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Cam tensioner wear


CaptainKcorb

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As the mileage creeps up (315K Kms) I find new things to worry about on my 2000 R11RT and thought I'd get an opinion on the cam chain tensioner (the big black slider, not the little plunger).

 

I was checking the valves recently and noticed that the cam chain is sitting pretty deep in this slider. I don't know what is normal but the edge of the chain is sitting almost 1/8" below the sides of the slider at the point near the cam where the bend in the chain is the sharpest.

 

It's not making noise or anything untoward but now I'm curious if this is reaching the end of it's life and what the options might be (replace without a teardown, let it go 'till it fails, is a failure catastrophic, etc.) ?

 

Any guidance will be appreciated. I've tried to get a clear photo but it's well down in the tunnel and haven't been able to get one that's useful.

 

Thanks much.

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As the mileage creeps up (315K Kms) I find new things to worry about on my 2000 R11RT and thought I'd get an opinion on the cam chain tensioner (the big black slider, not the little plunger).

 

I was checking the valves recently and noticed that the cam chain is sitting pretty deep in this slider. I don't know what is normal but the edge of the chain is sitting almost 1/8" below the sides of the slider at the point near the cam where the bend in the chain is the sharpest.

 

It's not making noise or anything untoward but now I'm curious if this is reaching the end of it's life and what the options might be (replace without a teardown, let it go 'till it fails, is a failure catastrophic, etc.) ?

 

Any guidance will be appreciated. I've tried to get a clear photo but it's well down in the tunnel and haven't been able to get one that's useful.

 

Thanks much.

 

Afternoon CaptainKcorb

 

It might not be as bad as it seems as those chain guides are channel shaped so the chain does look like it is running below the top edge.

 

uUzPWXV.jpg

 

Edited by dirtrider
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Thanks for the quick response DirtRider, and also for the photos of the guides. I was glad to not hear 'Holy Hannah, you better get them puppies out of there ASAP'

 

The oil has been clear of debris so I guess I'll take comfort from your comment, check my valves a little more regularly, and keep an eye out for any signs of wear through on the backs of the guides.

 

The bike has been so good I'm hard pressed to think what could replace it but I'm likely coming up on another input shaft (almost double the mileage from the first replacement) and I expect things like drive shafts don't run forever either. There must be quite a few high mileage RTs out there and it would be good to know if there are any other long term items that should be watched.

 

Thanks again and all the best,

 

Brock

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Thanks for the quick response DirtRider, and also for the photos of the guides. I was glad to not hear 'Holy Hannah, you better get them puppies out of there ASAP'

 

The oil has been clear of debris so I guess I'll take comfort from your comment, check my valves a little more regularly, and keep an eye out for any signs of wear through on the backs of the guides.

 

The bike has been so good I'm hard pressed to think what could replace it but I'm likely coming up on another input shaft (almost double the mileage from the first replacement) and I expect things like drive shafts don't run forever either. There must be quite a few high mileage RTs out there and it would be good to know if there are any other long term items that should be watched.

 

Afternoon CaptainKcorb

 

At 315K Kms I don't think I would put any major work or money into that engine. Good used BMW boxer engines are not difficult to come by & probably less expensive than putting major parts & labor into your existing engine.

 

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Thanks for the quick response DirtRider, and also for the photos of the guides. I was glad to not hear 'Holy Hannah, you better get them puppies out of there ASAP'

 

The oil has been clear of debris so I guess I'll take comfort from your comment, check my valves a little more regularly, and keep an eye out for any signs of wear through on the backs of the guides.

 

The bike has been so good I'm hard pressed to think what could replace it but I'm likely coming up on another input shaft (almost double the mileage from the first replacement) and I expect things like drive shafts don't run forever either. There must be quite a few high mileage RTs out there and it would be good to know if there are any other long term items that should be watched.

 

Thanks again and all the best,

 

Brock

My old 99Rt has the same mileage as yours. I sold it to a friend 6 years back. Other than the the HE sensor I replaced at 100k km and the rear bearing in the tranny that was replaced due to my high speed running, the bike hasn't needed anything other than replacing the consumables and fixing things like the heated grips etc. Still has the original clutch, rear drive, speedo cable etc. Valves haven't moved since 40 k km . I think it all comes down to the maintenace or lack thereof.

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