cam -chain tensioner danger?

[Anonymous]

Has anybody had any problems with thir cam -chains or tensioners after knurled knob has been turned against the spring tension with the engine off, my bike is a gs550 '77.
Any solid info on these tensioners would be of intrest.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Why don't you clean and adj it so that you know. Check this thread

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=14336

[Anonymous]

cam -chain tensioner danger?

Thanks for the thread Lynn.
The reason for my quarey was that in the Haynes it says that unless setting up the tensioner from start ie. with it removed from the barrels and with the cam cover removed to check for slackness,any turning of the knob is verbotten as this will over tension cam chain.
I can't figure this as to my mind the plunger is forced out only by the tension of the coil spring only to take up excess slack in the chain,unless there is another spring inside and a form of ratchet mechanism .
I've just set the tappets and replaced all, only then spotting that somone had turned at sometime the locking screw.The engine is low mileage so that 's unusall but it sounded o.k. last time it was running ,but this would only confirm the absence of slack.So basically how easy is it to over tension it?

[Billy Ricks]

You won't overtension it, it's self-adjusting. There is also a spring on the shaft that pushes on a chain guide in addition to the one on the knob. Just check the operation of the tensioner like described in the other thread.