one point.


The cam chain should still be good (in terms of milage) because I believe they used the roller bearing one on these models, or I remember that they should be especially durable. Hopefully things haven't bunged up, but we'll see.



The APE tensioner looks cool, but we'll have to see if that can be applied to my bike, and if it even needs to be.


thanks!


POOT

[Poot]

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