Looking For APE CCT Tightening Procedure
 

I installed mine last year and now I'm getting paranoid that mine is too tight. Everyone seems to have their own method. Is there an established and agreed upon method for this?

all I can saw is be careful and dont be a dumb ass like myself. it is running right and sounding fine, dont mess with it.

( see my post on correcting timing if you want to know what not to do)

skoshere,
The problem is in knowing how much is enough and how much is too much.

The "push on the timing chain and measure how much it deflects" is laughably inexact.

I did mine and probably erred on the side of "loose" I can still hear lots of valve train noise. But I'm not going tighter until an "old pro" is looking over my shoulder or a clear procedure is published. The bike seems to run just fine.

Tom

so long as the chain isn't about to jump teeth it's tight enough, and so long as the chain isn't overheating from rubbing against the tensioner it isn't too tight. :D

APE states finger tight... but i'd give it a bit more than that.

it's highly unlikey that you'd break the chain putting a little more pressure on the tensioner. then with the bike running - give it a bit of gas, let the revs come down and listen. i backed mine out about 1/8 turn until i could hear it rattle, then tightened it back 1/4 to 1/2 turn.

tim

I asked the same question on an old thread (which I can't fine now) and never got an answer.

I installed the rear CCT finger tight and since I had the valve cover off, checked the chain and it seem tight and fine. And it was.

Did finger tight on the front, fired it up and it sounded like a bucket of scrap metal in a cement mixer.

Ended up doing finger tight plus about a turn and a half on the front. Still makes a bit of noise on decel at low rpm but I'm afraid to go any tighter and worry I might be a bit tight already.

Why would finger tight work on the rear and sound like shit on the front? I have no idea. Would love to hear anybody's opinion on that.

Tighten em up by pushing on the cam chain when the valve covers are off. This gets them in the ball park. In other words, they won't jump timing. Install valve covers, etc..
Now fire it up. While it running, loosen up the CCT until it rattles a little bit(makes noise). Then finger tighen it back down until it quiets down. Now lock it down. Do the other cylinder the same way. Your done. CCTs don't have to have a lot of tension on them. They just need to keep the chain from flopping around and jumping teeth on the cams. Simple.

I did mine last week. Ended up adjusting finger tight then back 1/4 turn. Turned it over by hand several times. Started it up & let it run until it was warm. Slowly loosend adjuster until the chain started to clatter. Adjusted back up until the noise went away. Then went another 1/2 turn & locked them down. Put on about 50 miles. Seems good.
These posts may help. https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...ape+adjustment

Making no assumptions... might i suggest that you were NOT on TDC compression when you set up the front. Mine where silent with the initial adjustment recommended by APE, finger tight and back off 1/4, I may have went as much as a 1/2, knowing that they will just make noise if a little loose... and I tend to over tighten things. On two different bikes.

It's a logical question but I got absolutely no sound or detectable movement when I pulled the OEM front CCT and the thing is running hell for strong and better than ever so I'm positive the chain didn't move on the sprockets.

Is it possible to pull the CCT on the wrong TDC without movement? And if it was would that require more turns past finger tight?

I'm stumped 'cause the motor is running shit hot perfect from idle to redline. I just don't understand why I had to add turns to get rid of (almost) all the noise.

I do believe that it's possible to be on overlap (exhaust stroke) and mabye not jump a tooth, but be out of the grove and get a malagustment on the cct as a result...

LB

LB

I appreciate the input but I'm not sure I'm following you. If I was at the wrong TDC, would the chain be tighter? So finger tight at that point would be something less than finger tight after I turned the engine?

That's all I can think of 'cause I'm sure the cam timing is fine.

And if that's the case seems cranking the adjuster in until it stopped making noise just put me back to more or less the "finger tight" position as if it had been at the proper TDC in the first place so I've got nothing to worry about.

I don't know if all the above is possible, I thought I turned the engine to proper TDC, heard/felt no noise or movement when I pulled the old CCT. Just don't know what else could account for the difference between front and back.

RK1, yes at the "false TDC" the chain will have some tension, but not fully tensioned or loose, which could account for you going finger tight there and having to re-adjust... But it seems kind of unlikely that you managed to swap the CCT's without the chain jumping if you where on the wrong TDC...

But then again... accidents happen so why shouldn't miracles be a possibility...

Exactly... if all is quiet, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

My point is simply, that mechanically there is NO difference in the process between the front and rear cyl... when done correctly.

LB and Tweety;

Thanx both of you. I think I got the install right and for whatever reason I needed more turn on the front to kill the noise. Maybe my ears are sensitive, maybe the front ape was a bit stiffer to turn, whatever. It's running good. Maybe I'll try backing off the front a quarter turn or so and see if it makes a difference now.

The way I see it why make things complicated... If it's making noise it's either to tight or too loose... If not it's fine... Mine makes noise when starting cold and quiets down once warm...

Thanks guys. This forum is great. Even though everyone may have a different perspective on a particular task I'm always able get enough information out of it.

Like I said I don't think I have an issue - I usually do things by the numbers - but tend to get paranoid somtimes, after I got everything buttoned back up a little voice in the back of my head said "are you sure you took those cable ties off the cam chains and sprockets...?

CCTs-How to change OEM to Manual Ape CCTs (https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum.../multipage.gif 1 2 3 ... Last Page)