Valve Clearance, Manual Cam Chain Tensioner Adjuster Install, and Cam Chain, Tensioner, and Guides Inspection.

[Kiwi Rider]

Hell yes. Thank you, now I do understand how that tension works and it make perfect sense. I figured it had something to do with the pressure from the lobes hitting the buckets! Brilliant Kiwi!!

It did stop turning and I figured that timing is now off, hopefully I didn't crank on it too hard cause for about fifteen minutes I couldn't figure out why it stopped. I don't think I put more then 20 nM on the crank? Atm I'm removing the cams. Then I'm going to figure out how to see if I damaged the valves. Thank you again for your guidance!!

It’s funny, coz last night I just went thru the whole procedure of timing cams and mine also has a APE manual tensioner!
The secret to successfully timing the cams is to cable tie the chain to the cam sprockets BEFORE torquing down the cam journals... in doing this it’s impossible for the chain to jump teeth on the sprockets.
Once you have it timed, journals torqued, then wind in the tensioner and you can see the slack in the chain BETWEEN the sprockets disappear and go taught.
I’m so glad you understood what I was saying, that made my day!

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Hell yes. Thank you, now I do understand how that tension works and it make perfect sense. I figured it had something to do with the pressure from the lobes hitting the buckets! Brilliant Kiwi!!

It did stop turning and I figured that timing is now off, hopefully I didn't crank on it too hard cause for about fifteen minutes I couldn't figure out why it stopped. I don't think I put more then 20 nM on the crank? Atm I'm removing the cams. Then I'm going to figure out how to see if I damaged the valves. Thank you again for your guidance!!

Re the possibility of damaging or bending valves... I doubt any damage is done, providing you were rotating the crankshaft slowly and didn’t press hard when you felt the crank stop turning.
Also the chain slack can bunch up down at the crank sprocket and prevent the crank from turning.
Just re time it, tension the chain, and crank it by hand slowly, if it rotates a full 2 rotations with no issues, then you can crank it with the starter ( remove the fuel pump fuse and disconnect the coil connector plugs) and check all 4 cyl s compression with a compression tester.
Let us know how ya go with it k.

 

[Mythos]

A good scout is what?... Always prepared! Thus the parts at the ready and speculation for contingencies.

Hey, I'm not one to shy away from doing preventative maintenance. There's always something new to learn even if a part isn't completely used up. In this case, putting the chain back on the camshaft sprockets is scary enough for me. I wouldn't change the chain unless necessary. Is it even possible to get the chain off the crankshaft sprocket with the crankshaft in? Could be a lot of work.

Good news is that indeed as many of you predicted the chain and guides seems fine. Although that still begs the question as to why the old tensioner adjuster was all the out and the sound.

I'm not familiar with how the Hayabusa tensioner advances but I know the ZX-14 tensioner. The 14's tensioner has a pusher rod with internal spring tension which holds the pusher against the chain. That is how tension is maintained. The pusher can advance outward when the chain gets loose enough but it locks every few millimeters of advancement (like a ratchet mechanism) so it cant go back IN and loose chain tension. SO when you take the mounting bolts out of the tensioner body and pull the tensioner out, it's the same as having the chain go 100% loose. You are allowing the pusher to advance out to it's full length to compensate for the reduction in tension. It was not the chain that allowed this, it was you removing the tensioner. If the busa tensioner works on the same principle, that is probably why your tensioner pusher is locked sticking out all the way.

To install the ZX-14 tensioner, you must unlock the pusher ratchet and press the pusher 100% IN. Then the pusher will lock at that position. Install the tensioner, stick a long screwdriver or dowel in through the cam chain tunnel against the inside of the chain and give it a whack with a hammer. The blow releases the lock and the pusher springs back out to produce chain tension. Run motor and if the chain is not tensioned enough, the pusher will advance a notch automatically to produce additional tension.

I could show pics and diagrams if you like but I have no idea if what I'm explaining pertains to the busa tensioner.

What you might want to do is install the APE with the camshafts and timing chain in and before putting the valve cover back on. Adjust the APE by hand as described in the instructions. Obviously you can't start the engine without the valve cover on but you can observe how far the threaded pusher in the APE is advanced while it is at the hand adjusted position. Whatever that hand adjusted position is, the engine running final adjustment will not be more than a half turn or so. I'll bet the APE hand adjustment will have a lot of threads sticking out from the body. Remove the APE and compare to your OEM tensioner and I'll bet the hand adjusted pusher will be a lot shorter than the pusher on the OEM tensioner. As I said before, that automatic adjustment you currently see on the OEM tensioner is probably due to you removing the tensioner, not a loose chain.

 

[Mythos]

yeah, I don't see what's wrong with buying this part used? It's a very simple device as I understand it. That isn't damaged thread that's steel reinforced epoxy.

As long as the threads are good, I can't see a problem with using a used manual tensioner. If the JB Weld lets go when you wrench it, you will just have to grab the tip with a vice grips and loosen the locknut. Make sure the O-rings a/o gasket are good so you don't get an oil leak. Mine weeps a tiny bit but all I need to do is wipe the spot of grease off once a year.

If you got your motor out of time with your cams, that's one pants crapping situation you're in. I was extremely trepidatious about starting my motor even after taking great pains to keep timing. If you're off by one tooth, you will do major engine damage as soon as you start it. I heard about removing the spark plugs and dropping a stick down each hole to determine the piston position. I suppose you also use the markings on the crankshaft sprocket to determine TDC. Then you must position the cams accordingly. Good luck bro. Ask many questions, get lots of help. This is outside my knowledge. I'm sure it can be done by anyone if he gets expert advice but you will have to be extremely precise and absolutely positive you have TDC of this stroke or that stroke and that you know exactly where the cams should be (not almost be). No guesswork on this one.

 

[The Magic School Bus]

Update: Got the cams put back in. Looks like I got the timing right on the first try which was surprisingly easy . Manual tensioner adjuster installed and adjusted. Everything inside the head is torqued down now and I'm now measuring clearances.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Is it even possible to get the chain off the crankshaft sprocket with the crankshaft in? Could be a lot of work.

Yes it is possible . . I replaced the camchain on my Gen 1 Busa recently, it was a bit tricky BUT a lot less work than engine removal!

 

[The Magic School Bus]

Valve clearance inspection completed. Here's a pic of my notes. I'm only planning on replacing this single shim out of spec on the exhaust side, cylinder 1. Also, if anyone cares to weigh in on the valve chain I've included a pic of the chain slack after rotating the crank enough to release the tension just past the cam lobe and a pic of the manual tensioner adjuster showing the amount of adjustment.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Valve clearance inspection completed. Here's a pic of my notes. I'm only planning on replacing this single shim out of spec on the exhaust side, cylinder 1. Also, if anyone cares to weigh in on the valve chain I've included a pic of the chain slack after rotating the crank enough to release the tension just past the cam lobe and a pic of the manual tensioner adjuster showing the amount of adjustment.

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Lookin good buddy, the tensioner looks about the same adjustment as mine is... your clearances are ok too, I set mine to be on the loose end of the spec range, close to 12 thou exhaust and 8 thou inlet.
Nice job, you can tick that one off and a success!

 

[The Magic School Bus]

Here's a look inside the head, the only thing that seems unusual to me is the few random little scatches but I'm guessing this has something to do with routing the holes that are cut into it at the factory.

 

[Mythos]

the only thing that seems unusual to me is the few random little scatches

If you're talking about the journals, I wouldn't worry a lot about it. It might have been a one time event. The scratching on the camshaft towers of my ZX-14 were a lot worse. The engine is still running strong.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Wow . . . man, I thought I posted a lot of pics, not so much, your pics are great, lovin' the detail!
As Mythos said, don't worry about the scratching, I've seen way worse and still on service.
Oh, and by the way, take care with those dowel pins for the cam journals, easy to lose one if it drops out of the cap side of the journal, also take care to srew the bolts for the journals down very evenly, criss cross pattern.
Looks like you know what to do anyway.

 

[202mphbusa]

FWIW. I put a degree wheel and dial indicator on crank and cams every time I put one back together. Adjustable sprockets or not. Just want to make sure I am not a tooth off

 

[The Magic School Bus]

FWIW. I put a degree wheel and dial indicator on crank and cams every time I put one back together. Adjustable sprockets or not. Just want to make sure I am not a tooth off

Can you please explain that? Idk what those are, I mean I'm picturing the tools as their names suggest but idk how they are used and how do they indicate correct timing?

 

[Kiwi Rider]

FWIW. I put a degree wheel and dial indicator on crank and cams every time I put one back together. Adjustable sprockets or not. Just want to make sure I am not a tooth off

Degree wheel on the cams??
How?

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Can you please explain that? Idk what those are, I mean I'm picturing the tools as their names suggest but idk how they are used and how do they indicate correct timing?

Fits on the crank shaft and you use a Dial indicator. (DTI) gauge thru the spark plug hole and ON THE PISTON CROWN to find TDC, then, with a pointer on a fixed location you can point out TDC on the wheel.

 

[202mphbusa]

Okay degree wheel does not go on the cams
I was typing on my Phone,
Degree wheel on Crank
and I have used a positive stop or dial indiactor on a piston to find TDC
Dial indicator on the Bucket to degree

 

[202mphbusa]

 

[Berlin Germany]

@601motofun

sorry but 1 or 2 of your shown clearances at your gen2 (?) i would say are too small or very close to the lowest value
here a small table based on the values in the manual

gen1 :
IN	0,10 mm​	-​	0,20 mm​
	0,00390 in​	-​	0,00790 in​
EX	0,20 mm​	-​	0,30 mm​
	0,00787 in​	-​	0,01180 in​
gen2 :
IN	0,08 mm​	-​	0,18 mm​
	0,00310 in​	-​	0,00710 in​
EX	0,18 mm​	-​	0,28 mm​
	0,00709 in​	-​	0,01100 in​

in principle : the smaller the clearance the bigger the danger of "off burning" valves is !
my recom. would be to go to upper mearssure

and for calculating in excel here the sheet to download
a. valve clearances gen1 - calc sheet "over all"
b. conversion sheet mm to in

a. makes 100% sure not to miscalculate - that´s why i built it for me and my garage´s computer

and if you take the cams out for 2 valve shims bring all clearances to upper value

 

[The Magic School Bus]

@601motofun

sorry but 1 or 2 of your shown clearances at your gen2 (?) i would say are too small or very close to the lowest value
here a small table based on the values in the manual

gen1 :
IN	0,10 mm​	-​	0,20 mm​
	0,00390 in​	-​	0,00790 in​
EX	0,20 mm​	-​	0,30 mm​
	0,00787 in​	-​	0,01180 in​
gen2 :
IN	0,08 mm​	-​	0,18 mm​
	0,00310 in​	-​	0,00710 in​
EX	0,18 mm​	-​	0,28 mm​
	0,00709 in​	-​	0,01100 in​

in principle : the smaller the clearance the bigger the danger of "off burning" valves is !
my recom. would be to go to upper mearssure

and for calculating in excel here the sheet to download
a. valve clearances gen1 - calc sheet "over all"
b. conversion sheet mm to in

a. makes 100% sure not to miscalculate - that´s why i built it for me and my garage´s computer

and if you take the cams out for 2 valve shims bring all clearances to upper value

Wow, what a useful tool! Thank you so much Berlin! I'm a GEN 1 by the way, 0.2-0.3mm [EX] & 0.1-0.2[IN] according to service manual. Here is the adjustments I made.

 

[Berlin Germany]

@The Magic School Bus

man?

i never would leave these too small shims in the head
cyl.1.1 ex 23/100? damn thats under the middle - best choice was a 265 shim or better a 263 shim
YES these weird meassures like 263 or 262 or 267 a.s.o. exist really - you only have to look for them at the dealer
the shims usually have tolerances of 1-2/100 mm - hundrets so found.

but at 1st, if you don´t have ony yet.
go and get a tool like this one

or easier to read the numbers, this one

only trusting the writing on the shim i never would do!

both have ratchets in their grip.

and,
very best results i got allways when "movin" the clearance up to maximum.
otherwise you´ll do the entire work after only 10000 km again