How often do you have to check your manual CCTs?
 

This is a question for those who have swaped to manual CCTs, APEs or others.

Ok guys, i need to know if those manual CCTs have hight, low or no maintenance at all, in order to make up my mind about replacing my CCTs.
I need to know if i´m going to worried about them or if i can relax and forget about it.

As far as i know and from what i have learned on here they are very,very low maintenance. I swapped mine just for piece of mind to manuals. I definitely recommend the swap and getting manuals.

Um... I did check them 2 years ago... I think... :)

Nah, seriously, I "check" them every now and then along with all the other stuff, oil-change and what not... All you need to do is listen to the bike... I have adjusted them once but that was probably unnecessary...

How many miles or km do you start to hear that caracteristic noise of a sewing machine, telling you it´s time to adjust the manual CCT´s?
This will give me a better idea.

Once a year. I didn't adjust them. It sounds OK.

I do about 7-8k km per year on my bike... And like I said, I have adjusted them once in two years... Not because it was needed, but because I was fiddling and couldn't leave well alone... No noise at all after that time/distance, so longer than that... ;)

I check them when I check valve clearances. I check valve clearances every 24,000 km. or so. YMMV but probably not.

YMMV = ?

Your
Mileage
May
Vary

Thanks :thumbsup:

Sorry, Luis. I should have avoided using an idiomatic expression.

Not a problem Comedo, i´m learning a lot with you all, including idiomatic expressions.

Please keep inputing about your manual CCT´s, it´s getting interesting.

whats the proper procedure to check them? do you have to find tdc like you do when you install them? or just loosen the nut that locks it in place and back it off a bit and tighten it again?

I've checked mine about every other month.
Yup, they're still in the garage on the shelf.
Need to get those installed one of these days...

I just let the bike idle, loosened the lock nut and adjusted tension until the noise was the lowest... To tight and it squeels like an angry piglet, to loose and it rattles...

Keep in mind that the bike should be fully warmed up to operating temp before you do this, it will just barely rattle on a cold start when adjusted properly and be quiet at temp... Also, small slow movements... If you start going bonkers with the wrench you will break stuff...

Going bonkers with a wrench has to be my new favorite expression.

+1 I liked the international flavor of Going bonkers with a spanner, but when I thought about it wrench seemed to fit the actual scenario much better!

You sure you're not thinking of wench? :)

You do this with the bike functioning? With the Engine running?

Yeah... How else are you going to set it? There is no way of measuring the torque or amount of tension in any reliable way...

You pre-set it to an approximate value when you install it... Ie you set them finger tight... That means as hard as you can turn the nut with your bare hand, no tools and then back of about 1/4 turn... But that's just a pre-set, not the final value... That is adjusted with the bike running... Same as I described...

The chain slacks somewhat once warmed up, so the small rattle when cold means it's just barely tight then and correct when at temp... Always adjust at temp, not cold...

Damm, you´re as fast as helpfull!
Thanks Tweety.

Ok so tighten till it breaks then back off a hair. Gotcha :D

Going bonkers with a wench...that's what I meant.