QuestionHi,
I'm continuously having problems with the cam chain tensioner setup on my 72 Honda SL125. The little e-clip that goes on the bottom of the tensioner adjuster bolt keeps coming off. I replaced the bolt and had a new clip but the clip still keeps coming off and thus my cam chain becomes loose. It seems whenever I turn the bolt to adjust the chain tension, the clip starts to work it's way off. The clip is the right size and when I push the clip on it opens up a little. I've tried just nipping it in with some pliers but it still seems to work it's way off.
Do you know of any fixes to keep the clip on? Or to use something else that would do the same job?
Hope you know what I'm on about.
Thanks very much,
John
Answer
Hi John,
The tensioners can be a headache due to various things
including the confusion over the changes made
through the years on the SL100-125.
Some models used a spring loaded tensioner and
adjustment was done just by backing off the adjuster
until the spring applied the correct tension and then
locking the adjuster nut.
If you have the type with the manual adjuster then
it is harder to adjust correctly due to the fact
that chains always have a tight spot.
You can notice this when adjusting the rear
wheel chain. When you turn the wheel the chain
gets tighter in one spot than another.
What happens with cam chains is that most people
given a manual adjuster tend to overtighten the chain
and the added tension of the chains tighter spot
coming round hammers the eclip off the end of the adjuster.
The chain should be adjusted with light tension in it's
tightest spot if the bike is apart to do this.
If you can idle the bike and gently adjust the chain
until you hear some noise and then gently adjust
it until the noise quiets down and no more
often the eclip will be no problem.
Excessive cam chain tension just causes wear as much as being very loose.
Also, if your chain is worn so the tensioner has to bend very far to tighten this also puts
strain on the adjuster and eclip. A worn chain can also be the problem.
The clip has to have a washer top and bottom to handle the load.
Last resort might be to drill a tiny hole where the eclip sits
and find a small roll pin to press in with some locktite to
keep it from vibrating out.
Check all your tensioner parts to make sure there is
nothing worn or bent that could affect the eclip.
Luck with it,
WS
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