gs550d camshaft sprocket plastic chipped + cam chain guide cracked

[Stigy]

During further inspection before rebuilding the engine I've found more problems. I'd like to know Your opinions on further actions.
1. the first one is chipped plastic on camshaft sprocket. As far as I know it's made to make the cam shaft drive quieter. I've found the missing part in the oil sump
2. second one is the cam chain guides. They are cracked on the entire length. Normally I'd replace them - that's a nobrainer, but the prices of those are out of this world. That's more than entire engine + carburetors rebuild budget...

Photos below:

 

[Stigy]

[No message]

 

[GregT]

Cam sprocket, no probs, reuse. When making them adjustable, I machine all the plastic off anyway.
Are you saying the front camchain guide and the tensioner blade are both cracked/split ? I'd see if I could find a set of good secondhand ones. In my experience that sort of damage is not common..

 

[Stigy]

Are you saying the front camchain guide and the tensioner blade are both cracked/split ? I'd see if I could find a set of good secondhand ones. In my experience that sort of damage is not common..

It's mainly just the front guide, the tensioner looks better. I'll check out if there are any secondhand available. Thanks!

 

[Stigy]

So I bought two spare camchain guides and both are better, but still cracked. One of the guys I know had couple of them from different engines, every single one was cracked in some way.
​So my question is - how bad is too bad ? Is every single one of those not good enough and I'm left with buying the new one for 1/4 of the value of the motorcycle ?

What is the actual risk here ? Do they explode and make a grenade inside or do they just slowly chip not making any serious damage ?

 

[Suzukian]

There are a bunch of them on EBAY. I don't know the year of your bike, or if they are all the same, but there are a lot of them, and for not much money.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...Suzuki+gs550d+camshafit+chain+guides&_sacat=0

 

[GregT]

Surface cracking of the plastic coating comes with age. The plastic is moulded over a steel core AFAIK. Cut a bad one up to check.

i've only had a tensioner blade break up - in a race twin. The guy who had it on loan had ignored a loose camchain and the slap on over-run eventually broke it. He didn't notice and did one more meeting before handing it back. Full strip and clean, good used one installed and it was fine.

 

[rphillips]

I'd think all get cracks with age. I never remember hearing of one coming apart and causing problems... Just thinking if you'd not took the eng. apart and saw the cracks, you'd probably never heard of cracks in cam chain tensioners... Just me, I'd Pick the best looking and try to forget it... though the forgetting may be a problem.

 

[Grimly]

My XS650 has a disintegrating camchain tensioner blade. At some point I'll pull the engine, remove the head and barrels to replace both the front and rear blades, as well as check / replace anything else needed. They're notorious for it, but the blades are all over 40 years old now, so it's hardly surprising.
When I had the top off the 850 I carefully checked the blades on that and was relieved to find them still ok.

 

[Stigy]

Thanks guys, I'll probably check the best one from the photo and decide If it's good enough to give me a peace of mind.
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