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WARNING REPLACING CAM CHAIN TENSIONER

N

nytrodude

Veteran
Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Messages
32
Location
Michigan
If your thinking about replacing your tensioner, be sure to remove the valve cover and somehow hold cam gears and chain. When you remove the old tensioner there is a great probability of your cam gears slipping on the chain- putting your cams out of timing. This happened to me and I have now seen it happen to others. After I did mine, the sled wouldn't idle, but it ran really well w/ plenty of power. I still need to figure out how to set my timing correct again. For those who did it already with no problems- consider yourself LUCKY. I was doing it for peace of mind and it cost me my weekend trip to the U.P. Hope this helps someone.
 

As long as you roll the engine in the proper direction to TDC the cams will be in a position that will allow you to remove the tensioner without jumping time. It's not luck its having the proper knowledge to do the job correctly. If you are unsure or think the timing may have moved then remove the cover and align the timing marks.
 
I guess you are right grizz- after reading some recent posts. I just wish that info was posted earlier. There were posts and photos of guys doing it, but no mention of the motor being at tdc (unless I missed it). Can anyone explain to me how to get it in time now?
 
Unfortunately you will have to release the pressure from the tensioner. Which means turning the screw in the center of it. If you can do that where it sits then it will be much easier. Otherwise you will be pulling the tensioner back out to reset it. And you know what that takes.

There are timing marks on the cam gears. The intake and exhaust gears are the same. But the intake uses a line and the exhaust uses arrows. with #3 at tdc the lines on the intake and the arrows on the exhaust all line up even with the head in a straight line.
 
Glad i didn,t replace the one on my brothers 06 Nytro,sounds complex.Cross my fingers and hope it holds.
 
jlparker77 said:
Unfortunately you will have to release the pressure from the tensioner. Which means turning the screw in the center of it. If you can do that where it sits then it will be much easier. Otherwise you will be pulling the tensioner back out to reset it. And you know what that takes.

There are timing marks on the cam gears. The intake and exhaust gears are the same. But the intake uses a line and the exhaust uses arrows. with #3 at tdc the lines on the intake and the arrows on the exhaust all line up even with the head in a straight line.
Click to expand...
Yeah i took the tensioner back out. I saw the lines, arrows and letters. Is there a mark on the crank gear that I need to line up also?- or when #3(brake side cylinder) is at tdc at any point- the crank is where it needs to be?
 
There is a crank timing mark that can be seen by removing the inspection plug on the lower right side of the motor.

camtiming.jpg
 
How would I know if I need to change this. The reason I ask is I am hearing a strange noise from the motor with little throttle applied. I don't hear it at idle. I remember reading about this and the Cam Tensioner is the first thing I thought of.

Are there any tell tale signs if this part is on the verge of breaking? I read that people were listening with a stethoscope for a ticking noise but the noise I hear can be heard quite well just standing by the running sled. If not then maybe my noise is another issue all together.

I have a 2005 RS Venture TF with 13500kms.

Please help!!!! Don't want to miss my big trip this weekend with a stripped down motor.
 
Can you tell which side of the sled it is coming from? If it is coming noticeably from the left side then it is the clutch/crank spline rattle which I guess is extremely common and doesn't hurt anything. Or so they say.

Mine makes a funny rattle from the left side at certain speeds and rpms and mainly with throttle on a bit. And I just replaced my cam chain tensioner, so I hope Mine is normal too.
 
The noise is heard on the right side of the engine just behind the brake rotor. It's normally heard better after the engine warms up and becomes even more noticeable when the engine RPM's are brought just above idle. Before I changed mine I could hear it without the scope. The scope just helped pinpoint the source of the noise. Now that it has been replaced the noise is gone. The strange thing is that the old tensioner shows no signs of way it made the noise. I think it's the self adjusting mechanism but it's hard to tell.
 
grizztracks said:
The noise is heard on the right side of the engine just behind the brake rotor. It's normally heard better after the engine warms up and becomes even more noticeable when the engine RPM's are brought just above idle. Before I changed mine I could hear it without the scope. The scope just helped pinpoint the source of the noise. Now that it has been replaced the noise is gone. The strange thing is that the old tensioner shows no signs of way it made the noise. I think it's the self adjusting mechanism but it's hard to tell.
Click to expand...

Griz...that sounds like the same sounds I'm hearing. I guess I will have to make a trip to my dealer to see if Yamaha will replace it free of charge. Obviously I have to warranty since it's a 2005 model. From what I have read sounds like more US dealers are replacing them free then Canadian but my dealer is pretty good...so fingers crossed....I will update with what there decision is.
 
Does anyone know what this costs to replace? Does the dealer have an apdated/improved one? Should we be asking for this for free, like it was a recall? Or do we get an aftermarket? I have mine torn apart right now, the head is getting ported and I am going to a thinner head gasket, resulting in higher compression. I definitely want to do this while it's apart.....cheap insurance. Also, has anyone been able to take their tensioner out without pulling the motor? I have my motor tilted forward as far as possible, while removing the back mount bolt, but I have no idea how to get to the bottom bolt of the tensioner.....help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, has anyone done anything other than a clutch kit and pipe on their 3 banger? I have an 07 Nytro and would really like to get some more out of it. I spoke with Ulmer Racing, which was very helpful. I was just wondering if anyone ever torn theirs down and done some serious work to it? Thanks
 
They would not replace my 05 tensioner so I did it myself ($130 in parts). It's not the easiest part to replace and I would not recommend attempting it unless you have the proper knowledge and tools. I was told that Yamaha would only replace 07's that are out of warranty but I would at least make an attempt to get it covered. If you need any additional information or help changing the tensioner feel free to contact me.

The tensioner was updated in 08. You don't need to pull the motor but you do need to unbolt the mounts and exhaust so it can roll forward far enough to clear the tunnel. It's still difficult to get at but it will come out.
 
Yea, it looks like a real pain to unbolt. I have my motor torn down already, with the head off. I'll give my dealer a call today, mine has always treated my right, so hopefully they will hook me up.

I'll also keep everyone informed on how my porting turns out and what kind of power gains I accomplish.
 
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