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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> cam chain tensioner
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Message started by smallbikesmatter on 09/25/21 at 04:19:59

Title: cam chain tensioner
Post by smallbikesmatter on 09/25/21 at 04:19:59

i was just wondering if i mod the cam chain tensioner if it would be good for ever? or do i still need to chek this ever 5-6k miles in looking for a good commuter bike and i love the savage so i will buy one if i know a easy fix for the darn camchain tensioner ;) 8-)

Title: Re: cam chain tensioner
Post by verslagen1 on 09/25/21 at 04:30:31

the chain still stretches, the guides still wear as well as other things.

Title: Re: cam chain tensioner
Post by Dave on 09/26/21 at 04:54:39

A few of us have installed lighter springs in the tensioner to reduce the amount of pressure shoving on the plunger, and that seems to reduce the amount of wear. I am experimenting with removing the ratchet pawl and I installed a spacer to prevent the plunger from retracting excessively.....no long term results yet as it has only been in the engine for a year and a couple of thousand miles.

Not everyone experiences rapid wear on the cam chain, and your riding style may not require constant attention to the chain/guides/tensioner - however you really won't know until you inspect yours a couple of times to check how fast your tensioner is moving.

We have several members who use their bikes as commuters, 0ne previous member has retired and sold his Savage - He lived in the Pacific Northwest and rode his bike to work year round.

Title: Re: cam chain tensioner
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/26/21 at 12:06:09

Was it Batman who ditched the spring and peel and rode without any indication that was a less than great idea?

Title: Re: cam chain tensioner
Post by Dave on 09/27/21 at 05:21:23

293630372A2D1C2C1C24363A71430 wrote:

Was it Batman who ditched the spring and peel and rode without any indication that was a less than great idea?

Yes, Batman was the one who removed the pawl and just let the tensioner do the work. We all thought is was a bad idea - and yet he never reported any issues while he was on the forum.

I removed the pawl and installed a spacer to limit the backwards travel of the tensioner to 2mm to allow for tightening as the engine got hot. It appears to be working just fine - but I likely only have a few thousand miles since the installation. It is a system that likely will require occasional work to take up the slack.....but then I am a constantly fiddling with my engine and have the clutch cover off every couple of years for some reason. (Winters here are 5 months long and provide lots of time for working in the warm garage while the roads are covered in salt).

Title: Re: cam chain tensioner
Post by badwolf on 09/27/21 at 07:27:52

OK, My $0.02. I replaced the cam chain at 80,000 miles. I think the follower was wore more than the cam chain as the new one left the plunger out 13mm. I put the bolt in the second hole on my modifyed plunger, it was tight. I checked it at 112,000 miles and it had wore 4mm. I took out the pawl spring, turned the plunger over so the pawl could not interfear, and just like DBM said when turning the engine over by hand the plunger would ''dance'' in and out. I, like Dave, have a lathe at home and made a plug to go over the plunger spring to limit the travel to 1.5mm. I checked it at 130,000 miles and there was still the 1.5mm movement. I don't plan on checking it again till I hit 150,000 miles.
I think that slack that moves the plunger in and out cold on the bench goes away when the engine heats up. IF THE SLACK IS SMALL! If you have 10mm of plunger movement, you WILL have valve issues.
This is MY approach at the plunger ''issue'', I AM NOT TELLING EVERYONE TO DO IT as it is still a work in progress. I was waiting till I hit 150,000 miles to write in about it, but with the virus the last 2 years my mileage has dropped, a LOT. As this thread was already on the topic, I piped in.
I have bought a new follower and next time I have it down I will swap them to see how much of the ''chain wear'' is really the follower bending and wearing. It is way more ''stretchey'' than the cam chain. The chain runs in oil and SHOULD last more than 80k miles.

Title: Re: cam chain tensioner
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/28/21 at 08:17:42

The chain guides lose some of their shape and wear some, putting slack in the chain.
How much would require
Maff,,,