Post by Admin on Dec 29, 2016 17:15:20 GMT -6
Ok here is my take on the issues with the cam chain on the Vulcan second gen engines. this may also pertain to the 1st gen as well.
The problem really isn't as much with the cam chains stretching, its more the guides. You have a front and a rear guide on each chain, the front guide is stationary as where the rear guide pivots and is pushed against the chain by the adjuster. over time the guides wear ( front and rear ), from the chain rubbing on them, also the rear guide gets bad wear from the adjuster. The point where the adjuster contacts the guide, mushrooms from the pressure of the adjuster. It is more prevalent with the stock ends on the adjuster because it is smaller than the replacement extender ( chucksterscustoms.com ) You can use the extensions with new chains, guides without any issues and I would always do that. The other issue is with the adjusters , is that they are almost out of adjustment from the start. The other thing that creates a tremendous amount of pressure on the guide and chain is ! when you shut the ole girl down, sometimes depending where the stops, it will kick back a little. every time it does this, the chain will or may get a little slack on the back side ( tensioner side ), in turn the tensioner will try and take up the slack. After a while the chains get banjo string tight and excessive wear on guides and chain in inevitable. it does not take much mushrooming of the rear guide to eat up some clicks on the adjuster. I have checked the adjustment after running a few thousand miles, remove and reset it only to have several less clicks in adjustment to right. So here is what I do, and by no means do I think its for everyone to do but it works, and not a big deal to do.
FWIW, I do have pics of the guides new and wore out ones somewhere, will have to dig to find those.
Any way here is what you do to install the extenders and reset the adjusters ( got pics of this too somewhere ) lol.
remove the cap on the adjuster before removing complete unit from the engine. 12mm wrench for this. it will be tight but there is an oring to seal it to the adjuster. After removing cap you will have a small spring that fits down the center of the adjuster plunger, remove that, then you will have an inner cup that slides over the plunger with a bearing and a larger spring under it. It may or may not pop out when you remove outer cap. now remove the complete adjuster by removing the two allen head bolts. there is a gasket between adjuster and cylinder. you will have to turn the adjust a little to get it to clear the hole to remove. note how far out the adjuster is. I bet its out a bunch. push the adjuster plunger all the in ( full out ), put adjuster in a vice or hold it somehow by the body. you will cut through the side of the little whimpy washer looking deal on the end. this is what pushes on the guide to tighten chain. just cut through enough to not cut into plunger. you will then be able to grab it with plyers or vice grips and remove. this is where you will put the extender ya get from Joe ( chucksters ), did I mention Joe is one hell of guy and machinist!!! lol.
clean the end well, use red locktite install extender. let it set up a while. I like to but pressure on the extender to the plunger because of the tight fit and the lock compound it will want to push its self back off a little, so I just put it in the vice for a little while.
Ok now onto the resetting. to retract the plunger, you will see on the end where the plunger exits housing on extender end a spring loaded ratchet . this ratchet gets the plunger from retracting back into the housing keeping the adjustment. pull it away from the grooved portion of the plunger, push the plunger all the way back into the housing, you will see a small bolt in the side of the housing, loosen this bolt enough to where it isn't protruding into housing. Now install large spring, then bearing onto plunger. while holding the adjuster on the bench with extender down on bench you will push the bearing against the spring down into the body of the adjuster all the way to the bottom, while holding it down, turn in the bolt. This when down correctly will protrude in and bearing will be under it thus bolt holding the bearing and spring down. Install adjuster back into the engine, tighten the two allen bolts. Now install the cup with the hole cup side first, then small spring into the plunger, then replace the cap. When replacing the cap, you will be against the spring and push it up to the threads, the adjuster will extend, screw the cap on, snug it up. Now loosen the small bolt on the side until you hear it snap. This is the bearing setting its self into the cap. your done. All this bearing and cap is for is to provide support for the plunger on that end. Ok here is my solution for the banjo tight chains!!! instead of installing the small spring, I leave it out, set the adjuster by hand, push plunger in until its firm against the guide, does not take a lot of pressure. its best to remove the left engine side cover so you can ghet to the center plug on the stator cover so you can turn engine over. remove one spark plug from each cyl. get a ratchet and 17mm deep well socket, turn the engine over counter clockwise while keeping a little pressure on the plunger with your finger, you may get one more click on the adjuster. leave spring out, replace cap. Here is the other option, Do the install as described first with the small spring in, start her up to let the adjuster set, then remove cap, remove small spring, bearing cup, loosen the small bolt on the side, compress the bearing and spring as you previously did, secure bolt , replace inner cup, replace cap, loosen bolt, hear it snap, tighten bolt, your done. These chains do not need to be banjo string tight, just don't want any slap or slop in them. I can set the adjusters this way and never tough them again for 5k easy. If for some reason you hear chain noise, repeat, by removing cap and give the plunger one click, reset bearing replace cap
The problem really isn't as much with the cam chains stretching, its more the guides. You have a front and a rear guide on each chain, the front guide is stationary as where the rear guide pivots and is pushed against the chain by the adjuster. over time the guides wear ( front and rear ), from the chain rubbing on them, also the rear guide gets bad wear from the adjuster. The point where the adjuster contacts the guide, mushrooms from the pressure of the adjuster. It is more prevalent with the stock ends on the adjuster because it is smaller than the replacement extender ( chucksterscustoms.com ) You can use the extensions with new chains, guides without any issues and I would always do that. The other issue is with the adjusters , is that they are almost out of adjustment from the start. The other thing that creates a tremendous amount of pressure on the guide and chain is ! when you shut the ole girl down, sometimes depending where the stops, it will kick back a little. every time it does this, the chain will or may get a little slack on the back side ( tensioner side ), in turn the tensioner will try and take up the slack. After a while the chains get banjo string tight and excessive wear on guides and chain in inevitable. it does not take much mushrooming of the rear guide to eat up some clicks on the adjuster. I have checked the adjustment after running a few thousand miles, remove and reset it only to have several less clicks in adjustment to right. So here is what I do, and by no means do I think its for everyone to do but it works, and not a big deal to do.
FWIW, I do have pics of the guides new and wore out ones somewhere, will have to dig to find those.
Any way here is what you do to install the extenders and reset the adjusters ( got pics of this too somewhere ) lol.
remove the cap on the adjuster before removing complete unit from the engine. 12mm wrench for this. it will be tight but there is an oring to seal it to the adjuster. After removing cap you will have a small spring that fits down the center of the adjuster plunger, remove that, then you will have an inner cup that slides over the plunger with a bearing and a larger spring under it. It may or may not pop out when you remove outer cap. now remove the complete adjuster by removing the two allen head bolts. there is a gasket between adjuster and cylinder. you will have to turn the adjust a little to get it to clear the hole to remove. note how far out the adjuster is. I bet its out a bunch. push the adjuster plunger all the in ( full out ), put adjuster in a vice or hold it somehow by the body. you will cut through the side of the little whimpy washer looking deal on the end. this is what pushes on the guide to tighten chain. just cut through enough to not cut into plunger. you will then be able to grab it with plyers or vice grips and remove. this is where you will put the extender ya get from Joe ( chucksters ), did I mention Joe is one hell of guy and machinist!!! lol.
clean the end well, use red locktite install extender. let it set up a while. I like to but pressure on the extender to the plunger because of the tight fit and the lock compound it will want to push its self back off a little, so I just put it in the vice for a little while.
Ok now onto the resetting. to retract the plunger, you will see on the end where the plunger exits housing on extender end a spring loaded ratchet . this ratchet gets the plunger from retracting back into the housing keeping the adjustment. pull it away from the grooved portion of the plunger, push the plunger all the way back into the housing, you will see a small bolt in the side of the housing, loosen this bolt enough to where it isn't protruding into housing. Now install large spring, then bearing onto plunger. while holding the adjuster on the bench with extender down on bench you will push the bearing against the spring down into the body of the adjuster all the way to the bottom, while holding it down, turn in the bolt. This when down correctly will protrude in and bearing will be under it thus bolt holding the bearing and spring down. Install adjuster back into the engine, tighten the two allen bolts. Now install the cup with the hole cup side first, then small spring into the plunger, then replace the cap. When replacing the cap, you will be against the spring and push it up to the threads, the adjuster will extend, screw the cap on, snug it up. Now loosen the small bolt on the side until you hear it snap. This is the bearing setting its self into the cap. your done. All this bearing and cap is for is to provide support for the plunger on that end. Ok here is my solution for the banjo tight chains!!! instead of installing the small spring, I leave it out, set the adjuster by hand, push plunger in until its firm against the guide, does not take a lot of pressure. its best to remove the left engine side cover so you can ghet to the center plug on the stator cover so you can turn engine over. remove one spark plug from each cyl. get a ratchet and 17mm deep well socket, turn the engine over counter clockwise while keeping a little pressure on the plunger with your finger, you may get one more click on the adjuster. leave spring out, replace cap. Here is the other option, Do the install as described first with the small spring in, start her up to let the adjuster set, then remove cap, remove small spring, bearing cup, loosen the small bolt on the side, compress the bearing and spring as you previously did, secure bolt , replace inner cup, replace cap, loosen bolt, hear it snap, tighten bolt, your done. These chains do not need to be banjo string tight, just don't want any slap or slop in them. I can set the adjusters this way and never tough them again for 5k easy. If for some reason you hear chain noise, repeat, by removing cap and give the plunger one click, reset bearing replace cap