Cat DNA Strikes again! -CHAINCASE TENSIONER ROLLER WHEEL FAIL

[ROCKERDAN]

IMO the constant heavy vibrations and life this roller sees, loctite will inevitable give up. It has alot of spinning pressure and vibration and lives in an oily environment. So IMO it only makes sense to tack them, why trust such a massive job to loctite? Its alot of work to tear this down.

I stopped to my welder I had already touched both screws to my grinder to make a spot without paint. He looked at me, grabbed it, and before I could tell him he already new what it needed and handed it back to me with two tacks, one on each screw. Im talking less then 60 seconds, it was still hot when it got back to my hands. He did not want to accept a dime for such a tiny thing, but I told him the whole story and gave him a 20 to get him and guys coffee.

So the moral here is, a simple 30 second tack will NEVER let loose, and give me peace of mine going forward. No way i'd trust this to loctite. If you have them open, you can get it tacked in less time then it takes to re-loctite them.

Dan

 

[ROCKERDAN]

Do yourself a favor and replace all those grade 2 junk-#*$&@ torx head bolts with some real 10mm headed grade 8's.

Never once had a problem with the torx bolts on all my doos or cat/and winder...Non issue IMO.

Dan

 

[STAIN]

Until you strip a head while removing. I Hate those cheap #*$&@ screws. I hate all those torx head screws on these sleds. Why put junk back in when you can do better? I am used to using the good stuff at work.....

 

[RAMSOMAIR]

Appears that 2018 got an updated seal on the chaincase outer. The original one in post and this new one are orange and look fatter than mine on my 2017 which is black.

 

[74Nitro]

I'd like to see higher grade bolts, but I do love Torx heads. Most of the time if Torx strip, it is because someone used the wrong size.
Agree with Dan, no need to change.

 

[STAIN]

I wonder why we couldn't use the self adjusting style tensioner found in the older Cat's? My buddy's 14 ZR9000 has never had a problem.

is the inner case different?

 

[STAIN]

Agree with Dan, no need to change.

I'll agree to disagree....

 

[ROCKERDAN]

Until you strip a head while removing. I Hate those cheap #*$&@ screws. I hate all those torx head screws on these sleds. Why put junk back in when you can do better? I am used to using the good stuff at work.....

I actually like the torx alot. I use good tools on them with my impact gun, so I can wrench alot of this sled very fast. Just a non issue IMO.

Dan

 

[ROCKERDAN]

The weird thing about this tensioner setup, is its got a spring. So the spring holds chain taught, and then there is a gap between the adjuster bolt(tip) and the tensioner itself due to the "backing off" 1.5 turns. I have always set mine to 1 turn backed off.

So when you hit the throttle, does the spring let out and tensioner goes outward to touch the adjuster bolt tip? I just don't get this design and why.

I believe all other tensioners have the spring holding the tensioner arm against the adjuster bolt, so there is never a gap when backing off adjuster.

Comments?

Dan

 

[STAIN]

I like hex head. That way I can use magnetic sockets to get into tight places.
After 30 years of paying Snap-On, Matco and MAC, I have no shortage of good tools.

 

[STAIN]

The older Cat tensioner seems fool proof. Has anyone heard of a failure in one of these?

 

[Chris Rose]

Are we "living the dream" or a nightmare! Lol

 

[ROCKERDAN]

I like hex head. That way I can use magnetic sockets to get into tight places.
After 30 years of paying Snap-On, Matco and MAC, I have no shortage of good tools.

I hear ya....torx would not be my first choice if designing this case, but I have not had issue so I just work with them.

Dan

 

[STAIN]

Not a nightmare. When you wick these things up well beyond there intended purpose you will find the weak points.
Still like the yammi chain case better though...
I just wish access to these cases where better.

 

[klr650r]

The older Cat tensioner seems fool proof. Has anyone heard of a failure in one of these?

We've had Cats/Yam in the Procross since since 2012. We've never experienced an issue with the CAT one. Self adjusting, it looks like garbage but we've never really had an issue. Had some problems with the roller design (2 failures, caught just in time, 1 being the screw). We even outfitted a CAT chassis with the YAM tensioner when they came out on the new Vipers.

I have mine apart now. Reinstalled a new brake bearing with 680 Loctite on a new cog shaft about 600 miles ago. Didn't last for me. developed a vibration in that side foot well so I knew I had to check. Was just going to reapply the bearing retaining compound, but it had gone too far....

So the shaft is at the machine shop to get the proper tolerance, and for good measure I took out the tensioner and have welded the bolts on as well.