SuzukiSavage.com - Cam Chain Removal

Christian Groth

YaBB Newbies

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 23
Waco, TX
Gender: male

Cam Chain Removal
06/16/08 at 12:00:56

This morning after starting my bike, I heard a rattling sound from the right side of the cylinder and crankcase. I killed the bike immediately and took the truck to work.

I haven't opened it up to see for sure yet, but I'm pretty certain the cam chain needs replacement.

From the several threads here, I gather that the process is: remove clutch side cover, remove clutch, remove primary gear. What next? How do you get the chain out and a new one in. What needs to be done at the cam shaft end?

I do not (yet) have the service manual, but will probably order it soon. I just want some idea of the tools and supplies I'll need to get this done while waiting on my parts to come in.

Do you have a preferred place to order the cam chain from?

Thanks.

Back to top

IP Logged

Oldfeller--FSO Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Hobby is now "concentrated neuropany" Posts: 12672 Fayetteville, NC Gender:	Re: Cam Chain Removal Reply #1 - 06/16/08 at 12:42:55 Odds are you need a Verslaggy mod (see Marketplace) rather than a cam chain.
Back to top	Former Savage Owner IP Logged

verslagen1

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

Where there's a
will, I want to be
in it.

Posts: 28886
L.A. California
Gender: male

Re: Cam Chain Removal
Reply #2 - 06/16/08 at 12:44:41

You'll need to remove the head cover. Once that's off, you can remove the cam, then the chain.

If it's rattling, most likely you'll need to replace the adjuster assy, cam chain and the guide. When I did mine, I used the old chain, it was still in spec. Put in a new guide and el numero uno verslavy. 10k later it's still ticking.

How many miles on the engine?

Back to top

Versey's Place
Tech Section Index

IP Logged

BurnPgh

Serious Thumper

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 1732

Re: Cam Chain Removal
Reply #3 - 06/16/08 at 13:18:56

Sure its from the engine? Last night I noticed a faint rattle that I hadnt heard before and got a bit worried. Though it came from the rear/right of teh bike but after 15 minutes or so putzing around I figured out it was the glass in the right hand mirror rattling around a bit. Either way I'd get the Verslavy and keep it until you need it if you dont need it now. WELL worth the money and you know teh price isnt a mass of profit going into the accounts of some massive corporation. The mod's are done by this forums very own Verslagen1.

Back to top

IP Logged

Christian Groth

YaBB Newbies

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 23
Waco, TX
Gender: male

Re: Cam Chain Removal
Reply #4 - 06/17/08 at 08:15:39

verslagen1 wrote on 06/16/08 at 12:44:41:

You'll need to remove the head cover. Once that's off, you can remove the cam, then the chain.

If it's rattling, most likely you'll need to replace the adjuster assy, cam chain and the guide. When I did mine, I used the old chain, it was still in spec. Put in a new guide and el numero uno verslavy. 10k later it's still ticking.

How many miles on the engine?

17k miles on a '95

Here is a picture:
http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dgm2nhz9_17ds9z973v

What are my options?

I have not yet measured the chain to see if it's in spec, but I would prefer to leave it in and just fix or replace the adjuster. (I am not confident about my mechanical abilities to tear into the head)

How tricky is it to weld the slavy tab onto the adjuster, for a beginner? I have a cheap 90amp gasless MIG from Harbor Freight, but my brother-in-law is a pro welder with a real MIG (though my wife would like to not indebt us to my sister [whole other story])

Is this something I could handle?
I would like to get the verslavy, but budget is tight.

Back to top

IP Logged

verslagen1

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

Where there's a
will, I want to be
in it.

Posts: 28886
L.A. California
Gender: male

Re: Cam Chain Removal
Reply #5 - 06/17/08 at 08:53:17

OK several issues
1 the adjuster been wobbling for a bit and the end ovaled out. You can use but manual recommends replace.
2 you can weld on a bit and drill a new hole about 5/8" from the stock one.
3 I'm not a welder and couldn't tell you how hard it is, I use a certified welder who makes it look easy. All the welds I get are top knotch, no pores or cracks of any kind.
4 itsa 95, your guides are 23 years old, how long does plastic live? and when do you want to look at this again?

Back to top

Versey's Place
Tech Section Index

IP Logged

youzguyz Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2538 San Antonio, Texas Gender:	Re: Cam Chain Removal Reply #6 - 06/17/08 at 08:53:24 ow.. glad you found that when you did! A verslavy is the way to go. I think you can get it cheaper than a new cam chain. You need to figure out where that spring went from inside that tensioner too.
Back to top	2002 - Silver (Thumper) 2000 - Green (Mad Hamish) Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut between the seat and the handlebars. Make sure yours isn't too tight or too loose. IP Logged

Christian Groth

YaBB Newbies

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 23
Waco, TX
Gender: male

Re: Cam Chain Removal
Reply #7 - 06/17/08 at 09:55:03

verslagen1 wrote on 06/17/08 at 08:53:17:

OK several issues
1 the adjuster been wobbling for a bit and the end ovaled out. You can use but manual recommends replace.
2 you can weld on a bit and drill a new hole about 5/8" from the stock one.
3 I'm not a welder and couldn't tell you how hard it is, I use a certified welder who makes it look easy. All the welds I get are top knotch, no pores or cracks of any kind.
4 itsa 95, your guides are 23 years old, how long does plastic live? and when do you want to look at this again?

13 yrs old, actually, but the guides show little wear in the area I could see. Where on the guide do see most wear?

I don't think I saw any ovalling last night, but I'll look again.

Back to top

IP Logged

Christian Groth YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 23 Waco, TX Gender:	Re: Cam Chain Removal Reply #8 - 06/17/08 at 10:00:58 youzguyz wrote on 06/17/08 at 08:53:24: ow.. glad you found that when you did! A verslavy is the way to go. I think you can get it cheaper than a new cam chain. You need to figure out where that spring went from inside that tensioner too. The spring was still inside the adjuster, thankfully. I think I caught it just as it failed.
Back to top	IP Logged

Jack_650

Senior Member

Offline

I love YaBB 1G -
SP1!

Posts: 463
Minnesota
Gender: male

Re: Cam Chain Removal
Reply #9 - 06/17/08 at 14:52:05

What you might want to do is see if there's going to be another order for the "hardened pins" chain. My plans are to pull my old chain this summer and replace it with the hardened one I bought last fall. I've got 24k miles on my 2k Sav and, although it's always clattered since I got it at 9k miles, I don't think I'm in the danger zone yet. If the old chain looks okay, it's my back up and hangs in the garage next to my extra used drive belt, the bag full of oil filters and the replacement head gasket that I hope to never need.

I've thought of getting the adjuster piece, but now I don't have to decide for a while. If the new chain does as well as predicted, the rest of the engine could die of old age before it needs replacement.

Anyone want to say if that lower side gasket can be re-usable or not? Can I cut one from blank material to use? There's something about paying outlandishly high prices for basic those things when I have cork or other blank materials, an Exacto knife and a steady hand (for an old f#*t).

Jack

Back to top

IP Logged

Christian Groth

YaBB Newbies

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 23
Waco, TX
Gender: male

Re: Cam Chain Removal - Follow-up
Reply #10 - 07/09/08 at 11:10:57

It's fixed!

Go here for pictures:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgm2nhz9_19dvg26rfg

To answer my own question, yes it is possible for a beginner MIG weldor to fix this; just take your time and figure out the best way to do it.

I cut a bunch of small pieces of metal, tried welding two together, put the result in a vice, and smack it with a hammer until it broke to test my weld. I was trying to simulate the weld on the actual piece. Each weld was better than the previous. It was mostly a process of finding the right settings and learning to slow down. I got to the point where the weld wouldn't break; the metal around it bent, even after the weld bead was ground off.

Overall, the most time-consuming (other than waiting for a new gasket to come in) was scraping the old, encrusted gasket off.

The ironic thing about this project was I had been considering opening the clutch cover to check on the tensioner and to replace the gasket which had a slight leak along the top.

The bike is running fine now!

Thanks to all who helped!

Back to top

IP Logged