Cam chain replacement

[Nessism]

not the case with a GS i'm afraid ... though they may not break, i have never seen a cam chain on a GS that was still within the wear limit after 70K ... (that's kilometers so not even 50,000 miles)

What is forcing the replacement is a worn chain makes it impossible to adjust the engine properly. Valves open and close off-timing and the engine will not run really nice anymore.

If that was true than how come we have members around here with over 100k MILES on their GS's (with original cam chain) and the bikes still run nicely?

[Rijko]

If that was true than how come we have members around here with over 100k MILES on their GS's (with original cam chain) and the bikes still run nicely?

that's easy ... they do not run as nicely as they can

[chuck hahn]

Sorry but that link is not a cam chain for any GS engine. The sellers on crack. These are GS cam chains.

http://www.partsoutlaw.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d402e7f8700230d8b4e94b/cam-chain

[Rijko]

i guess you're basing that on the picture alone ?

it's in the ad ...

Please Note The Picture is a Generic One.
Please Check If the Correct Amount of Links on Your Old Chain Matches Our Listing.
The Listed Product is a Direct Replacement for your Original Part.

the point of this conversation imo still being it is not necessary to completely take apart the engine to replace the cam chain.
Ask any professional motorcycle repair guy - it makes absolutely no sense to take apart the whole engine for a simple cam chain replacement.
Cost-wise, that is.

Here's another manufacturer that delivers open cam chains.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-GS1000-79-81-FORSETI-CAM-CHAIN-219H-120L-CAMSHAFT-TIMING-/131309899901

*Supplied endless but can be un-joined on request

[chuck hahn]

Yeah i saw the picture and assumed incorrectly it was what the seller was representing as a cam chain.

[mcycle-nut]

I just replaced the cam chain on my wife's '82 GS850G. I bought a DID219FTS(S), which came open with a rivet link. No major surgery involved. The bike had 77,000km (44,000ish miles). Yes it REALLY needed it. It was talking to me big time, and manually turning the motor over I could see at times where it wasn't even touching the guide wheel in the tower! Yes, the tensioner was working.

[Nessism]

I just replaced the cam chain on my wife's '82 GS850G. I bought a DID219FTS(S), which came open with a rivet link. No major surgery involved. The bike had 77,000km (44,000ish miles). Yes it REALLY needed it. It was talking to me big time, and manually turning the motor over I could see at times where it wasn't even touching the guide wheel in the tower! Yes, the tensioner was working.

Not touching the guide wheel is not a valid test. Depending on where the cam lobes are pointing there may be extra slack in the chain during a static test like that. The real test of chain stretch is to measure between link pins as described in the factory service manual. Did you do that? I find it very hard to fathom how the chain could have elongated out of the service limit in only 44k miles unless someone damaged the tensioner or something to this effect.

[DimitriT]

Not sure if anyone has seen this:

https://biketech7.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-change-your-camchain-or-timing.html

Question on measuring cam chain stretch. The manual specifies measuring between some number of pins (I can't recall how many). But when measuring do you measure from the middle of the pins, from the outside edge. It would make a huge difference.

[Nessism]

Not sure if anyone has seen this:

https://biketech7.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-change-your-camchain-or-timing.html

Question on measuring cam chain stretch. The manual specifies measuring between some number of pins (I can't recall how many). But when measuring do you measure from the middle of the pins, from the outside edge. It would make a huge difference.

It doesn't matter what part of the pin you measure from as long as you are consistent on the other end.

[DimitriT]

It doesn't matter what part of the pin you measure from as long as you are consistent on the other end.

I guess I didn't make myself clear.

If I pick two pins to measure between and line up the tips of my caliper on the pins, should the tips be at the center of the pins or should the left tip be on the left edge of the pin and the right tip be on the right edge of the pin.

Basically I want to know if I should include the width of the pins in the measurement.

[alke46]

I guess I didn't make myself clear.

If I pick two pins to measure between and line up the tips of my caliper on the pins, should the tips be at the center of the pins or should the left tip be on the left edge of the pin and the right tip be on the right edge of the pin.

Basically I want to know if I should include the width of the pins in the measurement.

I might be wrong, but I don't think you have to be quite that technical.

[hannibal]

I guess I didn't make myself clear.

If I pick two pins to measure between and line up the tips of my caliper on the pins, should the tips be at the center of the pins or should the left tip be on the left edge of the pin and the right tip be on the right edge of the pin.

Basically I want to know if I should include the width of the pins in the measurement.

If you measure from the right side of one pin, measure to the right side of the other pin. If you measure from the left side of one pin, measure to the left side of the other pin. If you measure from the center of one pin, you guessed it... measure to the center of the other pin.

[fastbysuzuki]

Q


Galea Cam Chain Services have been fitting split cam chains and riveting/ peering over a soft link on almost all bikes for 25 years, he kept the couriers bikes going in London and never had a failure so there is nothing new in this technique providing the person doing it knows what they are doing.

[mcycle-nut]

Not touching the guide wheel is not a valid test. Depending on where the cam lobes are pointing there may be extra slack in the chain during a static test like that. The real test of chain stretch is to measure between link pins as described in the factory service manual. Did you do that? I find it very hard to fathom how the chain could have elongated out of the service limit in only 44k miles unless someone damaged the tensioner or something to this effect.

I know, seems funny to me too. Maybe the odo has flipped over once, making it over 100,000km, (62,000mi), more than registered? I don't know, I didn't buy the bike new. No, I didn't measure the chain, but if you had heard the bike running and seen the slop between tight and loose when it was in the bike and the fact that when it was out of the bike you could have tied a knot in it you would agree, it was done like dinner.

[Grimly]

I'd just like to throw my money in - I've replaced several camchains with a soft-link one. I've NEVER had to split the engine cases to do it.

On the subject of cam chain wear - I find that a bike that does lots of steady-state miles (A-B on motorways all day long) has virtually zero camchain wear.
Otoh, harsh acceleration around the backroads kills them relatively quickly. The camchain is subject to accelerative forces just the same as the crankshaft, geartrain and everything else.
I'd also add to that, that POs who might not have been timely in changing oil are a contributory factor.
The dreaded PO again