Cam chain tensioner ??

[Jethro]

I rebuilt my cam chain tensioner this winter. I have noticed that a loud ticking was coming from there. I was able to get rid of the sound by tightening down the side set screw sung, instead of 1/4 turn out like the manual says. Any idea why this would happen? I put it back together right (I hope). Is there any problem with snugging down the set screw tight? Wouldn't this just make my cam chain tensioner like a manual tensioner?

 

[Anonymous]

tick

tick

Hmmmm, did you do the function check when you rebuilt the tensioner, or did you just unlock it and hope for the best? provied the chain wasnt to tight when you locked it down I would in my humble opinon think you would be ok, not my way of doing things but to each his own, ok I re-thought it and I think your just masking a problem that needs to be looked at, there I said it?Iam not happy about it but ahhhh heck

 

[Jethro]

ok I re-thought it and I think your just masking a problem that needs to be looked at, there I said it?Iam not happy about it but ahhhh heck

Yeah, I kinda knew that already. I'll ride it this weekend and then take it off. I did test it after I rebuilt it, but something is up.

 

[pano]

Seems to make sense if you lock it it would be like a manual one but how do you adjust it?. I just put in a manual one and locked the stock one before I removed it. I set the manual one about 1/4 shorter than the stock one I had pulled out. When I started the bike it was noisey ticking etc and I thought it was valves. It turned out once I turned in the manual tensioner 2-4 turns the engine noises disappeared. My engine seems quieter now than before but I degreed the cams, adjusted the valves, and put the manual tensioner in.

 

[Mr. Jiggles]

Spring for the manual tensioner. It's worth it IMO.
No pun intended .

 

[Jethro]

Yup, gonna call Star Racing tomorrow.

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

The tensioner can't keep pressure on the chain if you tighten the set screw. The rod can't advance. I suggest you back off the set screw per the manual and re-check the tensioner.
If the ticking really is coming from the tensioner and seating the set screw against the rod eliminates it, then you have some play somewhere.
Did you line up the groove in the rod correctly during re-assembly? With the set screw backed out correctly, does the ticking go away if you advance the knurled knob by hand? If it does, then the chain's stretched or the tensioner is not advancing far enough. The light outer spring that keeps pressure on the rod tip commonly loses tension. The tensioner loses part of its range. Pulling the spring end out of the knurled ring and winding the spring c-c-w one full turn will add needed tension.

 

[Don Lobacz]

Yes, you are just using the set screw to manually lock the tension. This is exactly what a manual tensioner does, but you are using the automatic tensioner to find the correct tension for you: true manual tensioning is trial and error guessing, potentially disastrous if overtightened. The automatic tensioner cannot overtighten except when it is locked out too far when installed.

 

[Anonymous]

You need new springs in your tensioner. Did you set 1 rotation of preload on the knob spring when it is wound out all the way?

I feel that the auto tensioner makes a very poor manual tensioner. You can not apply enough force on the knob to properly tension the plunger. If you have one in your hand you'll see that cranking the knob just jams the tensioner.

Steve