Topic: 550 camchin adjuster bent or damaged?

[DH]

Correcting my screw up of installing the cam chain tensioner wrong in a 550. I have the pan off, cam out, engine tilted,but have not removed the head. Both stud and bolt are removed from tensioner, but I can only get the tensioner about a third of the way out till it jams in the tunnel area of the head. Like tensioner is too wide for the hole. Could this be due to it being tweaked form incorrect installation previously? Other threads suggest this operation is possible. Any insight or trick to getting the tensioner clear of the engine? I'd love it if I didn't have to
pull the head back off and destroy the new Genuine Honda gaskets. thanks.

[flatlander]

afaik you do need to remove the head. have not heard of it being removed from underneath. how would that go, how would you get it out of the slots in the cylinder block that it sits in?

[DaveBarbier]

If both the retaining bolt and adjuster screw shaft are removed (can that be removed? I can't visualize it) I don't see anything that could prevent it from coming out. Usually the head must be lifted a bit to install or remove because of the adjuster screw hangs up on the head.

How recently were the new genuine gaskets installed? If they were just torqued down I think you can just remove the head without damaging anything.

Edit: is the '78 tensioner different than the earlier ones?

[bwaller]

If the head/cylinder are under torque and the adjuster stud forced out of it's hole in the cylinder, the adjuster would likely be bent in the process. As Dave mentioned it is necessary to raise the cylinder 1/2" or so to safely remove or install the adjuster.

[flatlander]

ah right, i thought about the cam chain guide, sorry. with the tensioner indeed, you'd need to get the adjuster bolt out of its hole, towards the inside. that would probably result in damage.

[DH]

Long story short, I pulled the thing out the top with only the cam and cover removed with the engine tilted in the frame toward the left. I had the oil pan off to check if it was indeed installed out of the slot, it was. The adjuster stud came back far enough to clear the cyls. The thing I had trouble with is pulling the thing up thru the tunnel area in the head. You have to center the assy in the tunnel, and wiggle/walk it upward and out, (it's a squeeze) and that's only possible if the engine is tilted, due to space limits of engine/frame. One more question, since I was able to get clearance for the adjuster stud to exit the cylinder, does that mean the chain adjuster itself is bent?


EDIT  just re read earlier posts, tensioner likely bent. Ready to shoot this thing

[DaveBarbier]

When I was rebuilding my 550 I remember looking for the tensioner and found that they were very hard to find...and used ones on eBay were pretty expensive. Maybe David Silver Spares has them now.

[DH]

When I was rebuilding my 550 I remember looking for the tensioner and found that they were very hard to find...and used ones on eBay were pretty expensive. Maybe David Silver Spares has them now.

That is very true, they are expensive. i will go the cheap route used for sure. The one I am using now, I got from member tews. It still works as it should, but I don''t yet know if it's too bent to try and straighten. Or is that an
option even? I'll know once I get the head off, and seat the base of it properly. Here's what I did to get into
this situation...Last time I installed it (incorrectly)the top of the tensioner was about an inch too far toward the front of the engine,(clue number 1) so I pulled it rearwards to where it bolts to the head in order to start the bolt. When I did this, it felt like the tensioner was sort of pre loading the chain,
which I mistakenly thought was normal. The tensioner base wasn't in its proper slot, Which I didn't know about and clymers doesn't mention. went ahead and tightened mount bolt and adjuster stud, seemed tight, but not solid, and as if it was under stress. did a forum search and found out about tensioner installation gone wrong.

 For those who care, the following is what I learned about cam chain tensioner on a cb 550....MAKE SURE the base of the tensioner is in its proper slot, and follow the installation steps for the procedure using the FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL as has been suggested earlier in this thread. CLYMERS is a joke.
With tensioner installed correctly in its proper place, there will be no issues bolting it up and lining up of the adjuster stud, period. ANY fitment/doubt issues must be investigated, and verified after they are corrected. If you don't do this, its gonna be a big headache, trust me..   This old news to a lot of folks, but I thought it'd be good to pass along anyhow.

[RAFster122s]

As has been mentioned, you should be able to pull the head and retorque it without leaks if it was just installed but not ran.