SuzukiSavage.com - Cam Chain gone??

keeef Ex Member	Cam Chain gone?? 10/12/06 at 11:48:17 Savage died on the way home yesterday! Just cut out, no nasty noises or bangs. It is now turning over real fast! I removed the plug and the valve covers and turned the engine by hand, but the valves are not moving. Whats the easiest way in to check the chain or tensioner? Any advice would be much appreciated.
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #1 - 10/12/06 at 12:35:38 might as well pull the head cover it's got to come off to replace it any way - hopefully it didn't bend any valves or bark the piston
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Rogue_Cheddar Serious Thumper Offline Hang up the phone and drive! Posts: 725 Haverhill, Massachusetts Gender:	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #2 - 10/12/06 at 17:14:17 A little info please. What year and how many miles? (as he bites his nails in trepidation)
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keeef Ex Member	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #3 - 10/12/06 at 23:04:06 Its an '87 with 27000 miles on the clock.
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diesel Full Member 2004 No Login Offline Posts: 181 Watsontown, PA	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #4 - 10/12/06 at 23:19:16 think that chain went 'bout 10k on borrowed time.
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tfrawg75 Junior Member 2005 No Login Offline that's right I do rock Posts: 92 Gender:	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #5 - 10/13/06 at 07:32:21 I think it depends on how u ride mine is a 97 with 25000 and has'nt been changed but am going to do it this winter just to avoid any unnecessary damage. Winter is the perfect time for it. lol
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Savage_Rob

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Texas (Dallas area)
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Re: Cam Chain gone??
Reply #6 - 10/13/06 at 08:32:12

Seems like I've been hearing they tend to go somewhere between 20k and 30k miles. Is that about right or is it more like 15k-25k? 25k-30k? What's the average seem to be? I'm asking because I'm thinking of picking a point to just replace mine. I also noted Tfrawg75's comment on thinking it's dependent upon riding style. Anyone have any comments/thoughts on contributing factors? To me it seems that using good oil and changing it (and the filter) regularly should contribute to a longer life than it might otherwise have.

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vroom1776 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2110 Gender:	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #7 - 10/13/06 at 08:48:12 Mine went around 16k miles. I'd been abusing the bike on the highway. The sucker was eating oil pretty bad, so I'd top it off, and a little over, every 100 miles or so. If I recall correctly, I was eating/loosing 1/2 qt every 100 miles. As for the abuse, 70-80 mph, for 6000 miles in six days.
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keeef

Ex Member

Re: Cam Chain gone??
Reply #8 - 10/13/06 at 11:41:10

Update.

I took the right side casing off this evening to find the broken chain and tensioner. Have not yet removed the head but need to start making a shopping list.
Apart from the chain and tensioner and gasket set what else should I replace while the engine is apart. I have never attempted this kind of job before so please feel free to offer advice and tips.

Cheers
Keeef

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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #9 - 10/13/06 at 13:57:28 Oil quality and RPMs are the major contributing wear factors to a cam chain. RPMs ARE related to riding style but quick acceleration/deceleration won't have a significant effect if RPMs are kept at a reasonable level.
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tfrawg75 Junior Member 2005 No Login Offline that's right I do rock Posts: 92 Gender:	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #10 - 10/14/06 at 01:13:07 I agree with what barry says because the majority of my miles came from running 65 on the interstate for 120 miles 4 days a week. I change my oil every couple months which averages out to about every 4000 miles but I don't really get in the throttle that much.
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Max_Morley

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LT650 Luxury Touring
& sidecar rig

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Moses Lake. WA
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Re: Cam Chain gone??
Reply #11 - 10/14/06 at 19:14:55

Back on Bert's Savage fprum the first failure I remember someone talking about was a rider from San Diego who comuted some 2 hours one way each day. HIw went 90,000+ miles. Mine went about 25K miles and I like to lug or thump mine and I think that makes the chain jerk more violently and wears the tensioner more. I use syn oil and change oil and filter between 2000 and 2500 miles. It isn't the strongest design with the steel plunger wearing on a aluminmu housing at an angle. Max

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Max at Thumper Acres. '96 Savage bagger, '03 Savage w/Cozy sidecar for wifeni.

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keeef Ex Member	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #12 - 10/15/06 at 11:18:32 Ok, I have removed head and chain tensioner, guide etc. Can I remove the primary drive gear without removing the clutch plate assy. Thanks Keeef
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Max_Morley Serious Thumper Offline LT650 Luxury Touring & sidecar rig Posts: 1490 Moses Lake. WA Gender:	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #13 - 10/15/06 at 22:29:41 NO, the gear won't clear the clutch basket. So it has to come apart. Use a couple pennys clamped together between the gear teeth so you can loosen the crank shaft nut and please remember it is LH thread, that is righty loosey, lefty tighty just the opposite of normal.
Back to top	Max at Thumper Acres. '96 Savage bagger, '03 Savage w/Cozy sidecar for wifeni. IP Logged

keeef Ex Member	Re: Cam Chain gone?? Reply #14 - 10/15/06 at 23:26:00 Thanks Max Clymer manual says I need special tools to remove clutch which I don't have. Have you tried using impact driver and how about re-fitting and aligning clutch plates. Thanks Keeef
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