Old cam chain tensioner leak?

[KA1J]

When I bought the bike last year it was starting to rain and I missed several things, one of which was black silicone at the front of the case, behind the cross-member of the frame & below the cam chain tensioner. I had looked for signs of oil leaks at the time & seeing none on the ground where it had been sitting I didn't look further.

Now I have the exhaust off & will be repainting the lower fins I'm seeing that obvious sealant. It tapers off maybe 3" on each side of the cam chain tensioner. Here's a couple of angles of it. It looks in the one pic that maybe some metal is missing along the right side of the tensioner but that's an illusion, feeling it, the metal is symmetrical on both sides of the tensioner.

I'm guessing there was either a rock that cracked the case or more likely a gasket leak. I was thinking of just peeling the silicone back to see where the leak starts but the bike's not running yet. I would prefer to repair before I put the headers on. Not sure what would be prudent for me to do at this time.

Pics...





Thanks

[skids]

I would say that you need to remove all of the silicone and investigate the problem. Maybe someone used a longer bolt than stock, hit bottom and fractured the aluminum? One thing is for sure, if the tensioner loosens, you will have big trouble...maybe far from home.

[KA1J]

I would say that you need to remove all of the silicone and investigate the problem. Maybe someone used a longer bolt than stock, hit bottom and fractured the aluminum? One thing is for sure, if the tensioner loosens, you will have big trouble...maybe far from home.

I've never removed the cam tensioner unit. In the manual on page 3-48 it mentions how to re-insert the cam chain tensioner by compressing the tensioner, locking it in position, installing it, torquing the bolts to 7.2 foot pounds releasing the tensioner till there's a click and setting the lock nut.

But I don't know if I have to do the prior steps in the manual or if those are only done when the chain & cam was earlier removed.

Simply; can I unbolt and then pull out the cam chain tensioner to check for damage and then if finding no damage to the assembly or block, replace it and then doing the "cam chain adjustment" as described on page 2-6 of the service manual?

Or is there more to removal and assembly I need to do first?

Thanks!

[skids]

Simply; can I unbolt and then pull out the cam chain tensioner to check for damage and then if finding no damage to the assembly or block, replace it and then doing the "cam chain adjustment" as described on page 2-6 of the service manual?

Or is there more to removal and assembly I need to do first?

Thanks!

You will first need to rotate the crank by hand with a wrench to the C Mark on the timing plate first, just like you were going to adjust the tensioner.
(I don't know what is on the pages of the manuel)

[motoman]

Skids has you going with correct procedure. From the pics looks like someone was cluelesss with oil leak source. The silicone follows along lines oil WILL migrate to from a leaky cam chain tensioner, and looks like silicone follows those same lines. Someone here surely may post the link for removal and tossing that POS tensioner and plug-and-play installation of the V-Max/Venture or 550Vision tensioner. Matter of fact, Smash had an extra 550Vision tensioner for sale. Contact him via PM.

[lancelot455]

Skids has you going with correct procedure. From the pics looks like someone was cluelesss with oil leak source. The silicone follows along lines oil WILL migrate to from a leaky cam chain tensioner, and looks like silicone follows those same lines. Someone here surely may post the link for removal and tossing that POS tensioner and plug-and-play installation of the V-Max/Venture or 550Vision tensioner. Matter of fact, Smash had an extra 550Vision tensioner for sale. Contact him via PM.

I'm doing the tensioner upgrade this morning. Po stripped the bottom bolt on the tensioner so i will be repairing that too(leaks lots of oil right now).