new playground found

[Jim Hyman]

Bogdan, The balancer and/or cam chains need to be replaced when they have stretched about 1.5%.  The service manual specs fora 20-link section of chain (measured under tension) are:

                            serviceable length         maximum length cam chain              127.0 - 127.4 mm          128.9 mm balancer chain       190.5 - 191.0 mm          193.5 mm

If your balancer chain is well within spec, look closely for some other reason why the adjuster is near its maximum.  One possibility is that the rubber chain guides are excessively worn.  Looking at the fotos in the service manual, it looks like a worn "outer" chain guide would allow excessive chain slack.

I have found excessive cam chain slack on many high mileage overhead cam bike engines due to worn cam chain guides.  This occurred on the older manual adjustment type cam chain tensioners.  When they were not adjusted at proper intervals, the excessive chain slack prematurely wore out the rubber cam chain guides.

My A9's cam chain (20 link) length was 127.1 mm when I did my valve adjustment at 17K miles.  Accurate measurements can be had by using a 150 mm (6") vernier caliper.

A general observation from many years of wrenching: Bikes that have been well maintained, had frequent oil changes & were ridden hard (but not abused) showed phenomenal durability.  I also saw way too many bikes die well before their time.

Professor    A9    Federal Way, WA. [USA]

if it aint broke, maintain it ...

+++++++++++++ Bogdan wrote: [snip] Kurt, When doing the balancer chain adjustment bolt mod I discovered that the mechanism was near the end of its capacity to move any further. So......At 33k miles I do need a new balancer chain. I do rev the engine way more than Jake J. or Conall. Are you still going to write up the procedures for this happy task? Elden recommends changing the cam chain while you're at it. What do you think? Also, have you found a source for reasonably priced (Canadian?) chains. [snip]

[Bogdan Swider]

As usual Professor very interesting. I'm going to run it by Elden. My bike has had it's oil changed at regular though not anal intervals (every 3k miles) with Mobil Uno, cage, that my reading tells me breaks down latter than dino. I've kept my valves in spec and until recently my engine has run smoothly. I do wonder what my 300k mile ride back home from Moab with the engine missing most of the way has done to the chains and other engine internals. Didn't do much for my internals. The last sentence in your post explains why, as of yet, I don't use Viagra. Bogdan

> Bogdan, > > The balancer and/or cam chains need to be replaced when they have > stretched about 1.5%. The service manual specs fora 20-link section > of chain (measured under tension) are: > > serviceable length maximum length > cam chain 127.0 - 127.4 mm 128.9 mm > balancer chain 190.5 - 191.0 mm 193.5 mm > > If your balancer chain is well within spec, look closely for some other > reason why the adjuster is near its maximum. One possibility is that > the rubber chain guides are excessively worn. Looking at the fotos in > the service manual, it looks like a worn "outer" chain guide would allow > excessive chain slack. > > I have found excessive cam chain slack on many high mileage overhead > cam bike engines due to worn cam chain guides. This occurred on the older > > manual adjustment type cam chain tensioners. When they were not > adjusted at proper intervals, the excessive chain slack prematurely wore > out the rubber cam chain guides. > > My A9's cam chain (20 link) length was 127.1 mm when I did my valve > adjustment at 17K miles. Accurate measurements can be had by using a > 150 mm (6") vernier caliper. > > A general observation from many years of wrenching: > Bikes that have been well maintained, had frequent oil changes & were > ridden hard (but not abused) showed phenomenal durability. I also saw > way too many bikes die well before their time. > > Professor A9 Federal Way, WA. [USA] > > if it aint broke, maintain it ... > >

[Krgrife@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/3/00 8:34:42 AM Pacific Standard Time, bSwider@... writes:

If your balancer chain is well within spec, look closely for some other > reason why the adjuster is near its maximum.  One possibility is that > the rubber chain guides are excessively worn.  Looking at the fotos in > the service manual, it looks like a worn "outer" chain guide would allow > excessive chain slack.

The balancer chain guides are metal, not plastic like the cam chain guides so I don't think guide wear is a factor in chain slack developing. Kurt Grife

[Mark]

At 8:29 PM -0500 12/3/00, Krgrife@... wrote: In a message dated 12/3/00 8:34:42 AM Pacific Standard Time, bSwider@... writes: If your balancer chain is well within spec, look closely for some other

> reason why the adjuster is near its maximum. One possibility is that > the rubber chain guides are excessively worn. Looking at the fotos in > the service manual, it looks like a worn "outer" chain guide would allow > excessive chain slack.

The balancer chain guides are metal, not plastic like the cam chain guides so I don't think guide wear is a factor in chain slack developing. Kurt Grife Actually (on my bikes anyway), the balancer chain guides are hard rubber bonded to steel. At 44,000 miles, the balancer chain on my A2 was still in spec, but the guides were well grooved. My parts bike (30,000 miles) had a chain the showed virtually no sign of stretching, but had grooves (less deep than ton the A2 though) in the guides. Mark B2 A2

[LPetty4585@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/4/00 2:23:09 AM !!!First Boot!!!, mjv2@... writes: << Actually (on my bikes anyway), the balancer chain guides are hard rubber bonded to steel. >> This is what the microfiche and my dealer have indicated to me that they are wearable chain guides. Maybe different on later models of KLR. Larry

[Bogdan Swider]

> Actually (on my bikes anyway), the balancer chain guides are hard rubber > bonded to steel. At 44,000 miles, the balancer chain on my A2 was still > in spec, but the guides were well grooved. My parts bike (30,000 miles) > had a chain the showed virtually no sign of stretching, but had grooves > (less deep than ton the A2 though) in the guides. > Mark > B2 > A2

Mark, Do you recall how far through their range the tensioner mechanisms were? As I'm sure you know, the further the slotted piece (forgot its name) is against the chain and thus toward the front of the bike, the bolt slides toward the back of said piece leaving less range. Curious in Colorado, Bogdan

[Mark]

At 12:01 PM -0700 12/5/00, Bogdan Swider wrote:

>> Actually (on my bikes anyway), the balancer chain guides are hard rubber >> bonded to steel. At 44,000 miles, the balancer chain on my A2 was still >> in spec, but the guides were well grooved. My parts bike (30,000 miles) >> had a chain the showed virtually no sign of stretching, but had grooves >> (less deep than ton the A2 though) in the guides. >> Mark >> B2 >> A2 > Mark, Do you recall how far through their range the tensioner >mechanisms were? As I'm sure you know, the further the slotted piece (forgot >its name) is against the chain and thus toward the front of the bike, the >bolt slides toward the back of said piece leaving less range. Curious in >Colorado, Bogdan

At 44K it (the tension adjuster) had completely run out and on the parts bike at 30K it was about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way out. On my Tengai with 30K it's currently 3/4 of the way out. Mark B2 A2

[Bogdan Swider]

> At 12:01 PM -0700 12/5/00, Bogdan Swider wrote: > >> Actually (on my bikes anyway), the balancer chain guides are hard > rubber > >> bonded to steel. At 44,000 miles, the balancer chain on my A2 was > still > >> in spec, but the guides were well grooved. My parts bike (30,000 > miles) > >> had a chain the showed virtually no sign of stretching, but had grooves > >> (less deep than ton the A2 though) in the guides. > >> Mark > >> B2 > >> A2 > > Mark, Do you recall how far through their range the tensioner > >mechanisms were? As I'm sure you know, the further the slotted piece > (forgot > >its name) is against the chain and thus toward the front of the bike, > the > >bolt slides toward the back of said piece leaving less range. Curious in > >Colorado, Bogdan > > > At 44K it (the tension adjuster) had completely run out and on the > parts bike at 30K it was about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way out. On my > Tengai with 30K it's currently 3/4 of the way out. > Mark > B2 > A2 > >

This is getting very interesting. On the 44k bike, what did you do or what do you contemplate doing? It seems certain, as examples here and in DSN (Elden) have stated, first the sprockets and then God knows what else will be trashed. Could happen while on the road as in Kurt G's case. The chain's in spec!! Have you or are you going to change the guides? How big a deal is that, money and time wise? Bogdan

[LPetty4585@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/5/00 10:32:25 PM !!!First Boot!!!, bSwider@... writes: << How big a deal is that, money and time wise? Bogdan >> I was quoted $28 and $33 for each of the guides plus the gasket set at $43 Larry

[Michael Schutte]

For safety reasons look for loose CHADS and ballots before you ride in Florida mike Anton Perdices wrote:

> Folks, > I recently moved to the Miami Lakes are in South Florida and came > across a patch of land which I would like to share with everyone. This area > has sand dunes, grass pastures etc. Someone sort of developed a course in > there for anyone to use. I went there a couple of days ago and had a blast > with my bike. I never saw so much air time before or dirt. I'm glad I > purchased those Acerbis handguards cause I was all over the place. It quite > surpsiding where it is. Kinda cool I guess cause if something happens to > your bike your not stuck in the middle of nowhere. To me it resembles a golf > course in the making that was never completed. If anyone is interested in > checking it out let me know. > > Thanks, > > > Anton Perdices > > Information Services > > NORTEL NETWORKS > > telephone: 954 851-8753 (ESN 228) > > fax: 954 851-8499 (ESN 228) > > cel: 954-579-2171 > > e-mail: perdicea@... > > > > > > Visit the KLR650 archives at > http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 > Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... > Let's keep this list SPAM free! > > Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com