cam chains 2002

does any body have any problems with cam chains

 

No, but the 6th gen does need the Cam Chain Tensioners replaced normally between 18,000-30,000 miles.. Honda makes them kinda elcheapo and most riders replace them with an "ape brand" manual tensioners..

Do a search on " Cam Chain Tensioners"

 

Cam chain tensioners are not unique to the 6th Gen. Most bikes have them. They are typically a zero maintenance item and usually last the life of the engine. Honda, as well as other manufacturers, have been making them for a very, very long time.

 

Haven't heard of a cam chain actually failing but Honda's have had problems with cam chain adjusters especially on the older CBR600F's, have heard of the odd Gen 6's adjuster failing but it seems its no big deal if replaced promptly.

 

hi nailer can you tell me whe you got them from and do you have a model number 4 the tenisioner thanks .
brenton

 

You can buy the stock Honda tensioners which adjust automatically or you can get the aftermarket "APE brand" adjusters which you adjust manually..

The stock Honda can be found at www.ronayers.com .Give me a day and I will try to get some part numbers for you or you can look up the "ape brand" on the web..

What year is your VFR800 ?

 

Nailer, I just looked through my 6Gen service manual (both OEM and Haynes), and I can't find any mention of replacing the cam chain tensioners as a maintenance item.

Is your post based on any factual data, or are you just parroting something you heard elsewhere? I can't recall seeing any mention of A.P.E. cam chain tensioners on any of the members who list every change made to their 6Gen in their sig.

A look at the A.P.E. web site does not show a cam chain tensioner listing for 6Gen VFR. Is one of the listed units interchangeable?
Check out: www.aperaceparts.com


Rex

 

Honda cam chain tensioners have a tendacy to wear out between 15,000-30,000 miles..More than 1 member on the VFRD site has changed the tensioners as they were no loger operating properly and letting the cam chains have to much play .. The noise at Idle will sound lie a handfull of BB's in a tin can rattling around.

This is just not on a VFR it also happens on CBR/Gsxr/ZX/VTR/ any motorcycle that has cam chain tensioners... The VF750F I had went through 3 sets of tensioners before I installed Manual tensioners , That VF750F had 53,000 miles on it when it eventually died...

The tensioners just weak over time and need replaced.. It wont be listed as a maintenance item .

 

yes they exist and they suck!!!

 

Just check different VFR sites and you will find where the 6th gen does get the cam chain tensioners replaced .. Cam chain tensioners are made to wear out, just some last longer than others..

I am not saying the 6th gen is not a good machine, but the reason I will not buy 1 is cam chain tensioners and Vtec the 2 things I dont need to worry about... Thats why I bought the 5th gen / gear driven cams and no vtec woes..

 

Where exactly is this information coming from? I've owned many bikes my entire life, not all of which have had gear driven cams, and have never heard this claim. Yes, they can be a point of failure, as with any mechanical part of an engine, but I believe the life span specified here is over exaggerated.

I have seen that some of the early 6th Gen bikes did have tensioner problems, but they were pretty rare and certainly not a wide spread problem. If the tensioners wore out that quickly, I would have had to replace them many times over on my bikes through the years. In addition, I would expect that it would be called out in the service manual.

By the way, gear driven cams are great, but they too have had problems with engine related failures. The statement makes it sound like this is a normal life expectancy which is not accurate.

 

hi again mine is a 2002 i have been in contact with a p e and they do not have 1 4 my bike just wondering what model is yours and did u get it from a p e and what model did they use

 

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=30445
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=30445

here are a couple threads with some info..On the second thread it is mentioned that this is normal for the 6th gen

 

Isn't it about time that Honda admits that they made a big mistake deleting the gear cam drive out of the VFRs. All these cases of CCT trouble puts a black mark on Honda's engineering record.
It's also surprising that Honda still comes up with new models that suffer from CCT problems. There must be a flaw in their basic design for these. C'mon Honda, this noisy CCT problem has been around for decades. My brother's CX500 had it, and I think, even my Dad's CB750 K1 had it too! please fix it once and for all or give us back gear cam drives! Then maybe we'll stop whining about it!...............but our bikes will!

Beck
95 VFR - uhhh........what's CCT?

Quote from a VFRD member ..

 

Sounds like your dealing with Morons if their just now trying the CCT, that would be the Number 1 cause of the noise you described.
Tell them to give you a loner bike while they learn how to work on your bike as they obviously have no experience with a Vtec, but that's just my opinion! That is the chance you take every time you visit a Dealer or any shop for that matter, they don't know what the hell there doing, but have no problem charging you while they learn!
IMO, the CCT should have been the first and most obvious diagnosis to any knowledgeable Tech. If they didn't stock the CCT which they don't they should have ordered them and if parts are back ordered scheduled you to drop the bike back off after the parts arrived, but it really shouldn't take more than 3 days to get them in.
I did mine in 4 hrs and cost me $142 in parts.

Only 3 weeks for them to finally order the correct parts that should have been ordered day one!

Baileyrock member of VFRD ..

 

From a "vfr club" forum

Originally Posted by JOR
Hi to all,
I drive a 02 VFR vtec which has run up 15k. In the last few days I have noticed a rattle come from the engine at tick over when the bike is warmed up which disappears as soon as the trottle is opened up. The bikes performance has not been impaired in any way and the noise never appears when the bike is started up from cold.
Anybody out there ever experienced a similar problem?
from a very worried vtec owner!

UPDATE
#10 25-11-2004, 06:36 PM
JOR
Registered User Join Date: 18-10-04
Posts: 3

VTEC Engine rattle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heres an update for all you guys who responded to my question regarding an engine rattle. Honda eventually established that the rattle was caused by a faulty cam tensioner ( Buzz your diagnosis was spot on ) which was causing the cam chain to run too loose at tick over. They replaced the cam tensioner and they also replaced two cam chains as a precautionary measure. The only hassle was that one of the cam chains had to ordered from Japan which caused a bit of a delay. The bike is now running perfectly so once again thanks to all who took an interest.

 

I sent an email to APE and I was incorrect, they do not make a manual tensioner for the VTEC VFR..I found a site where 1 member used a tensioner for a CBR600 in his vtec vfr because he said the stock honda tensioners for the VFR and CBR were identical..I dont know about that ! I would cross reference part numbers and ask a Good Honda Tech man/woman if they were the same or not..

I will keep searching..

 

I looked the CBR and Vtec VFR up on microfiche and they look nothing alike.
2002 VFR CCT $69.38 each part#14520-MCW-003 at ronayers.com #6 on pic

 

I think you're making a generalization that cam chains are a problem on the 6th Gen as well as any other bike that has them, but that is absolutely false. It is a case-by-case basis. I too have seen some cases where the early 6th Gens had some issues, but that has been corrected. Here is an old 6th Gen cam chain thread and survey that discusses this very matter.

http://vfrworld.com/forums/polls/5019-gen-6-cam-problems-poll.html?highlight=chain+tensioner

You'll also notice, as I have seen in the past, that the gear driven cams are also prone to failure, but that doesn't mean that they suck. Don't get me wrong. My 2nd Gen has the gear driven cams and I love them, but cam chain tensioners are not nearly as reliable as you are making them out to be.

 

Quoted by: stewartj239
but cam chain tensioners are not nearly as reliable as you are making them out to be.
----------------------------------------------------------------.
You said that right.. I had found over 30 different post's about the CCT failures on 4 different web sites..I just posted a few of them. How many are not reported ?

It's not just the Vtec model as on "sportbike network" many threads of CBR/GSXR/ZX/ FZ replacing cam chain tensioners within 15,000-25,000miles .

I am glad to have my gear driven 99 VFR, it can whine all it wants to.LOL