Cam chain?

[schpiff]

I am looking for some advice/input/whats normal etc..
My 81sh (bought at about 11 thousand miles after sitting several years) has always made some noise on the top end of the motor.
It has about 21 thousand on it now, and the noise is pretty consistent.
Wish I could describe the noise better but am fairly sure it is a chain type noise.
Also pretty sure it isnt valve related cuz no ticking or tapping at any rpm (besides Phantom pre-ignition)
I guess my question(s) are;

1. What is a normal amount of cam chain noise? Or should there be none?

2. Is it possible the chain is stretched that far in 20K miles that the tensioner cant take up slack?

3. Would I benefit from trying to adjust cam chain tensioner while motor (chain) is hot? And maybe hold tension against the crank to give as much slack to adjuster as possible?

4. Is it possible the adjuster is stuck some how? I cant beleive a chain could stretch that bad in 20k.

Open to ideas and look forward to any and all solutions.
Thanks all

[DGXSER]

Certainly is worth adjusting it. Look in the tech tips under maintenance, engine for the procedure.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Schpiff,

20K, that's barely broken in! Your cam chain shouldn't have stretched much with that little wear, but it also depends on how the engine was run!?

I've got an 81SH, put on about 50K miles before the tranny died, let it sit for 9 years, then resurrected it, did a top end job, big bore kit, basic valve lapping, and put it all back together, and didn't put on a new chain....didn't have XS11.com at the time, nor knew about how to do it without splitting cases. My tensioner still works and takes up enough slack. Yeah, doing it warm might be helpful, but then you have to deal with HOT PIPES!

Also, IF you follow the technique/guide properly, it'll have all the slack at the tensioner it needs to take up/adjust out! Just do NOT take the tensioner all the way off without taking the valve cover off and taking the resultant slack in the cam chain, otherwise it can skip a tooth around the crank and can lead to valve damage!

These machines are a bit noisy on the top, so after you do the cam chain adjustment, if you still hear some noise, then what you have is probably normal!
T.C.

[Schming]

Are the small discs of rubber still in between the fins of the jugs. They help deaden sound.

[TADracer]

Take the adjuster off

No matter how good your chain is you will still hear it when riding. But, the noise should be constant and not something that sounds like metal scraping against metal or squealing. And, even if everything on the top end is within tolerance you will still get some cam/ valve/ spring noise. Alot of moving parts up there and the cover can amplify it.

As far as cam adjustment, take the adjuster off and verify it is working right and that there is no evidence of the plunger pushing back into the body. A new gasket is simple to make. This can happen if you do alot of agressive riding and slap the throttle shut alot. The chain will whip ever so slightly on the slack side where the adjuster is. Mine did this and the evidence was on the flat of the plunger where the lock screw fits. Little sliding marks. I fabricated a manual tensioner and the problem was solved but, that is another subject.

As far as chain stretch, I recently put a new chain in my machine. The new chain compared to the old (50,000 miles +/-) showed only less than 1/8" of stretch. The tensioner can handle this easily. Had I known this I would never have bought the new chain.

All this stuff is fairly reliable and in my opinion the tensioner is the weak part.

[schpiff]

Thanks

Thanks for the input guys.
Ive had the bike for a few years now and am still learning stuff about it.
YOU GUYS ROCK!
I kinda figured the noise was probably a normal thing.
Guess I really didnt notice it with the old rusty exhaust. HA!
I recently put a Mac 4into 2 on it.
I like the sound of them and they bolted on without any probs at all. (one hanger did loosen up) minor.
Tho did seem to lose a little bottom end grunt. Mid to top rpm is still awsome.
Was wondering if would need to re-jet but so far everything seems ok.
Pipes are blueing a bit right around the bend, but being a single wall pipe I am figuring thats to be expected anyway. And the plugs still look the same so....
Again a big thanks

[thewiz]

Well ...

the Mac systems are single wall which has a tendency to blue up anyway regareless of mixture. There are products to remove the blue but it will likely just return ... sooo ....

You could try backing out the idle mixture screws a half a turn to begin with, thus enrichening the mixture, to see it helps with low end grunt. The richer mixture may help reduce the blueing as well.

Just a word of caution also. Should you decide to remove the cam chain tensioner I recommend reading though this thread. http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...light=defeated It's a pretty complete discussion of the actual proceedure for doing so, which should include removal of the cam cover, and the ramifications of what can go wrong as well.

[Trainzz]

blue is the new chrome

I also run mac's 4-2. Love the sound and think the blue on the first knuckle is sexy. If I see mac's without the blue, I figure someone is spending too much time polishing and not near enough time riding. (or riding like a sissy)


BTW, Gonna put the pig up on the center stand and replace the busted case. Also pan on pulling the rear turn signal bar from the '79 std and putting it on thunderpig. This should make room for the luggage racks and the hard bags.
I'll get to the dealers this coming week and get the front end straightened. I am thinking that if I exchange the brace/cast for an ace bandage or some type of wrap I made be back up and twisting the throttle by the end of the week. Being down this week has sucked to the xstreme.

[yamahansolo]

guess i got lucky... i have removed the tensioner a couple of times to loosen the pluger and nothing happened???

it still ran fine. i think that's how bob jones said to do it in his book...
he just said to make sure the c is lined up on the pointer and then you can remove it. i'll check again buty i don't remember reading anything about taking the valve cover off...???
chris

[trbig]

i'll check again buty i don't remember reading anything about taking the valve cover off...???

Read through the thread Thewiz posted a bit and you'll see what the problem CAN be. I've taken them off dozens and dozens of times with no problem. But there was this one time....

Basically, if you take the adjuster completely out and re-install... afterwards if you spin the crank manually a couple revs and it still feels smooth, you'll PROBABLY be ok. If you feel any notchiness.. it's your crank jumping a tooth and you need to stop right there and get it re-timed or you'll bend valves. If it feels smooth and you start it.. only to hear a LOT of chain noise.. stop immediately. You may have just bent valves, but you may still be ok also. You'd then HAVE to pull the valve cover, check your time, remove the adjuster again, advance your exhaust cam, re-install the adjuster,(When it slaps, it will pull the cam back in time) re-install the cover and hit the ignition and pray.. lol


Tod