Curvy cam chain tensioners

Hi

with 30,000 miles up my curvy 650 is getting a bit rattly in the camchain area. I plan to replace the CCT's asap. Would you recommend replacing like with like or should i go for Pointy CCT's?

Also, do i need gaskets?

Thanks, Blueperson

[jambo]

In no particular order:
1) I'd get the gaskets, then you can be sure the old ones will never ever tear, leaving you to find these in a draw years from now and wonder what on earth you got them for. Otherwise you know you'll need them and they'll be on back-order.
2) You may well be able to just oil the old tensioners and get them working smoothly again, however, I'm sure some people fitted K3 and later ones to curvies. I believe they changed the design again around K5 or so and the design was in some way incompatible with the earlier bikes, a new oil feed design or something. Perhaps.

Try just taking the nut off the top, and using a screwdriver to tweak the tensioner out and back in again after dropping some oil in there. Could be a very cheap, if not exactly permanent fix

Jambo

Thanks for the info. I'm going to fit some new ones, just so it's done right and i can forget about them Are the pointy ones a worthwhile improvement?

Blue

[Spanner Man]

Good morning all.


Being a rack & pawl type. The Tensioners from the K3 are indeed worth fitting. Make sure you order the end caps, as they don't come with the tensioners themselves.


Cheers.

Brilliant, thanks for that. Ordering now

Blue

[yorkie_chris]

The curvy tensioners might get a bit rattly but 99% of the time this is just the little sleeve inside moving about a bit and is nothing to worry about.

I chased rattles for ages, sure it was a serious issue. Zoran at TWF was on here saying it was normal and nothing to worry about, I was sure it was until I actually took a tensioner apart, went "ahhhhh". They rattle, it happens.

Check the camchain's still tight, if so it's good to go.

Good idea, just pop off a rocker box? Listening to it again tonight I'm not sure if I can hear a loose chain thrashing, just a rattle. Quiet standard pipe too so you hear all the mechanicals . I thought it had a knock when I first bought it coming from air cooled inline fours but was normal L twin tickover noise

[yorkie_chris]

Yeah, there's a couple of mm of flex in the chains but not a load of gob.

Rear one is quiet because it's full of oil, front one drains out and rattles.

Originally Posted by jambo

Try just taking the nut off the top, and using a screwdriver to tweak the tensioner out and back in again after dropping some oil in there. Could be a very cheap, if not exactly permanent fix

Jambo

has this been proven to work? I might give this a pop at the weekend instead of taking apart completely. just standard engine oil right?

you say 'out then back in again' - so turn it anti-clockwise to push the plunger out, and clockwise to pull it back in to the body, thats right isnt it?
how much of a turn are we talking!?

[yorkie_chris]

no

clockwise winds it back in = less tension. Then pull screwdriver out and it will ping out and tension chain.

Do NOT tighten it anti clockwise, you do not want too much tension on there... and once tension is on ratchet keeps it on.