VTR1000 Cam chain tensioner

[Babelfish]

Hi,

A question to VTR1000 owners out there: Have you done anything to your cam chain tensioners?

I have heard much about the lack of spring fortitude in the stock tensioners, which may cause a dessertion of cam chain shortly followed by a meeting of the pistons and valves.

Following up on this further, most opinion seemed to be that this would be due to serious engine work (track) rather than averagely responsible road work.

I'd love to hear some feedback/experience on this if you could spare the time.

Cheers,
B

[tl_tub]

I know of one regular roadbike that lunched its head(s) due to a tensioner going at mid-high 30thou kms. Dont forget about the regulator too!

[geoffc]

Hi,

A question to VTR1000 owners out there: Have you done anything to your cam chain tensioners?

I have heard much about the lack of spring fortitude in the stock tensioners, which may cause a dessertion of cam chain shortly followed by a meeting of the pistons and valves.

I'd love to hear some feedback/experience on this if you could spare the time.

Cheers,
B
Hi
I have a VTR1000 but only @ 30k. No cam chain issues but will be watching out. Does it give any warning? Typically older Honda's in other models would get a rattley cam at idle speed which was easy to pick.
Cheers Geoff

[imdying]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that VTRs suffer at about 30 thou. Seems a little low, but worth looking into some more if you're approaching that.

[Fatjim]

The pre '01 ccts seem to go al lot more, the newer CCT has a pink dot on it, and is the one you get from Honda nowadays.

The front one tends to go first, accepted wisdom is that it's starved for oil and gets hot.

I did mine at 46k, just for piece of mind, costs around $100 each for parts.

Most of the time when they go there's no damage, but I've heard of one guy who's had 2 rebuild because of CCT failures.

[vifferman]

Following up on this further, most opinion seemed to be that this would be due to serious engine work (track) rather than averagely responsible road work.
Not necessarily.
There is some (anecdotal?) evidence that spring failures may be exacerbated by excessive idling on the sidestand (rather than riding the bike to warm it up), thus depriving the front tensioner of oil, and also using engine compression braking a lot. But the root cause is that whoever makes and supplies Honda's tensioners makes a crap product.
When I had my VTR, the PO had replaced the camchains, tensioners, and two valves, after the front tensioner spring broke and two valves were bent by the piston. Despite the new tensioners, I bought two manual APE tensioners and fitted those.

[vifferman]

The pre '01 ccts seem to go al lot more, the newer CCT has a pink dot on it, and is the one you get from Honda nowadays.

Not true.
The dot colour is irrelevant. There's a guy in the UK who's worked a lot on them, and he compared the different dot colours and found the tensioners were all identical.

[vifferman]

Hi
I have a VTR1000 but only @ 30k. No cam chain issues but will be watching out. Does it give any warning? Typically older Honda's in other models would get a rattley cam at idle speed which was easy to pick.
True. They do get rattly as the tensioner spring loses tension. If it's loud, replace it.

[Fatjim]

Not true.
The dot colour is irrelevant. There's a guy in the UK who's worked a lot on them, and he compared the different dot colours and found the tensioners were all identical.

did you read that on the Internet?

[vifferman]

did you read that on the Internet?
Yup.
I spent an awful lot of time on the UK Firestorm forum. The guy that told me this sold me the APE tensioners and a Throttle Position Sensor (yeah, I broke it) for less than the cost of a new TPS from here. And I had them in about a week (as opposed to waiting 3+ weeks for useless Honda to have them shipped from Japanland).

It's now here (http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB2/index.php) but was originally somehwere else.

[Fatjim]

Funny, that same list is where I got the pink dot cct info.

I haven't heard of a "pink" dot CCT failing, but having said that, I wouldn't take the risk (and didn't). I swapped mine out at the same time as the valve shims were checked, saving me a bit of time myself.

There the only non consumable parts I've had to fit so far in 50k. Not too much of a issue.

[Babelfish]

Yup.
I spent an awful lot of time on the UK Firestorm forum. The guy that told me this sold me the APE tensioners and a Throttle Position Sensor (yeah, I broke it) for less than the cost of a new TPS from here. And I had them in about a week (as opposed to waiting 3+ weeks for useless Honda to have them shipped from Japanland).


I've seen the info on the APE tensioners...it'd definately be piece of mind to have them on. How often did you need to adjust them?

Considering the cost of changing them out in comparison to the cost of hearing my financial controller bleating while I replaced bent valves, I'm tempted to get the APE's too.

[oldguy]

I've seen the info on the APE tensioners...it'd definately be piece of mind to have them on. How often did you need to adjust them?

Considering the cost of changing them out in comparison to the cost of hearing my financial controller bleating while I replaced bent valves, I'm tempted to get the APE's too.well worth the money,and peace of mind. Ive got them on mine

[jonbuoy]

Ditto I have manual tensioners. I read up on a few forums that have mentioned this - after I found out about the problem murphys law said it would happen to me if I didn't do something about it. I have heard of it happening to riders sat at traffic lights with no prior noises. Least the rest of the VTR motor is bomb proof.

[Babelfish]

Thats enough for me, I'll order them today! Much hassle putting them in?

I found this:

http://www.ldrider.ca/techpages/camchaintensioner-manual.htm

Which looks straight forward enough. I too figure that now I am aware of it (and have started to think that any mild tick is about to turn into a grating wallop) I need to sort it before I get bitten.

[jonbuoy]

I didn't fit mine - too chicken! I got bike shop to do it with a major service.

[Babelfish]

From what I gather its a bolt off - bolt on thing + some thought and care ... worth a crack. If anyone has done it and has some advice to impart, let me know.

[Fatjim]

Without removing the tappet covers there will be some risk of bending bits

[jonbuoy]

Easier said than done, front one is a bitch to put back on properly, and get the gasket right - without a nice workshop stand. I think in hindsight it would have been easier to hoist the front and drop the front wheel off.

[Babelfish]

Soooooo much info on the net about vitter CCT's...these guys are having an interesting time http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3179&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=45&sid=daf79980819bae343f678ca9f9c9361f