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'82 GS1100E Leaky Cam Chain Tensioners

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Don't know about anyone else that has a '82-'83 GS1100E. But I've been cursed with leaky cam chain tensioners. The original on my bike leaked, I replaced it, and that one leaked, all from the $1 oil seal under the knob. I bought a new O ring and oil seal and decided to replace them myself.

Here's a few cam chain tensioners I picked up from who knows where over I can't remember how long a periold. The four here don't include the two on the bikes. Three of these are '82 GS1100E cam chain tensioners, they are the aluminum ones. Notice how all the plastic tensioner knobs are cracked, they're plastic! The black one I'm not sure where it's from but at least it has a metal tensioner knob.
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Now to tackle getting the leaking cam chain tensioner outta there from the motor. Anyone ever try this with carbs and air box installed? Well let me tell you it's a "little" tight, but it can be done, took me all of 15 minutes!, (any red you see is blood from the last time I did this) but it's putting it back in that's the PIA. Look, it's staring you in the face! I think the motorcycle was built around it! Those carb boot clamps screws are getting ready to be covered with skin, blood, and hair, not a pretty sight, I'll spare you from looking at the aftermath.
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OK, once I got that out, now to take of the nut holding on the plastic knob. Man, what did they use to secure it with? I used a pair of vice grips on the knob and a 10mm socket. It was on so tight, I literally sheared the knob from the oblong fitting which is part of the knob that fits on the shaft. I do believe that cam chain tensioner is "toast!" Well, I got 4 more to play with, so I chose the one that looked the best, and didn't concern myself with replacing that seal anymore, since I'd probably break every knob on the others trying to get to it.

Here's the fun part! Putting it back in, here's a pic of the high tech tools in my arsenal that I'm using. Lucky me.
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Well, that didn't take too long, only about 20 minutes. Fun getting both hands in that tight space. Luckily the bolts have phillips heads, and sometimes you can get a screwdriver to turn it. I took it for a leak test drive and it's too early to tell whether that one is going to hold a seal or not, but it look promising so far. Who knows, maybe three's the charm!
I hope!
 
Very informative, and nice photos. Nice job. Even if your not a Jedi Master, You are the man, just don't tell, DanTheMan, he might get jelous.:lol:
 
The most recent GS1100E cam chain tensioner I installed (forgot what number it was), well, it leaked, from the shaft seal and the little O ring under the lock nut. It didn't leak alot, oil mainly collected under the bottom of the tensioner, but it never dripped. I've had it with those '82, '83 GS1100E cam chain tensioners. Seems like everyone of those I've seen had a cracked adjuster knob. You can go back and look at the 3 in this thread that are cracked, not including the one on the bike. Must've been designed and engineered by the same bozo who came up with the plastic frame cover tabs and posts and the plastic damper adjuster knob, and they don't sell any plastic replacement knobs for the '82, '83 cam chain tensioner, or even list the damper adjuster knob in the fiche.
To even try to rebuild a cracked knob tensioner is a PIA, the lock tite the nut is held on with is stronger than the plastic knob, when I tried to break it free the knob distentegrated, I could use a little heat and melt the thing, where would that get me though. So, even though I have replacement seals, they just aren't worth the trouble.
I finally decided to opt for a steel knob auto cam chain tensioner of the likes of a GS1000, GS550, or GS650, or some of the 8 valve 1100's. Neither of my GS1000's ever leaked, and even if they did, they had steel adjuster knobs and you could replace the seals.

I found this little beauty on E-bay. It was sold as new, it wasn't, tell tale signs told me so, still it was a beauty. Although I'm deviating from a true '82, '83 plastic knobbed one, I consider this an upgrade!
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So, I got my set of tools together, a 10mm box/open end wrench for the two bolts, a 12mm box/open wrench for the lock nut, a common screwdriver in the form of my Swiss Army pocket knife for the lock screw. And since those two bolts are slotted for a phillips, a long skinny phillips screwdriver. That's it, these are the only tools I used.
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15 minutes later I had the old one off and the new one on. It's just a matter of having the right tools for the job! That little skinny screwdriver was able to spin those bolts out so quickly once I broke them free and put them back in quickly too. And here it is, the no more cracked plastic all metal cam chain tensioner. I took it out for a test spin afterwards, no leaky. :)

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