quick cam chain question

[Nicholaschase29]

I checked to see if my camchain tensioner was working because my bike makes alot of "racket" on startup for about 2-4 minutes, then quiets down a bit. I went to make sure the tensioner moved. I went to twist it and it didnt move, and I had to "crack" it loose, not with alot of force, but it felt sticky at first, but after I cracked it it moved very freely. I could do this over and over if I let go of it for a minute then twist it again. Also when the bike is running it seems to be moving slightly back and fourth. Is this "stick" supposed to be there or does something need to be done about it?
Thanks,
Nick

[Guest]

I would take it off and clean it up. On the opposite side of the tensioner knob there is a lock nut for a flat head screw. Loosen the lock nut and tighten the screw to lock the tenioner piston so it doesn't let go into your engine. Now take off the tensioner and I bet it's gummed up with old oil. To put it back in you have to cock it. Push the piston all the way in. You will feel tension and you will see the tensioner knob move also. Now with the piston all the way in lock the piston down with the flat head screw. Install the tensioner (use a new gasket) and release the piston by backing out the screw 1/4 turn. You will hear it pop out. Now tighten the lock nut but make sure you don't tighten the screw.

[bwringer]

Here's a cam chain tensioner rebuild:

http://bwringer.com/gs/camchaintens.html

Yours might look a bit different, but it works the same way.

[Nicholaschase29]

thanks bwringer that is definitely of use, along with many other "how to's" on your website! Is there really anything that I can mess up when I do this?

[bwringer]

Just make sure you order the o-rings and seals for your bike -- your part numbers may be different than the ones on the rebuild page.

Once you get the tensioner in your hands and play with it a bit, you'll understand how it's basically a mechanical one-way valve. It's very hard to describe, but once you see it in person and fool with the mechanism a bit, you'll get the idea.

It's also a quite common mistake to tighten the setscrew so that the tensioner shaft can't move. Out of the four GS850 engines I've gotten to know personally, two had mistakenly locked tensioners from previous owners or mechanics. The set screw must be loose by half a turn so the tensioner shaft can move, and you use the locknut to make sure it stays loosened.

[mark]

I checked to see if my camchain tensioner was working because my bike makes alot of "racket" on startup for about 2-4 minutes, then quiets down a bit. I went to make sure the tensioner moved. I went to twist it and it didnt move, and I had to "crack" it loose, not with alot of force, but it felt sticky at first, but after I cracked it it moved very freely. I could do this over and over if I let go of it for a minute then twist it again. Also when the bike is running it seems to be moving slightly back and fourth. Is this "stick" supposed to be there or does something need to be done about it?
Thanks,
Nick

My tensioner did excatly the same thing (got "sticky") AFTER I rebuilt it. It seems to work fine though, so I'm not messing with it anymore.