Have you changed your cam chain?

[markaboot]

Just out of interest as i'm chasing a rattle and I've done less than 20,000.

[darrsi]

After hearing your bike in the video i'm still not convinced at all that it's the cam chain rattling!

[Lawrence]

Mine started rattling at 30k but stopped a couple of k later when the tensioner clicked over.  Now on 47k and nothing since.

[simonm]

I wish I had the balls, talent and confidence to change mine.

[simonm]

any opinion on which cam chain to go for and if the link would be required ?

Cam (Timing) Chain DID [/t][/size][/font] £ 59.45 Cam (Timing) Chain DID - Rivet Link [/t][/font][/color] £ 4.88 Cam (Timing) Chain Tourmax [/t][/font][/color] £ 40.60 Cam (Timing) Chain Tourmax - Rivet Link [/t][/font][/color] £ 2.04 I'm trying to figure out if it's worth buying a chain breaker/joiner too as I'm sure it'd be needed (I wouldn't trust a botch methinks).  That's another £40 or so I believe.

[Dead Eye]

Well if you don't buy a split chain then you need to completely disassemble the engine right down to the crank and split the crank housing as well, which is basically the state my engine is in on my garage floor.

However, with a split chain you need to rivet a link in place but you only need remove the rocker cover and maybe the head (but probably not)

[Lez72]

I'm with darrsi on this one. If (i think you are) you are the same poster that recently drained what looked like engine oil out of your cooling system, have you flushed the system out yet and replenished it with the correct amount of coolant ? I would suggest this is the way forward 1st. Maybe even try a borrowed or 2nd hand water pump to try at the same time as i imagine it wont have done yours much good having that gunk circulating around in it ? I know you have stated that you have inspected the water pump and all looks to be ok but as others have said, it could well be the source of your mystery noise.

[markaboot]

yes i know, i know, my cam chain is unlikely.


however when searching i struggled to find the information i was after. therefore this is more for others in a similar situation as well as my own interest.


EDIT: also 2 out of 5 who have already voted changed theirs before 20000 and that yellow fazer on youtube (thinks he's on here somewhere) was also at just over 20000

[markaboot]

I'm with darrsi on this one. If (i think you are) you are the same poster that recently drained what looked like engine oil out of your cooling system, have you flushed the system out yet and replenished it with the correct amount of coolant ? I would suggest this is the way forward 1st. Maybe even try a borrowed or 2nd hand water pump to try at the same time as i imagine it wont have done yours much good having that gunk circulating around in it ? I know you have stated that you have inspected the water pump and all looks to be ok but as others have said, it could well be the source of your mystery noise.

yep i drained it again yesterday, it still had a slight smell to it and was slightly discoloured. as you say with that amount of gunk i would imagine the radiator will be holding a fair amount of it and its leaching back into the coolant. so perhaps i will have the radiator off and give that a flush with white spirit also. it now has rad flush in which i will run a few times and then drain that off again. give it a good flush and top up with coolant. then monitor the situation.

with the amount of dark coolant drained first time, i would imagine my oil level would have dropped significantly. which it hasn't, touch wood, yet

[JoeRock]

Personally I'd check your cam chain tensioner, if it's not all the way out or close to it, then you know that your cam chain itself is fine!
Same for you Simon, check to see where the tensioner is on it's travel before splitting the casings for something that really won't be needed.
FWIW, I've never heard of cam chains being treated as a consummable (except on some REALLY old Hondas with chocolate camchains and cams), on newer bikes it's really not something that I'd think of going wrong really, unlike the tensioner itself!

[Dead Eye]

Realistically they are a consumable for pretty much any modern vehicle - they have a very long lifespan (in comparison to say engine oil), but I can't really think of much these days that doesn't require it changed (or the counterpart cam belt for most cars) at some point in the vehicles life

The chains and belts stretch and wear overtime to the point that they need to be replaced or you risk engine damage - in this case in a very very severe instance you would end up with the pistons hitting the valves before they close

[Lawrence]

All the cars I've had with a chain haven't had it in the service schedule.  It's the sort of thing you'd change if it was all apart anyway.

[Punkstig]

Never, not even on my 2 120,000 plus bikes!

[darrsi]

Poll results are not exactly helping matters are they? 

[simonm]

It needs a "not while I've owned the bike option"

[markaboot]

Poll results are not exactly helping matters are they? 

nope not really 

[Slaninar]

Bought my fazer 2nd hand, with some 30,000 kilometers. At 60,000 kilometers, I opened the engine cover to check valve clearances. Cam chain tensioner was all the way out, so I guessed the chain was due for a change. Put a new one. Will see how long this one lasts.

I'm not sure how many kilometers the bike REALLY had when I bought it, since here it's a normal thing to wind the clock to around 30,000 kilometers when selling your bike. All the bikes are around 30,000 K.