Hi all. New to this site but have read a good few pages before I joined. As title subject states, I have a 03 fazer with 52,000 miles. Really happy with it for an older bike. Sounds and runs smooth once warmed up. However, the cam chain is rattling on start up but quietens once warm. I've seen on here thats pretty normal behaviour untill adjuster adjusts itself. I'm keen to give it a hand by doing the reset. The comments I've read suggest the adjuster has two springs and a ball bearing. No one mentions two ball bearings which parts manuals show. Can someone confirm. Is it one or two balls. Just like to know before I remove all the bits to get adjuster. Incase I drop something.
Welcome to the site. It is indeed 2 ball bearings like in the manual. Resetting the tensioner is quite a low risk job in itself. The main problem really is removing the carbs to get to it which is a bit fiddly.
If it is quiet enough you can count the clicks as you reset the tensioner and see if your cam chain is at the end of its life.
30-10-19, 10:15 AM
(This post was last modified: 30-10-19, 10:18 AM by redmandan.)
Welcome to the site. It is indeed 2 ball bearings like in the manual. Resetting the tensioner is quite a low risk job in itself. The main problem really is removing the carbs to get to it which is a bit fiddly.
If it is quiet enough you can count the clicks as you reset the tensioner and see if your cam chain is at the end of its life.
(From what I've read) Engine switched off, engage 2nd gear, roll the bike backwards...... will help it take up the slack.
Never done it myself. Mine's still quiet at 48,000
If you wantto check how worn the chain is. Line up the timing marks and lift the vam cover on the left side. If the holes on the cams and the t mark on the rotor all line up then chain is good. If 5mm out on the cams then chain has wear. 12 mm out change the chain. The tensioner on the 600 is exceptionally reliable compared to many other manufactures. It is more reliable than the one in the FZS1000 and there have been a few reports of those failing. The only reason the 600 tensioner may give trouble is if engine has been idle for a very long time and gone a little rusty and the internal spring on the ratchet fails. Even that is rare. It is a very simple effective design.
So, if the tensioner is generally reliable, given I don't know the history of the bike and only owned for 3 months, as the chain quietens down once engine warm, is it a matter of time until tensioner takes up the slack. I've read this may be so. Could I stop the cold rattling by advancing the tensioner manually. That is remove and push the arm one or two clicks. All assuming the chain isn't past its wear limit.
If you do what you suggest then technically you are forcing premature wear on the chain or tensioner guide or both.
The space between the ratchet splines allows for non linear wear.
This causes some rattling when cold, but expansion usually reduces the rattle when the engine heat up.
The only true way to stop the rattle is replace the chain.
Do as I suggested to check chain wear as it is a lot easier than taking the carbs off and it you remove the cam cover completely you can check the valve clearances
A simple way to advance the tensioner is to remove the carbs and take the bolt off the back of the tensioner. Once the spring is out, use a small screw driver in the hole to force the tensioner out one click. You wont feel it move and you wont know if it is at teh limit of its adjustment.
Undoing two more bolts allows you to take the tensioner out to check it if it at the end of its adjustment or not. If it is, its new chain time. If not, put it back in and manually adjust it as above.
As your bike is lowish mileage, I would just leave it for a a thousand mile or so and it will click on or it wont. If it doesnt manually adjust or replace as above or replace the chain. I woudnt fit a manual adjuster though as they hide worn chains and are a fuccer to adjust given where they sit on the fzs600
Another ex-Fazer rider that is a foccer again
Rubber type gasket, reuseable, rub a little LM grease to both side on it to improve the seal. Seal fits into a slot on the cover
I have never heard of spring failure. What normally happens is the tensioner sticks a bit due to crud in the oil.
Giving it a bit of exercise and putting it back will work. You just then need to ride the bike to get the next click to happen.
Another ex-Fazer rider that is a foccer again
:agree Never heard of one failing either, on the R1 or Fzs1000 there has been a small few but never on the 600
![[Image: 138790.png]](http://mefi.us/images/fuelly/smallsig-uk/138790.png)
