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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Cam s chain tensioner noise?
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Message started by JED on 08/29/21 at 20:18:04

Title: Cam s chain tensioner noise?
Post by JED on 08/29/21 at 20:18:04

Hello,

New to me 2000 Savage. 15,900 miles. Guy who sold it to me said I’d need to replace the cam chain tensioner. I asked how he knew. He said it was noisy. How noisy? He shut the engine off and pushed it home. Didn’t want to do further damage.

Well I pulled the case open and I’m at ~ 17mm. I’ve combed this site and closely studied Verslagen’s posts, and others. Looks like I’m inside the 18mm when it’s “time to do something”.

So my questions are these:

1. What physically causes the noise? Is it slack in the chain?

2. Would the chain/tensioner be noisy at only 17mm out, noisy enough the previous owner would walk the bike home?

3. If not, is there something else on this bike that fails in a noisy way that could be confused with the cam chain tensioner? Interestingly, when previous owner described the cam chain tensioner problem he was pointing to the other side (left) of the crank case. Has me suspicious.

4. At 17mm should I get the verslavy mod, since I already got crank case off? What’s the measurement from the factory?

Greatly appreciate all who are so helpful on this site.

I’ve appended a photo

Title: Re: Cam s chain tensioner noise?
Post by verslagen1 on 08/29/21 at 21:24:48

1. What physically causes the noise? Is it slack in the chain?
It varies, not all hear the same noise, I heard something banging on the cover and I see evidence of the plunger moving from side to side. Some hear a chain scraping against the case.

2. Would the chain/tensioner be noisy at only 17mm out, noisy enough the previous owner would walk the bike home?
Possibly, or it could be something else. I would isolate the noise to a location before I took it apart.

3. If not, is there something else on this bike that fails in a noisy way that could be confused with the cam chain tensioner? Interestingly, when previous owner described the cam chain tensioner problem he was pointing to the other side (left) of the crank case. Has me suspicious.
Without a description of the noise and location could be anything.

4. At 17mm should I get the verslavy mod, since I already got crank case off? What’s the measurement from the factory?
My guess would be 9mm.
Are you willing to live with this noise thinking it might be the cam chain but might be something else?

Title: Re: Cam s chain tensioner noise?
Post by Serowbot on 08/30/21 at 13:54:43

Common rattles are speedometer, and headlight bezel.
Don't rule them out until you rule them out.
Hand pressure will quiet them.
They can be sneaky.

Title: Re: Cam s chain tensioner noise?
Post by Dave on 08/30/21 at 15:07:45

5543544951444952260 wrote:

Common rattles are speedometer, and headlight bezel.

I thought the top end of my bike was coming apart. When I would stop at an intersection there was a horrible rattling noise.

It turned out to be the bezel on my headlight (Virago 920 headlight on my Savage). A small piece of foam tape under the bezelfixed it!

Title: Re: Cam s chain tensioner noise?
Post by JED on 08/30/21 at 20:40:31

Thank you all! I talked to the owner again today. He clarified something. He assumed it was the tensioner, mostly because of the mileage on the bike, but wasn’t sure.

Another thing, when the bike is pushed it makes a “ticking” or “clicking” sound. Is this normal? Maybe from the drive pulley area?

Thanks again.

Title: Re: Cam s chain tensioner noise?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/30/21 at 23:36:34

The belt has some Biggo teeth..

Title: Re: Cam s chain tensioner noise?
Post by Dave on 08/31/21 at 04:17:12

6A6674746269756033070 wrote:

Another thing, when the bike is pushed it makes a “ticking” or “clicking” sound. Is this normal? Maybe from the drive pulley area?

That could be a sing of a loose pulley nut.

Does the outside of the pulley look messy?

In the photo the left pulley has worn splines as the pulley nut was loose, on the right side is a good pulley. This bike made a clicking noise when it was pushed to my trailer.