Got defeated this weekend

[DGXSER]

I realize that I know a bit more than Nada about the internals or these engines or what the bottom end looks like besides what I saw through the oil pan. So take this with as many grains of salt as needed. Is there anyway for the crank shaft cam chain gear to be loose or turning on the shaft?

If the chain is sitting correctly on all the gears, and the timing is set, and the cam chain guides are all in place properly, and you are watching the cams, so you would see the gears moving independant of the cam shaft. If it turns fine with no compression, then goes off time with compression, then the pressure would perhaps over come the friction holding the gear in place on the crank?

[bikerphil]

My guess would be the chain guide(s) not tracking the cam chain properly. If they slip to one side, as a result of being bent or broken, the chain would develop slack. Hard to see 'em with the head on though, as they're way down in the chain galley. This might explain the notchiness (not a word).

[trbig]

then the pressure would perhaps over come the friction holding the gear in place on the crank?

I've looked before and can't tell if the crank sprocket is something they welded on there or it was built with the crank and machined there.... but there isn't any kind of a friction joint there.

But yeah, there was something strange going on with the guides. The front guide wasn't centered in the adjuster hole so I thought it might have been bent, but I just went and looked at a couple I have and they are both off to the side a bit just like that one.

Thank you though guys.


Tod

[oseaghdha]

That sprocket is machined in place and is one with the crankshaft, along with the drive chain sprocket.

If it is a bad tooth, you need a new crank.

[wa407mpp]

I understood what you said, every time someone comes on here and says he removed and reinstalled the cam chain adjuster their next sentence begins with "Then when I tried to start it, there was an awful sound and now it won't run".

[trbig]

Well... apparently not every time, because that isn't what happened here. In my original post, I stated how I'd done the tensioner adjustment right. When that didn't work, I then explained why I did it differently the last time... which may not be in the proper order, but does the same job. It's even debatable whether it's proper to let the adjuster slap into the chain from a fully compressed state like most of us do. The book doesn't say to do that.

I've removed/installed motors, heads, cams, and adjusters probably more than 99% of the people on here. I'm not claiming to be an expert... but this sure ain't my first rodeo here.

Not really sure what your last posting is even refering to, but it isn't relevant to this thread or what we had even been talking about.


Tod

[lvrsnr]

once we had a customer come in with a simalar failure when these things were new, and long store short what we found was a damaged roller on the cam chain. all was fine untill we spun the motor then it would jump time. probably not you problem but it has happened and is hard to spot.

[trbig]

Yeah, we thought of that and looked at the chain... but as you said, tough to spot. We didn't see anything wrong... but that doesn't mean we didn't miss it.

Tod

[wa407mpp]

99% wow! Doesn't leave much room for the rest of us.

[Ivan]

Although Tod does tend to exaggerate about his Banjo skills, he isn't exaggerating about his engine experiange. He goes through them like they have zippers instead of bolts.

[oseaghdha]

Well, 48.5 of us could claim 1 percenter status.

[Thee_oddball]

could the cam chain dampers be an issue?

[Dragon Tamer]

Had that happen to me on a Zook a couple of years ago after replaceing the cam chain. Timed everything and snugged it all up, rolled the motor over and everything went out of time. I took it all apart again and started over, same results, same on the third try. Put it together the fourth time and everything worked good. Never did figure out what the heck was wrong but the thing has had over 7000mi on it since wthout a problem. As I said, I never did figure out what it was so I will be watching this with real interest!!

[wa407mpp]

At the risk of being verbally abused again, let me try one more time to help you figure this out. Those of you who have a repair manual, read the instructions for adjusting the cam chain, and then read the instructions for installing the cam chain adjuster. Then go back to the first paragraph of trbig's first post, you will see what probably went wrong with a normally simple maintenance procedure. This is going to take some thinking so take your time. This should also help you understand my first two post and their relevancy to the subject. Heres a hint it's not only in the text it's also in the pictures.

[Ivan]

First, you have to know what and whom you are talking about. The what is Bohn's bike. It looks like it should be sitting on the show room floor with a new sticker on it. His 750 is the same way. The who is Tod and Bohn. I can say with certainty that Bohn would have followed the book to a "T". He is just one of those guys. He could probably quote the owners manual like the pope can quote scripture. Tod tears these engines apart on the weekends for about anyone who needs help. By that I mean others have told me he has rebuilt up to two in a day and still had time for beers. Talking with Tod is like opening an ebcyclopieda on the XS11 engine. He was not being humorous when he said he was in the 1%.

In my humble but very accurate opinion, Tod knows what he is doing. You saying you have been verbaly abused is simply not true, Tod just knows what he is talking about. Your implication that he does not was probably a slap in the face, given that he is going out of his way (several hundred miles, in fact) to help a fellow XS rider.

If you want verbal abuse from Tod, show up at a rally, wear out a Dunlop 404 to the point of loosing air, and find the cheapest tire in town ($160!) which happens to be a white wall D402 with a harley brand on it. You will be verbaly abused. (It's pure jealousy though. )