SuzukiSavage.com - Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod

kojones

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Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod
11/08/17 at 07:36:43

The long plastic part that is attached to the tensioner is secured by a bolt to the head. The bolt has a a diameter of 6,4mm, the hole in the plastic is much more than that and allows a lot of play to all directions. I enlarged the hole in the plastic to 8mm and pressed a 8mm to 1/4” router collet adapter in there.

Before the mod the tensioner was 16,5 mm out, now under 12 mm.

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verslagen1

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Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod
Reply #1 - 11/08/17 at 08:26:55

I'm concerned... you've centered the pivot point, effectively moving it out 0.8mm but the affect was to pull in the plunger by 3.5mm

That may change once you've run the engine, but that's a lot for so little.

You may have created a new wear point that will disappear shortly and the plunger will go back to it's original position.

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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18104 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #2 - 11/08/17 at 08:43:06 The backside of the cam chain makes a nice gentle curved arch and there is not any large angle in the chain - especially on the end nearest the cam sprocket. I wonder if the topside of the "long plastic part" is going to wear a lot faster now that it has pushed the cam chain in farther than normal?
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kojones

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Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod
Reply #3 - 11/08/17 at 09:05:37

Have to admit that I didn't invent this myself, heard it from a fella who has tinkered a lot with Savages. 70000km out of a cam chain with this and still going strong.

The plastic part rotates a lot if you try to wiggle it, I can't figure out any reason why that play would be necessary, but this rotation moves the plunger closer to the clutch cover, moving the plunger out of the tensioner body.

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kojones

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Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod
Reply #4 - 11/08/17 at 09:24:32

verslagen1 wrote on 11/08/17 at 08:26:55:

I'm concerned... you've centered the pivot point, effectively moving it out 0.8mm

I don't think the pivot point moved out that much, the hole could be something like 6.7 mm, didn't measure it. Moved out maybe 0.2mm and that is not much in a plastic part that's already used and worn. Altough that 0.3mm allows a lot of play at the plunger end.

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Ruttly Serious Thumper Offline Thumpers Rule Posts: 5112 Manteca , CA Gender:	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #5 - 11/08/17 at 10:06:22 And what is the affect to cam timing ?
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verslagen1

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Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod
Reply #6 - 11/08/17 at 10:24:59

kojones wrote on 11/08/17 at 09:24:32:

verslagen1 wrote on 11/08/17 at 08:26:55:

I'm concerned... you've centered the pivot point, effectively moving it out 0.8mm

I don't think the pivot point moved out that much, the hole could be something like 6.7 mm, didn't measure it. Moved out maybe 0.2mm and that is not much in a plastic part that's already used and worn. Altough that 0.3mm allows a lot of play at the plunger end.

I meant the contact point between the guide and the chain. That will have to be checked.

But, I've seen a lot of wear on the back of the adjuster housing where the guide strikes it. It could be because the pivot point is loose, it allows the guide to rotate allowing the plunger to project more.

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kojones Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 223 Finland	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #7 - 11/08/17 at 10:37:30 Ruttly wrote on 11/08/17 at 10:06:22: And what is the affect to cam timing ? None, the tensioner is at the loose side of the chain.
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norm92de Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1180 El Paso TX Gender:	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #8 - 11/08/17 at 11:59:51 I have often thought what would happen if the rear guide were bent a little toward the cam chain. This sounds a lot like the same thing.
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kojones Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 223 Finland	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #9 - 11/08/17 at 23:33:19 norm92de wrote on 11/08/17 at 11:59:51: I have often thought what would happen if the rear guide were bent a little toward the cam chain. This sounds a lot like the same thing. Nope, this just improves the mounting of the upper end of the guide.
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norm92de Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1180 El Paso TX Gender:	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #10 - 11/10/17 at 16:38:05 Question. Why on earth would Suzuki make the rear cam chain guide with a hole that is not a proper fit for the bolt that holds it. We are not talking about an expense here???
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kojones Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 223 Finland	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #11 - 11/11/17 at 04:13:32 norm92de wrote on 11/10/17 at 16:38:05: Question. Why on earth would Suzuki make the rear cam chain guide with a hole that is not a proper fit for the bolt that holds it. We are not talking about an expense here??? That is a very good question. Plastic expands more with heat than steel, so it's not that.
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engineer Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 872 Gender:	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #12 - 11/13/17 at 11:23:24 The important question here is what is the original diameter of the hole in a new guide. Maybe his bushing simply brought it back to spec.
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kojones Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 223 Finland	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #13 - 04/26/18 at 13:38:17 Went for a test ride yesterday and noticed my clutch was slipping, so today I pulled the cover to replace the clutch rod with a shorter one and had a great opportunity to check the tensioner: 14,5 mm out. This mod works.
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eau de sauvage Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2565 Queensland Gender:	Re: Cheap and easy cam chain tensioner mod Reply #14 - 04/26/18 at 17:22:09 kojones wrote on 04/26/18 at 13:38:17: replace the clutch rod with a shorter one There are three rod sizes, I've been wanting to find out for a long while does it come stock with the longest one or the middle one?
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