Quick cam queston

[perurider]

OK I adjusted cam chain on sunday, rode and rained mon-tues. today when I started her up it was really noisy, like model 'T' noisy, anyway I immediately shut it down and got tools cam chain adjusted again. The only thing I can figure is...1. cam chain set screw is stripped,(didnt feel like it) 2. when I adjusted the cam chain Sunday, engine was cold..and when it heated up it loosened up..would that be likely? Or not?

[DGXSER]

One, did everything sound normal when you ran the engine after the initial adjustment?

Number 2 is a possibility.

[dbeardslee]

When I had a manual adjuster on mine I always adjusted it cold. Easier to eliminate header pipe tatoos that way . Never had a problem with it being misadjusted afterwards. It's just friction that holds the plunger in place, and the bolts only supposed to have about 5 pounds of torque on it. Even when properly torqued, a lot of them will still push the plunger back in on a hard decel. You've also got a steel bolt in an aluminum housing, and it isn't very tolerant of over torquing. If it is stripped, you can fix it with a helicoil. Or better yet, put a ratcheting automatic adjuster on and you won't have to mess with it again until it's time for a new cam chain.

[perurider]

Where can I get one of the rachet chain tensioners. I am sold...he he...

[DGXSER]

They came stock on the Venture bikes also known as XV models. There were 1200 and 1300 models. I think the V-Max tensioner also bolts up. I have installed the XV1200 model.

Ebay has them occasionally, but since this mod has been discovered it seems to have caught on there is a big market for them and they are pretty expensive now.

[dbeardslee]

I'd try the venture first. FZR 1000 tensioner will also work, but you have to elongate the bolt holes and use a little heavier gasket with it. They're available on ebay. I think I paid about $20 for mine, including the shipping.

[petejw]

heres a quick fix to preventing the adj
from slipping.



only thing is you need to remove the valve cover
to adj the chain correctly, you dnt want to over tighten it.

[Crazcnuk]

Mine is doing the same thing. I adjust it, it sounds nice and quiet. Next time I start it rattles like crazy again.

Here is an interesting item for the FZR1000? It could be made to work on the XS I would think.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamah...Q5fAccessories

Pete, that one you modded (there is a similar thread elsewhere) I can't see any reason you couldn't actually adjust that while the bike was running?

Start the bike, loosen the set nut/bolt then back off your stop bolt ever so slightly till you get an increase in chain noise then slowly tighten it until it quiets?

[petejw]

craz, i have done it that way before, but i wouldnt
recommend doing it for the initial adjustment,
also when the engine is hot its awkward getting spanners
on the bolt and the lock nut at the same time.
also once its set theres no real need to touch it, i havent made
any adj with a few thousand ks on it already done.

i got the idea of doing that way on here, but it was a few
years ago and i havent seen anything about it since,
its a good way of keeping the original cct.

with the original cct i was having to adj it reguarly, when i pulled
it off i was able to clasp the piston and cct in my hands and was able to move the piston in and out about a mm on the lock bolt, when i went
to nip the bolt up further i stripped the threads, at least i wont
have to worry bout that ever again.

[Crazcnuk]

I was only thinking about periodic adjustment, not the initial.

Hadn't thought about setting it hot. I usually adjust cold, but with this system it might be too easy to overtighten as maybe there needs to be some noise when cold?

[petejw]

i just get a bit parranoid of over tightening
the chain,
when the nut is cracked itll move the bolt
either way so its hard getting spanners in there
and cause your adjusting it when its running it doesnt
take to long b4 the pipes get hot.
i can hear the chain spinning quietly when the engines running
but i never get any rattles anymore whether the engines hot or cold.

[yamahansolo]

i have a96 vmax adjuster on mine. no more messy oil

[Crazcnuk]

I would like to go the autoset route, too, but they got expensive over the winter.

I am going to check with my local wrecker to see what they have.

[dbeardslee]

I would like to go the autoset route, too, but they got expensive over the winter.

I was just perusing ebay, and there's a bunch of automatic cam chain tensioners there. I saw several that were $15-20, delivered. It would be nice if we had a more exhaustive cross reference of what will work on an XS. So far here are the ones I'm aware of, and the required modifications in parenthesis -

FJ 1200 (minor modification ?)
FJ 1100 (same as FJ1200)
FZR 1000 (elongate bolt holes, use thick gasket)
XV 1200 (?)
Venture (?)

Anybody got any to add?

[dbeardslee]

Here's a few FZR 600's (same as the 1000's)-

FZR 600 $13 including shipping

FZR 600 $22.99 including shipping

FZR 600 $19.99 shipped