Do cam chain tensioners ever need to be replaced?

[Monkeytofu]

Just wondering. I've looked at a couple of tutorials on taking it out and the people writing them are often replacing them with stock or manual tensioners. What could happen to them that causes to need replacement?

[alex.s]

they all get tired and fat and lazy and sit around watching television all day, eating on the couch in their underwear with crumbs all over their faces. a spot of mustard on the sweat stained wife-beater shirt barely covering their soft and hairy man-breasts. the grease on what little hair remained atop the glistening bowling ball of a forehead slowly dripped down the side into the gravity-challenged, fur lined bat cave that was his ear, after which it mixed with what was presumably, or at least hopefully earwax before making its way down his neck. the stench of month old take-out strewn around his apartment was sickening, second only to the spawning creatures festering in old coffee cups and used condoms. you might think based on the used condoms that hester had some sad, lonely woman to occupy his nights with, but unfortunately for hester, they weren't his used condoms.

oh wait i'm not writing a novel, i'm writing a reply... ****

[davenay67]

I've seen YouTube vids where the person had a bike that sounded like death. They proceeded to remove and clean the camchain tensioner, and upon reinstall the bike sounded completely normal again.

All I can imagine is that the tensioner got stuck/jammed somehow (not providing enough tension), and that the dismantle/clean/rebuild process allowed it to resume proper tensioning duties again.

Replacement should only be needed if the unit show obvious signs of wear, to the point where it will not keep applying the necessary automatic tension any longer.

I've followed your previous posts. Perhaps just keep running things as they are for now. Maybe the noise will stay away for good. I'd be more concerned about a camchain stretching unevenly that a bad tensioner.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Monkeytofu

Just wondering. I've looked at a couple of tutorials on taking it out and the people writing them are often replacing them with stock or manual tensioners. What could happen to them that causes to need replacement?

The pre-gen tensioner is two mechanisms in one:

1) A ratchet mechanism keeps the plunge moving down only as the chain wears out and develops slack. That is the plunge (upper surface), the bearing and the conical cover (interior surface).

2) A tension mechanism that keeps some pressure on the chain via the rearward rubber guide and helps the plunge move down as needed by the chain's elongation.

Lack of lubrication may damage the balls and the surface of the plunge and conical cover, producing marks or pitting that could interfere with the free rolling of the balls, allowing the plunge to come back up forced by the chain.

Many disagree with me, but I keep each part of the tensioner heavily lubed with moly grease, which I replace at each valve adjustment.

Normally the spring keeps its original tension, but it can't hold the reactive force of the chain by itself.

Hope this compensates for Alex's novel above.

[Monkeytofu]

Originally Posted by davenay67

I've seen YouTube vids where the person had a bike that sounded like death. They proceeded to remove and clean the camchain tensioner, and upon reinstall the bike sounded completely normal again.


I've followed your previous posts. Perhaps just keep running things as they are for now. Maybe the noise will stay away for good. I'd be more concerned about a camchain stretching unevenly that a bad tensioner.

Yeah, it's somewhat related to the earlier posts. Thanks for keeping up haha.

I've noticed a small change in the noise of my engine after replacing my tensioner that developed after 2 days of normal riding. I'm going take it out and replace it and see if it really is related to that.

I may just being a motohypochondriac. It would be a lot easier if there was a video of a "good" engine running on youtube just so I can put myself at ease

Originally Posted by Motofool

Many disagree with me, but I keep each part of the tensioner heavily lubed with moly grease, which I replace at each valve adjustment.

I've thought about trying and lubing them, just to see if it made a difference for me. I assume that moly grease and anti-seize aren't the same even though they look similar? I'll pick some up soon and see if it makes a difference.

Originally Posted by Motofool

Normally the spring keeps its original tension, but it can't hold the reactive force of the chain by itself.

So what I'm getting is that, barring any extreme circumstances, the springs in the CCT wouldn't lose their strength?

Originally Posted by Motofool

Hope this compensates for Alex's novel above.

[davenay67]

Guy starts the bike about 1:15 into the vid. Sounds like a healthy engine. Plenty of vids out there with the nastiest engne knocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh4Lc...eature=related


You could also post another vid of your engine, so everyone can comment on current operational noise.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Monkeytofu

So what I'm getting is that, barring any extreme circumstances, the springs in the CCT wouldn't lose their strength?

Correct