Hydraulic cam chain tensioners

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Dalemac
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#16 Post by Dalemac » Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:34 am

Yeah, the cam chain tensioner asembl is simply nut, washer, tensioner.

You could do it at the same time as a valve clearance check - you have to lift the tank, remove the airbox etc. Obviously for a valve check you also need to remove the throttle bodies and rocker covers.

It might be easier if you did it with a valve clearance, as you would have a bit more room.

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#17 Post by Firestarter » Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:38 pm

Or, Griff would have more room :smt003
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#18 Post by mangocrazy » Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:16 pm

Firestarter wrote:Or, Griff would have more room :smt003
My thoughts were tending in that direction, as well... :smt003

How much would a pair of CC tensioners set one back? Are they very spendy?

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#19 Post by Dalemac » Tue Jul 22, 2014 9:52 am

mangocrazy wrote:
Firestarter wrote:Or, Griff would have more room :smt003
My thoughts were tending in that direction, as well... :smt003

How much would a pair of CC tensioners set one back? Are they very spendy?
The tensioners themselves are about £55 each.

http://www.apriliapartsbuyer.co.uk/part ... ioner-assy (part 9)

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#20 Post by Firestarter » Mon Feb 02, 2015 12:43 pm

Well, I've finally started doing this, and all I can say is, what a flippin' nightmare! Seems like an easy job, but access is just ridiculous. Have got three of the four coolant manifold pipes removed (bottom one still on), managed to get enough room to get an allen key into the tensioner cap - yay! However, the allen key is flexing too much (to the point of snapping), so need to purchase a ratchet-mounted one. 8mm, for anyone interested.

Exactly as Dale has stated, tank off, airbox off, throttle bodies off, batter away at the rubbish click-clamps on the manifold with a screwdriver while trying not to puncture the hoses. Looks like it'll be fun getting jubilee clips on there (def. need a flexi joint to tighten them up), but less agro than the original-spec clips. So just got to source some stainless ones

Bike is coming up to 25,000 miles - is it worth replacing the tensioner while I've got the cap off? No noises that I can hear, so assuming don't fix it if not broken?

Oh, and turned the head out of one of the bolts holding the airbox on to the TB's, so that was a drill & easy-out moment. Thankfully no damage, passed a tap through the hole and the thread seems clear, but just adds to the fun!
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#21 Post by Firestarter » Mon Feb 02, 2015 8:55 pm

Small victory - the tensioner cap is out. Still thought something was going to snap!

New plug needed, as the head is a bit mangled, think it just released before it turned out, thankfully. What a pissy job, not planning on doing this again!
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#22 Post by mangocrazy » Tue Feb 03, 2015 12:08 am

Yes, access is a nightmare, as you've discovered. I'd replace the washer on the CC tensioner with a new aluminium crush washer while you're there, as mine leaked after I undid it while doing the valve clearances last year. I'm currently in much the same situation as you; tank off, airbox off, throttle bodies off and hoses off.

I'm currently waiting for a set of silicone hoses that I'm having made up - I took off all the OE hoses and sent them off to JS Performance in Lincoln as a template for a new set. Once that's done folks should be able to order up a full set of silicone hoses in (ahem) tastefully garish colours...

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#23 Post by Dalemac » Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:58 am

yep, it's not a job you want to do often. I'd replace the tensioner bolt washers every time I losen that bolt. It's not worth the agro of having to strip it down again when you have an inevitable leak 1,2,3 6 or 12 months down the line.

Could be worse, could be checking the valves...:P

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#24 Post by Firestarter » Tue Feb 03, 2015 10:12 am

Dalemac wrote:yep, it's not a job you want to do often. I'd replace the tensioner bolt washers every time I losen that bolt. It's not worth the agro of having to strip it down again when you have an inevitable leak 1,2,3 6 or 12 months down the line.

Could be worse, could be checking the valves...:P
Yep, that's the point of this exercise, to resolve a leak from the washer.

Valve check & shim - I have a man who does that for me :smt003

Before I order a new one or start searching scrap yards, does anyone have a good-condition plug that is gathering dust that they'd be willing to part with for a few British pounds?
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#25 Post by mangocrazy » Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:14 pm

I've just changed the washer on the CCT plug on the rear head. The job was made about 1000% easier by entirely removing all the hoses in that vicinity (in fact I've taken off every coolant hose on the bike). When I came to re-torque the plug up, I trawled all through the Falco Workshop manual and couldn't find a torque value to use. I then looked in the V60 engine manual, and found a recommended value of 14.5 lb/ft for an M18 x 1.0 thread. This sounds very low to me, but that's what it said in the manual.

And if it was only torqued up to 14.5 lb/ft, why is it such a tw@t to remove? I think a call to Griff is in order for confirmation.

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#26 Post by Dalemac » Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:30 pm

mangocrazy wrote:I've just changed the washer on the CCT plug on the rear head. The job was made about 1000% easier by entirely removing all the hoses in that vicinity (in fact I've taken off every coolant hose on the bike). When I came to re-torque the plug up, I trawled all through the Falco Workshop manual and couldn't find a torque value to use. I then looked in the V60 engine manual, and found a recommended value of 14.5 lb/ft for an M18 x 1.0 thread. This sounds very low to me, but that's what it said in the manual.

And if it was only torqued up to 14.5 lb/ft, why is it such a tw@t to remove? I think a call to Griff is in order for confirmation.
Its in the v990 manual as the "Cylinder/chain tightener" - page 37 (as in the *actual* page number of the document, not their weird page numbering system).

Anyway, its down as 30nm, which would be about 22 ft/lb.

Why are they such a twat to remove? probably down to being in there for 10 years and a lot of expansion/contraction cycles?

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#27 Post by mangocrazy » Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:10 pm

Try as I could, I couldn't find the entry you referred to, Dale. The part I was referring to was also in the V990 engine manual, but page 6 - 28 - 00. The paragraph reads as follows:

Oil the chain tightener (15) and fit it in the cylinder with the closed end facing the chain tensioner shoe (16).

Install and tighten the M18x1 screw (10 and seal.

M8x1 screws tighteniing torque: 14.5 ft/lb (20Nm).


Now for starters there is a typo in the last line (should read M18x1, not M8x1), and it's at odds with the entry you found. Very confusing.

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#28 Post by Dalemac » Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:51 pm

It's definitely not an m8 plug screw - that's the same size as the swingarm adjuster bolts, albeit at a different pitch.

According to the manual i am looking at, they are m16, which is more believeable. In Aprilia stupid page number terms it is 2 - 18 - 00.

I'd always go with what the torque table says because it is more likely to be kept up to date.

Anyway, here it is :

Image

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#29 Post by Dalemac » Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:56 pm

The engine manual I am looking at doesn't have a 6 - 28 - 00. It doesn't even have a 6! :smt005 :smt005

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#30 Post by mangocrazy » Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:33 pm

And I've found the page you were referring to, but mine doesn't look like the one you posted up! But it does have the 'Cylinder/chain tightener' entry and it specifies a torque of 21.7 ft/lb or 30 Nm, as you said. That is a rather more believable value than 14.5 ft/lb or 20Nm.

The joys of Italian motorcycle ownership... :smt002

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