How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

As titled really, how does it work at tensioning the cam chain, when do you know if it is knackered etc.

Cheers

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

which do you want answered :smt102.

as per title, spring driven plunger pushes the chain slide and has a ratchet so only moves one way.

Cheers Mark.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Ok, that helps i understand how it works now, but both of mine are at their full extent, are they foobarbed? or are they normal?

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

the adjusters don't really wear, sometimes stick and allow the cam chain to run a bit loose, but if they are fully extended then your cam chain is stretched and needs replacing.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Ah, it does rattle slightly, but not majorly and i have had it listened to properly which i was told it sounds ok and not serious yet, which was before i took both adjusters out, thanks for your help :)

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

The chain sliders might be worn down too? How do you know they are at full extent as this is what they will do when you remove them from the engine surely? My K3 thou is still on the originals at 56,000 miles. Has your bike done a fair few?

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

My 650 K3 i take the 12mm bolt out first before removing them, mine has only covered 20k miles

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Are they rattling?

If not, fine. I very much doubt the camchain will be worn beyond use at 20k miles.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

indeed although not impossible it's unlikely the cam chain will have worn, but it's also unlikely the tensioners were fully extended, what made you think they were ?

Have you reset them recently ?

I'd suggest you're asking the wrong thing, and resetting them will address your noisy chain issue, but there is a check in the manual for the cam chain should you believe it actually is worn.

Cheers Mark.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Theres a light rattle but nothing major yet and as said it has been listened too and aparntly all fine.

To find them fully extended i remove the bolt with the spring under it then the tensioner and its at its furthest point, i then reset it replaced the tensioner and then put the bolt and spring back in.

I shall look in the manual

Cheers

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

I think when the tensioner is removed they actually extend to the furthest point and thats why they need resetting before you reinsert them?

I think thats right anyway

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

This is a little bit of a coincidence as I think mine could do with being looked at and I've logged on today to ask if it is a particularly difficult or time consuming task to adjust the tensioners. I'm not too bad with a set of spanners but if there are any tips or tricks then it would be great to hear them.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

+1 for me too, need to tighten chain some point this week to its 2nd to last "notch" and get a new chain + sprockets sorted after exams

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

wrong chain. Cam chains are inside the engine.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

thanks, newbie to bikes.... :)

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

to reset you don't need to remove the tensioner itself.

take the central bolt out, using a small electrical screwdriver (careful not to damage the thread for the bolt), incert it and you'll feel it engage with a slot (you can't see it), turn the screwdriver clockwise (as in doing up a screw), you have to hold tension on it as it retracts the plunger against the spring inside, once it won't turn anymore, "sharply" withdraw the screwdriver and the plunger will "flick out" to the right length.

and that's al that is required, it's worth doing this at service time anyway as it keeps them from seizing up.

Cheers Mark.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Nice one mark! I'll be taking the laptop into the garage at the weekend :D

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Have fun ;-)

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Small point that I feel is worth a mention:

The curvy SVs have the type of tensioner described by Rictus. There is no obvious way to see whether they are fully extended easily, as they will extend as you remove them.

I believe the later bikes (I'm not quite sure when) switched to a spring and ratchet cam chain tensioner, which would be apparent how far it was extended when removed, and reset.

Jambo

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Well, unless I am incredibly simple, its impossible to do the front one without removing the engine and the rear one would be tricky even with the rear tyre removed.

Am I missing a trick here?

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

The rear one's a piece of pi$$... take the RHS rearset off and grown some extra fingers :-P

The front one, that's a right tw4t. I've never been able to reset them with them in the engine because of the frame crossmember right above it. I keep meaning to get one of those ratchets with the rotating handle. I take front ones out.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Went to a couple of Suzuki dealers on Saturday afternoon and there only thought over the slight sound was the valve clearances. Not the Cam Chains as it is simply not noisey enough. Just as well I decided not to remove the engine!

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Here's a nice writeup on clearance checks & adjustments.

http://www.bluepoof.com/motorcycles/howto/svs_valves/

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

I've said before and I'll say again, the bluepoof writups show one way to bodge and blunder your way through a job and write it as gospel. I'm not a fan.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Have you got a better online job-guide? I thought the blueproof how-to was a good effort.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Get a haynes manual.
They miss most important part which is to turn engine over by hand several times.

The valve one is not too bad, it's the brake ones that really make me cringe. And the carb one is pointlessly complicated.

Re: How does the SV650 cam chain adjuster work?
 

Just trying to do this. I assume the screwdriver just goes in a tad further than the cap bolt? I can feel something there but it is a sod to get a long thin screwdriver in. Or am I not getting the screwdriver in properly? I'm treading very carefully here and it could well be i need to try pushing the screwdriver in more?

On the front cylinder its I only get about an 1/8th of a turn of what the screwdriver is hitting if that's it? Tried releasing it under tension but didn't hear any appropriate noises? Is it very obvious when it does ping back?