please help an internet unsavvy, I searched and tried to read/understand the posts concerning this, but still don't get it.
My bike seems to have a loud 'rattle' from the engine. Has just over 3000km on it. I am sure the noise is amplified because of the bash plate....I noticed my DR650 was much louder when I put one on. The noise is not really present at idle, or if revving it in neutral. As soon as there is a load on the engine (ie leaving a stop) you can hear the marbles shaking in a can type noise until around 6k rpm when the FMF sound masks it.
What is the procedure to manually click the automatic cam chain adjuster? Should the engine be warm? Do you loosen one of the smaller side bolts, and then the other? Do you touch the big center bolt?
I figure I should try this first to see if thats all it is. Being a new to me bike, I guess I am being extra cautious.

Thanks, glorp

 

Hi glorp,

Being just about as new as you, I don't have a whole lot of background, but I have been dealing with the same issue. If you look for my current thread titled "diving into cam chain issue", you will find lots of info on this subject. The search feature also found great results of numerous posts containing exactly the information that you are looking for. Search for "engine noise, engine clatter, cam chain noise, cam chain manual adjustment, cam chain". You should be good from there.

 

This problem should really be on a post it note, stuck to the homepage.

Theres two ways to manual adjust the cam chain tensioner.
Plan A:
1.) Locate the cam chain tensioner
2.) Remove the center bolt and spring
3.) Take a long, skinny, strong rod and place it inside where the spring came out of. (I useed a skinny philps screw driver before)
4.) Gently apply pressure forward till you hear 1x click noise. It may take a little effort
5.) Remove rod and reinstall spring & bolt.

Plan B:
1.) Locate the cam chain tensioner
2.) Loosen one of the two bolts that hold the tensioner on the engine
3.) On the second bolt, very slowly start to loosen it until you here 1x click from the tensioner. You don't have to go unscrew it very far.
4.) Tighten the bolts back in.

 

yes, I tried searching, less specifically and it would only display two posts, both of which I had read through. My work computer seems to be better

just a quick question, should the engine be warm or not or does it matter

 

To tell the truth, I really don't know. But I will say cold, at least this way you won't have a chance to burn your arm on the exhuast pipe.

 

LOL!...yeah, I would agree. When trying to use the "engine running" method with the manual tensioner that had the acorn nut, it was too hot at that spot to do any finite turning on the nut. The freakin' pipe was hotter than heck. The new adjuster bolt Mark is sending will have an allen head on the end, so the use of a ball-end allen wrench should make this a lot easier. I should have it back on next week for a test.

 

Are you sure the noise is the cam chain????
you might want to adjust your "final drive" chain first and see if the noise goes away.
Sometimes they slap on the swing arm and make a hell of a racket at low RPM.

 

Both apply tension to the cam chain, which really is not desirable since it will both wear the slider and cam chain prematurely. But if one has no other choice - at the moment - one does whatever may work.

I'm still dealing with the solution... now to hear from TNC when he gets the allen nut to try.

 

If it rattles when the bike isn't moving it certainly isn't the drive chain.

 

why not let the auto tensioner do it's thang? It will work