Cam Chain Question

[LabidySabidy]

Hey XSives,
I recently changed my cam chain tensioner, but I did not secure the chain to ensure that it was aligned properly with the lower teeth (ridicule me if you must, I was excited to finally get the job done after a stripped bolt incident). I am yet to turn the engine over and I was wondering if there is an easy and reliable method to making sure the chain is seated correctly. I replaced the old CCT with an ACCT and did so while the bike was on its center stand and was alligned with the "C" indicator. Any advice would be appreciated and thank you for your time!

[TopCatGr58]

Well, you can either get a bright light, or your digital camera/flash and take a look down the cam chain tunnel beside the chain/guide and hopefully you'll see this view.

view down cct tunnel:

OR....if you have the tranny/oil pan off, you can look at it from underneath to see this.
View underneath:

Since you have it on the "C" mark, you can't see the timing alignment dots without rotating the engine...and IF the chain isn't securely on the bottom sprocket, or if you didn't maintain chain tension on the CCT side while removing and replacing the CCT, then you could have allowed enough slack to cause a loop/kink in the chain to slip around a tooth of the crankshaft sprocket, and so then rotating the crank could allow the chain to slip/skip a tooth and throw the cam timing off. Some folks have reported being able to rotate the crank/engine/cams around finding the timing off 1 tooth, resetting it and not experiencing any valve damage.

Since the slack would be on the CCT side, I would actually rotate the engine crank slowly by hand CW viewed from the left side, this would allow any kink/loop that could have formed around the crank sprocket to release, and hopefully the ACCT would then engage and take up the slack so that the crank sprocket would not skip a tooth. Then you could rotate it around to the "T" mark and see if your cam dots line up correctly.

Good Luck.
T.C.

[LabidySabidy]

Sorry for the delay

Thanks very much for the detailed explanation Topcat! I don't wish to drain the oil just yet so I'll probably use the first method you discussed. By cam chain tunnel did you mean the hole in which the cam chain tensioner is placed? The image is a bit hard to tell from. Thanks again for being so helpful!

[LabidySabidy]

Thanks!

Could you also explain the cam dots to me as I am not familiar with them

[IanDMacDonald]

Could you also explain the cam dots to me as I am not familiar with them

It was foreign to me at-first too! So, when the bike is in-time, the dots on the cams (intake & exhaust), should match-up with the dots on the cam bosses. If the dots do not match-up almost perfect, one of the sprockets may be off a tooth.

The timing aspect of this machine is critical, and an expensive fix if you get it wrong, too late.

[natemoen]

Thanks very much for the detailed explanation Topcat! I don't wish to drain the oil just yet so I'll probably use the first method you discussed. By cam chain tunnel did you mean the hole in which the cam chain tensioner is placed? The image is a bit hard to tell from. Thanks again for being so helpful!

The cam chain tunnel is when looking down from the top of the engine.

[natemoen]

Could you also explain the cam dots to me as I am not familiar with them

It was foreign to me at-first too! So, when the bike is in-time, the dots on the cams (intake & exhaust), should match-up with the dots on the cam bosses. If the dots do not match-up almost perfect, one of the sprockets may be off a tooth.

The timing aspect of this machine is critical, and an expensive fix if you get it wrong, too late.

More to it than just that Ian. There is a little tit cast into the gears as well as a dot cast into the cams. The dot need to line up near perfect with the arrow that is cast into the cam bearing caps. The tit just needs to be generally facing up with it all.

[LabidySabidy]

Could someone link a photo of the dots on the cams and the arrow you are mentioning. I haven't spent too much time inside of the engine, as I am a novice mechanic. Thanks for your help

[Rasputin]

Check out pages 2 and 3 of this link as there are pictures of the dots and arrows. It may help with what you may have to deal with. http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31788

[LabidySabidy]

Thank you very much Rasputin! I think that thread will be immensely helpful for me!!

[LabidySabidy]

A Look Inside The Engine

I've removed the top cover of the engine and have taken pictures of the cams alignment when aligned with "T"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...2RnSGM1RExSQk0
(This is the closest to the "T" I can turn it")

Now for the cams:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...TlJWnJHS3lkOW8

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...3ZUYzdLRGFpM00

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...HN3dkdEV2t6TFE

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...FVKQzJoaS1JbzA

And when I turn clockwise, this is the furthest I can turn it:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...GF2X3d6ZkZQRFk

Any tips or insight would be greatly appreciated!

[DiverRay]

The two pics taken from the LEFT side of the bike of the cams show the triangle on the cam cap closes to the cam sprocket, but at the cam itself. There should be a dimple in the cam that lines up with the triangle, and BOTH cams should have the dimple line up at the same time. Also, the "T" mark on the crank MUST be on the pointer as well.
IF they are lined up, and you can't turn the crank more than the 200 degrees, there is a problem. Do you have the spark plugs out? If not, you may be trying to turn against the compression, and it's just a bit too much.

[LabidySabidy]

Ill go ahead and try turning with the plugs out and see what I find!

[3Phase]

Ill go ahead and try turning with the plugs out and see what I find!

Wait! No! Don't do tha.... too late.

If you have even the slightest suspicion the cams are out of time, stop what you're doing, pull the camshaft bearing caps and reset the timing or you'll be replacing valves.

[IanDMacDonald]

Wait! No! Don't do tha.... too late.

If you have even the slightest suspicion the cams are out of time, stop what you're doing, pull the camshaft bearing caps and reset the timing or you'll be replacing valves.

Yeah, I just yelled at the monitor too.