Tom Blum

Allow me to whine and grovel for a bit.

The bike is on the stand and I am preparing for the install of APE manual cam chain tensioners.

HOLY GREAT COWABUNGA CRAP!!!

These bikes are really densely packed. Mine has been defaired, so I thought it would be a piece of cake. HA!

I decided to start with the front cylinder, because articles about it said it was hardest. They were right. I couldn't even find the Cam Chain tensioner for the longest time. But, there it was, under the left side radiator hose.

I finally just removed the radiators (I have a front mount radiator to test fit and maybe install).

With the radiators removed, and after a brave and vigorous jerk of the oil cooler, I could get at the valve cover bolts and remove the cover.

I'm going to check the valve clearances first (Please God, let them be in spec!!)

I didn't realize that APE was in California. This means my parts won't be here until the first of the week

But my technical question is:
How do you preset the cam chain tensioners so as to get them in the ballpark?

No sense in inventing the wheel here, eh??

Miles of Smiles,

Tom

cliby

sounds like you've obviously read the posts warning to following the relatively simple rules to avoid engine disaster - mainly be sure you are at the correct position (piston/valvetrain wise) in the cycle to have no tension on the chain. Personally, if the stock ones are working, I would measure the sag in the chain midway between cams at stock and then set the APES at a similar free play - APE instructions shoudl tell you to set to a specific measurement. OThers do it 'blindly' by a certain amount of tension on the adjuster and then backing out 1/4 turn. But since you have it all apart you can be more exacting and figure out what the free-play is with a certain amount of tension/feel on the adjuster.
Just be sure you are at TDC before doing anything that will relieve tension on the adjusters, unless you plan to reset the cams and be sure they are timed per stock.

bill

Tom Blum

Thanks Cliby

The timing hole is open and the timing marks will be pointing out before I do anything with the CCT.

I'm also going to have a friend on hand to "hook and pull" the chain while I remove the old and install the new tensioner.

Kind of like the safety engineer with a belt and suspenders!!
HA!

Tom

drew_c14

If you have the valve covers off it's really a very simple process. Just make sure the piston is at TDC with the lobes up so there is no pressure on the cam sprockets. Then remove the old CCT and install the new one. It helps to take off the chain guide between the cams so you can measure the free play of the chain, just like adjusting the chain on the back of the bike. I can't remember off the top of my head what it's supposed to be, but it's in the manual. Put it all back together and you're done.

Thumper

Silly question, but if you have never done this before, why start with the front cylinder. It just increases your chances of screwing it up as it is the hardest one to get too.


Best advice i received when i did mine was to put a couple of good quality Zip Ties through and around the top of the sprockets and cam chain to keep the chain from accidently jumping a tooth and getting the whole deal a toothe out of time.

Save yourself a lot of pain and do this on each sprocket before removing the stock CCT

Tom Blum

Thumper,

About hardest first: That's just my style, I guess. Get the worst out of the way first.

Thanks for the zip lock tip. I like it. I have good ones. I'm doing it!!

Tom

comedo

YMMV but I measured total vertical slack with the stock CCT's to be 3 to 4 mm. I was surprised how tight they were. I set the APE CCT's so there was 5 mm. of vertical slack. There was the same amount of vertical slack when I checked 24,000 km. later.

Tom Blum

okay guys!!
The front is done.


re. the adjustment. It's very hard to tell where you are at. I found you could get a small screw drive in under the top cam chain guide and see when it slackened up. From that point, I could finger tighten it up to where there was very little slack at the top. Then 1/4 turn back and the slack looks about right.

I removed the radiator and the hose to get access. You'd have to be real clever to remove the CCT with them in place. Like anything else, maybe the second time, when you know exactly where everything is....????

twowheeltim

I just finished replacing my cct (ape). I did the rear first, removed the cam cover, zip tied the chain to the sprockets. I read on one of the threads about using a hook to hold pressure on the guide while you remove the tensioner. I used a rod, bent a hook in the end, then put it in place & marked where it met the top of the head opposite the guide, I then bent a hook at the mark to hook it over the edge of the head, I left a small gap between the hook & the outside of the head. I used a flat screwdriver as a wedge to hold pressure on the guide (I like to work alone). It worked great. When I got the tensioner in I screwed it down until the screwdriver started to loosen. I then did the front! I unbolted the oil cooler & let it sag down without removing the lines. I didn't remove the air box, fairing, or rad. I could reach the cct but in retrospect it would have been eaiser (as fast?) to remove the airbox. The biggest problem was getting the top screws in the cam cover started ahhhgg. Would it have killed them to give us 5mm more room? I just want to say thanks for everyones imput on this form. I got the bike a few weeks ago & it's great to have such a good source of info. Next up bar mods. I already have some ideas from the other threads.

gboezio

So Tom how was the valve clearances ??

Tom Blum

right at 20K miles on my bike.

Both exhausts were just over the high limit. .011 gage fits, .012 doesn't.

The intakes were okay.

I personally like to hear valves and didn't adjust. I can hear at startup and it quiets down as the engine warms up.

Tom