cam belt?

[anna]

I've been told by the garage that my cam belt is making a noise and will probably need to be tightened any idea how to go about this..I have help to do it but need directions on how to go about it.

[fizzwheel]

I thought that the cams on the SV were chain driven ?

As for what to do to stop it rattling I think its the adjusters rather than the actual chain

I am sure somebody who does know what they are talking about will be along in a minute to help you out

Yes the SV has cam chains and they're (supposedly) self-adjusting. Cam chain noise is very common and shouldn't be a worry according to everything I've read about them. Only when it gets excessive should action be necessary.


.

Cam chain on the SV.

The SV has automatic cam chain tensioner but they tend to get stuck. So you have to remove them (from the engine!) You will need a hex bolt 6mm? off the top of my head but I may be wrong.

So you take it out, remove the bolt from the middle of them, be careful its got a spring in them.

It’s a ratchet system so, pull the metal tab back and push the pin back up.
Stick it back into the engine, make sure the gasket is okay and in position, or even better get a new one. Then put the spring bit back in which will adjust it to the correct position, automagically

Done*


I've only done this on a pointy and there a complete mare to get to. A small child may be of use, if available.

I think they are harder to get to on a curvey, so you may need to remove the tank or the airbox.


*The manaul will give you better details this is just my rough guide from memory. You need to torque them up as well, so you'll need a torque wrench.

Hope that helps
Dan

[anna]

Originally Posted by Sudoxe

Cam chain on the SV.

*The manaul will give you better details this is just my rough guide from memory. You need to torque them up as well, so you'll need a torque wrench.

Dan

might help to get a manual then !!! going to try to sort it out this weekend .. the noise is noticable but only as I have had it pointed out to me.

[Red ones]

I assume you have a curvy.

Try popping it in second with the engine off, let the clutch out and pull the bike backwards for a few inches. (REMEMBER TO KEPP TE ENGINE SWITCHED OFF!)

This should be enough to wind the spring on the adjuster a bit. The problem is that the rear adjuster gets soaked in oil (it's location is not great) and then sticks. If you pop the adjuster out of the bike and clean it up it will work great for a few days, but gets soaked again, so why bother doing it if you can wind it back up so easily?

The ultimate solution is to replace the adjuster with something better - I'm fairly sure James at JHS Racing does a replacement that isn't too badly priced.

[anna]

Originally Posted by Red ones

I assume you have a curvy.

Try popping it in second with the engine off, let the clutch out and pull the bike backwards for a few inches. (REMEMBER TO KEPP TE ENGINE SWITCHED OFF!)

thanks neat tip there I will try at lunch time, be nice if it is that easy... yes it is a curvy.

[TSM]

JHS do a manual adjuster for £44ea.

[embee]

Just to make things absolutely clear, the cam-chain tensioners on the curvy and the pointy are different.

I think yours is a curvy, Anna.

The tip about pulling the engine backwards while in gear is worth a try, it just pulls the cam-chain tight against the tensioner and can help to encourage it to shift a bit.

The more reliable method is a little trickier but not rocket science.

The back one is easy to get to from in front of the back wheel, so try that one first. It sticks out of the cylinder towards the rear, more or less alongside the exhaust pipe.

The curvy tensioners have a bolt in the end (10mm hex head M6 bolt). Take that out, a little oil will drip out but nothing to worry about. Insert a thin flat screwdriver, engage it in the adjuster slot, gently turn it each way a little. You should find one way it gets tighter trying to push against the chain, the other way it backs the adjuster out and pulls against a spring (I confess I forget which way). Turn it maybe half a turn against the spring and then pull it out to let the adjuster flick back. Try is several times to make sure the adjuster is moving freely and snapping back smartly. Re-fit the end bolt.

The front one is under the tank and annoyingly the end bolt is close to a frame tube, and so you need a long thin screwdriver to get into the adjuster, but the principle is exactly the same.

I've done mine once, and since then it hasn't needed doing again.

I think you'd be pretty unlucky to need anything replacing so don't immediately have new tensioners fitted (which will probably be the same anyway).

Don't turn the engine while you're fiddling with the adjusters.

The official manuals are here
http://www.sv650.org/sv_manuals.htm

All for a curvy....

Rear Cam Chain Tensioner:

Remove right hand side rearset, I tuck mine up by the exhaust. get a 10mm socket on a shortish extension bar, locate the bolt (by touch, you won't be able to see anything), and remove it, it's pretty short, but make sure you're turning it the right way (anticlockwise) to remove, the body of the tensioner is pretty soft and the thread is not full, so it's pretty easy to strip. Insert longish thin flat blade screwdriver, turn clockwise until it stops (retracts plunger fully) then remove screwdriver, plunger will return (hopefully having unstuck). Replace bolt and rearset, all done.

Front Cam Chain Tensioner:

Lift tank, remove airbox. Tensioner is in between carbs and frame. Remove bolt head (10mm spanner required here, little or no chance of getting socket in here). If you have a magic screwdriver that will somehow negotiate the frame, do the same as rear one, if not you'll have to pop it out. Use a allen key (6mm?) with a ball head, as frame is in the way. Once started do not bail out, the tensioner will start extending and any attempt to put it back without retracting it first may kill the chain. Remove tensioner, make a tool to hold the plunger in place (there is one on the FAQ page, I made mine out of a spare bit of sheet steel, now has added beer bottle cap so I can retract the plunger without removing the tensioner, and a bit of string passed through a hole to be added soon as removing the thing from the tensioner can be a bit of a pain). With the plunger fully retracted, replace, remove tool, replace bolt (taking care not to cross thread) + rebuild bike. I've found it is often easier to remove the LHS fairing panel with the S, makes access a lot easier.

Rear is dead easy, front is more fiddly than difficult. If they still rattle, you can swap them over (rear removes the same as the front), since they (probably) wear at different rates, they might not get stuck in their new home. I'll see if I can check the dimensions of my tensioner tool and post them as it is a useful thing to have.

MT