Timing Chain Tensioner

[Brian_in_Long_Beach]

Anyone else busted the little plug bolt that covers the spring winding thing? Snapped it off last night ? Yes, I was using a torque wrench set at 10Nm per the manual. The set screw for the decompression release - the bolt on the right side of the head - is suspect as well. Tightened that one to 5Nm.

Be Warned.....

Brian

[Hick]

I can corroborate that on the release bolt, not very many threads on the bolt or in the head. I have a heli-coil in mine because I stripped the threads. Be careful and use loctite.

Okay Brian, we all know you are thorough, but you used a torque wrench on that little plug bolt? Geez, do you torque the seat bolts to spec. after you clean your filter? Speaking of the air filter, how do you get a torque wrench on that wing nut, and what is the spec?

Just kidding…

[Brian_in_Long_Beach]

Yeah, I'm kinda anal about this stuff - I've got the tools so I try to use them ? Just ask the guys that were at Moab last year.

Actually, the cam bolts, valve cover bolts & timing chain tension are all 10Nm - just a matter of changing from an 8mm socket to a 5mm allen head. Haven't figured out how to get a torque wrench on the wing nut - hell, most the time I can barely get that thing started anyhow.

Brian

[Tim_Heslip]

Guys, That wing nut comment got me to thinking. Why is it that the hardest things to do to this bike is check the spark plug, replace the oil filter and re-thread that wing bolt on the air filter? Only the three things I have to mess with the most. Until I have to mess with the carb screw that is.

Hmmmm...

Tim

[Taffy]

brian

get your torque wrench recalibrated. they can be seriously off. the snap-on man did my fathers FOC every year as a matter of course.

Taffy

[SFO]

Taffy you are right on concerning torque wrench calibration.

I used to work at a shop that had a Torque wrench calibrater, I took all the wrenches' torque wrenches in and tested them.

They were all over the map.

Up to 25% deviation from the correct readings.

This could turn into a different thread, but the proper care and feeding of a good torque wrench is not widely known...Let alone using one properly...

I ended up replacing all my wrenches with snappy stuff. Clicker types that are always dialed back to zero instantly after use, and a torque-o-meter for more precision engine components.

[Dougie]

Yep, Brian Tool Man Meadows. I snapped mine last year. If I remember correctly, you can't buy that thing either. You have to buy the entire tensioner. Well, to hell with that, I just replaced it with a bolt from the hardware store. No problems.

Tim, you got me laughing. I've cussed my way through all of those "routine" mntc procedures. At least they finally got smart and moved the header pipe, only 3 years too late. Now how about designing side access to the airfilter and a plug where you don't have to remove seat and tank to get to.

[Grum_from_Oz]

Hello T'Talkers,

I too have damaged the tensioner plug bolt mechanism. The first time I checked my valves I accidently torqued the plug bolt too tight and stripped all bar one thread from the actual tensioner surround. I'm not sure what alloy it is made from, but it is like putty! Now I have the bolt virtually glued in with Loctite and it hasn't come off yet.

I agree with the wing nut issue. Sometimes I might spend 5-10 minutes trying to get the airfilter mounted correctly.

Roost on,

Grum.

[gearb0x]

People who torque every nut and bolt that has a spec in the manual up to spec generally snap the most bolts. Its not rocket science. The cap bolt is doing nothing but being a cap, jsut do it up till it feels right.

That said allways use torque wrench for the important! stuff eg head bolts