Advice needed - Cam chain and tensioner related

Evening all,

Please could you guys offer me some advice on this.......

About two weeks ago the front of the engine started taking to me in morse code. It was probably saying "why are you riding me in this cold weather when I was all tucked up under my cover......you g*t", but I found about today that it's the cam chain on the front cylinder that's loose. Whilst I had a hunch that it was the cam chain, what the guys at the shop told me today made me worry at bit. They said that to replace the cam chains and tensioners, do the valve clearances and check the shims would be around 3 hours labour + parts......around £400

Now I know a tad about engines from what I've learned from you guys here (you know who you are ) but I can't help thinking that what they have quoted me is a little excessive, or is my naivety getting the better of me?

Comments much appreciated on this as I don't want my bike to blow up

Cheers,

Paul

Thats about what i paid to have mine done hun, and they did a very good job of it, sounds sweet now.

[TSM]

You could try the normal thing of pulling the tentioners back and letting them out again. Mabey its stuck.

Cam chains cost about £25-35 quid. Tensioners cost up from £55 I think but there are some on ebay now that will go for less than a tenner. Checking valve clearances can be done in less than an hour, adjusting takes maybe 2-4 hours. If adjusted, carbs need balanced too and that takes a 20-40 minutes.

Do it yourself to be honest. Glad I did, piece of ****. Just read the instructions in the haynes manual or come onto this forum if you have any problems. I didn't read the instructions and timed it incorrectly.

I would say £400 is perhaps just about right. For a pro job. Just ask for the old ones back. Demand that you be given the old parts back before agreeing the work to be done.

Thanks for the advice guys, it's good to know I'm not being ripped off. I wish I could do the work myself, but the lack of garage and tools puts me off the idea. I'm going to try and source the parts off ebay to keep costs down. I found these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/suzuki-sv650-c...QQcmdZViewItem

does anyone know if they are model specific, or will they fit a pointy and curvy?

[admin]

this might help. Always worth a look on the main site

http://www.sv650.org/camten/cam%20ch...tenstioner.htm

John

[northwind]

It's a fair price for what they're talking about, but probably not neccesary... How many miles has it?

Originally Posted by northwind

It's a fair price for what they're talking about, but probably not neccesary... How many miles has it?

The bike's done around 30000 so the job definatly needs doing. Thinking of part-exing it at the moment before I spend any more serious cash on it but I know I won't get much for it......

*EDIT - I've had an offer of some used cam chains (engine has done 12000) from socommk23 .........does anyone know if it's ok to fit used cam chains?

Cheers for the link John, reading it now

[northwind]

30,000's low miles for an SV engine... If the tensioner went off some time ago then maybe it'll have accelerated wear though.