Dead VFR 800

[dangerous]

sounds about right... did you not here the chain slapping about?

... hang on tho, the VFR's cams are gear driven are they not?

[merv]

Sadly they are chain drive on the newer V-Tec models. Us owners of old gear drive models saw it as a backward step away from the fantastic motors that they were and were reluctant to buy the new models.

This incident only reinforces that opinion.

[ducatilover]

That is a very unusual problem, Honda isn't known for good tensioners, but regardless.... Are the tensioners the lever type like the Vtwins ran?
Any Honda (Except the MVX) should last longer than that, the Viffers are known to be ridiculously solid even with the cam chains.

[vifferman]

That is a very unusual problem, Honda isn't known for good tensioners, but regardless.... Are the tensioners the lever type like the Vtwins ran?
Any Honda (Except the MVX) should last longer than that, the Viffers are known to be ridiculously solid even with the cam chains.

Nope, not unusual at all, at all. (Every Honda I've owned - bar three - has had noisy camchains. The three exceptions: two gear-driven VFRs, and a two-smoke...)
The tensioners consist of self-adjusting sprung pistons pushing on slippers on the longest run of the camchain, at the back of each cylinder bank.
You'da thunk that Honda - after the same problem with VTR1000s (which have the same system) - would've learned, but no. Camchain tensioner failure is not uncommon with the 2002+ VFRs, and like on the VTR, usually afflicts the front tensioner first. The reason (apart from Honda making shit camchains and tensioners) seems to be that the front tensioner gets little oil, the spring craps out, the tensioner shaft backs out, the camchain flaps around, jumps some teeth on the cam, and chaos ensues. The solution? Eternal vigilance. And/or manual tensioners from APE.

As to why the VFRs now have camchains?
Noise.
Honda shifted the cam drive from the centre of the cams to the right-hand end, which made it MUCH noisier, so they adopted 'silent' (until they get worn) camchains. Along with the (non-VTEC) VTEC, which by dint of only two valves per cylinder at emissions (noise and fumes) testing revs, is much quieter.

[ducatilover]

The CB400 had a dead quiet cam chain, but, it wasn't the retarded set up like the Vee engines. My Spada had the cam chain noise cure at 50k, enlarged holes on the tensioner oil feeds, but, by 150,000km she sounded like she had a hammer inside again

Still, got nothing on Kawasaki ZZR/ZXR tensioners....useless things.

[gammaguy]

well,it wouldnt be the first time a honda cam chain tensioner has failed now would it??

no wonder the VFR anoraks were lamenting the end of the gear driven cam models

and yes,absolutely the shavings from the shredded chain slipper will cause the mayhem you have experienced.

and you would have heard the chain making a noise before it got to that stage if you knew what it sounded like ,i have heard it before on that very model,so you are not alone.

[liljegren]

Well thanks all for your learned thoughts. I wonder why Mr Honda doesnt deem it necessary to advise we un-initiated to biff the bloody tensioners at some agreed mileage? Perhaps KR should have an aural library of good noises/ bad noises, so we non-mechanics can diagnose issues like mine?

[dangerous]

Perhaps KR should have an aural library of good noises/ bad noises, so we non-mechanics can diagnose issues like mine?

LOL, if you had growen up in the 80's with well rooted XL/XR's where the chains would wear clean through the barrel you would like me be able to hear a loose chain from a hundred yards

[actungbaby]

gee u think honda whould fixed the cam chain issue by know i remember my
80s cbx 400 needing new chain and tensioner, my 1977 xl100 k2 , wore through side
the cylinder , i got it welded right down the side. i think i ring blue wing honda
about the vf 800 engine sounds brzzare to me to have tensioner so out place
cam chains do stetch though

LOL, if you had growen up in the 80's with well rooted XL/XR's where the chains would wear clean through the barrel you would like me be able to hear a loose chain from a hundred yards

[dangerous]

gee u think honda whould fixed the cam chain issue by know i remember my
80s cbx 400 needing new chain and tensioner, my 1977 xl100 k2 , wore through side
the cylinder , i got it welded right down the side.

1st... the cbx like most honda's of that age with the 1st of the auto tensioners had issues cos the tensioners never used the full life of the chain, and manual adjusters lasted for near ever.

2nd I bet the XL had mega miles on it been thashed to hell n back and yes yet still the bike would have been running LOL

[FJRider]

Well thanks all for your learned thoughts. I wonder why Mr Honda doesnt deem it necessary to advise we un-initiated to biff the bloody tensioners at some agreed mileage? Perhaps KR should have an aural library of good noises/ bad noises, so we non-mechanics can diagnose issues like mine?

Most can't hear the bad noises ... over the noise of the loud pipes ... that seem so popular ...

[jonbuoy]

When was the last service & valve check done?