How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

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GeorgeSweety
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How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby GeorgeSweety » Thu Aug 10, 2017 1:29 pm

I hope this is the right place for this question. When I dropped the sump to do the starter clutch I noticed that my camchain tensioner wasn't in the bottom slot. I found Ibsen's thread about replacing the tensioner but I can't get it to stay in the slot while trying to get the screw through the hole in the cylinder block. In Ibsen's thread he didn't remove his cylinders but he got the tensioner in the slot. Do I have to remove the cylinders or is it possible to get it in the slot and the screw in the hole without removing them? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

cb650
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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby cb650 » Thu Aug 10, 2017 2:59 pm

no cyls can stay in place. The head can to but it is a pain. It could be "bent" slightly from being tightened out of place.
Did you clean the tank out?!?!?!?!

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GeorgeSweety
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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby GeorgeSweety » Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:13 pm

I've already taken the head off but when I put the end in the slot I can't seem to push the tensioner down and out to get the screw past the top of the hole casting without the bottom of the tensioner popping out of the slot. Is there a trick to it?

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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby GeorgeSweety » Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:29 am

Success! :D
Thanks CB, I didn't realize how pliable these tensioners were.
I found a picture of one on the net and compared mine to it, there was a very slight bend in mind. I placed mine on a sheet of paper and drew around it for a reference point, then bent it a bit with some brute force and quite a bit of ignorance and placed it on my outline.
Bent it quite a bit more than it would need so I carefully bent it back a bit until it was roughly 1cm from where it started as I figured that should be enough to equal the width of the casting where the slot is and how much it should be out of shape by.
It was still a little tricky to get the screw in the hole but with a bit of wiggle and a screwdriver to guide the screw it popped right in. I then placed a screwdriver on the tensioner blade and pressed it flat, then tightened the screw with the copper washer behind it.

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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby cb650 » Fri Aug 11, 2017 11:47 am

Good It will sound so much better now.
Did you clean the tank out?!?!?!?!

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GeorgeSweety
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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby GeorgeSweety » Fri Aug 11, 2017 12:49 pm

cb650 wrote:Good It will sound so much better now.


It will if I can get the bugger to start! :lol:

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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby cb650 » Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:27 pm

back together?
Did you clean the tank out?!?!?!?!

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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby GeorgeSweety » Sat Aug 12, 2017 2:14 am

Not yet CB, I don't have anywhere indoors to work on her so I'm at the mercy of the weather. It's supposed to be fine in the UK today and I've got nothing else planned.
I've already cleaned out the sump and the oil pump strainer. The strainer was just about completely blocked up with black crud, I'm sure the bike would have seized if I'd have tried to ride her for any distance, it was probably a good thing that the starter clutch wasn't working.
When the start button was pressed there was a very loud clack clack sound from the engine. After nosing around on this site I found the starter motor fix without taking the engine apart. One of the three screws in the starter clutch had snapped and the other two were on the verge of falling out. The springs, rollers and caps were totally chewed and cog that the clutch fixes two was mangled beyond repair.
I've sourced a replacement clutch but I'm still replacing the rollers, springs, caps and torx screws with new items and I'm gonna thread lock the latter in place.
Still to do, replace head and valve cover, refit starter clutch, clean out oil pump, clean carbs, hopefully fire her up :D
Then on to the frame which has suffered badly from the elements, the plan with this is a load of small wire brush attachments and a small battery drill and as close a match to the original blue paint that I can find and some small brushes. The idea being to get her on the road and ride her, I'll think about powder coating the frame after I've had a few months of fun first.

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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby cb650 » Sat Aug 12, 2017 6:18 am

so you have had to do two of the best projects on the 650
Did you clean the tank out?!?!?!?!

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GeorgeSweety
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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby GeorgeSweety » Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:25 am

cb650 wrote:so you have had to do two of the best projects on the 650


Yup! but I'm stuck into probably the worst one at the moment..................removing old gaskets :roll: I'm using the rounded end of a 12 inch steel ruler held at 45 degrees and STP Carb Cleaner. Also a Scotchbright pad where there appears to be "corrosion"?? on the bottom side of the head gasket face, it's cleaning up nice and smooth.
The thing is, I'm really enjoying it at the moment, just stopped for a cup of tea and a fag (cigarette) then back at it until the sun goes down. Probably not get anything built up today cos I've still got the barrels and clutch cover to do. :wink:

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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby cb650 » Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:31 am

I always clean up between the cyl fins real good too. a mall file can clean up some of the flashing from casting.
Be sure and get a tape and chase the threads for the head bolts.
Did you clean the tank out?!?!?!?!

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GeorgeSweety
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Re: How to fit camchain tensioner in the slot?

Postby GeorgeSweety » Sat Aug 12, 2017 11:49 am

Thanks CB, I've run a wire brush over the threads, nice and clean, plus air blow off gun to the oil feeds and everywhere else where crud can hide, just about ready to start rebuilding, but!
One of the cam cover bolts has been snapped off a long time ago and a PO has had (by the looks of it) a pair of vice grips (mole grips in the UK) and chewed the snapped off remains. Plan is to put my soldering iron tip on the bolt to get it nice and hot to expand it, then flatten it slightly with a file and saw a screwdriver slot into it. I haven't got or had much success with Easy Outs. :(


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