Whilst dropping the oil and checking the sump a found a small pile of chewed up rubber ... Apart from that the oil was clean and not a hint of any metal. Any ideas of where I should be looking for the culprit ???
so you are thinking thats its just a bit off the end of the timing chain tensioner ??? You thinking its worth digging and replacing it if I am not getting any undue noise from the timing chain ???
Just way too big a chunk to ignore. More chunks will follow. Other chunks could be floating around in the chain case. Plan to pull the timing cover this winter, inspect the chain and gears, replace the tensioner rail/s and perhaps the spring. Don't wait for nasty noises. That would likely mean much more cost than fixing this obvious flaw BEFORE any nasty noises get started.
I found similar chunks in the GS. Was the guide rail for the camchain, the one opposite the tensioner. In itself not all that critical, that is if the pieces had stayed in the sump. Because it is a GS, looks like the PO dropped it on the left hand side. Some of the little pieces got in between the piston/cylinder. Wanna see the damages?:huh
It's probably either the tensioner or the guide rail, and suggests some mileage. The guide rail keep the chain quiet once it wears-- on the earlier duplex chain engines, the worn chain would announce itself by rattling against the timing chain cover and create noise and aluminium shavings. It isn't going to get better. No big hurry, but don't forget about it...
PS - He's in Western Australia ... It's getting to be spring for him ;-) Take the timing chain cover off NOW.
The bike has done 65 000 km's ... so I guess its getting about time for a new timing chain . I just didn't want to " upset " my good work of the Enduralast system that I put in last year . Oh well ... Timing Chain Kit is the shopping cart as we speak.
I have always thought that the duplex chain is inherently better than the single row chain. After all it's twice as much chain. But the single row chains seem to be an improvement. I don't know why. Could be the tensioner system is better? I would still do yours because of this symptom you have developed. But 65,000 KM seems an early failure.
The pick up screen was in place when I removed it . What I am dreading is that when I installed the Enduralast Alt ... I had the local mechanic around the corner torque the bolt because I didn't have a spanner at the time . As he was putting it in ... he added lock tight ... so I think I might be in for a challenge when trying to remove it
Unless he used permanent locktite (red) shouldn't be a problem. Apply a bit of heat if you want it to release easily.
By memory I think he used the red permanent locktite ... he put it on whilst I was on the phone . Might try and use a soldering iron first ... if that doesn't work I think I am off to buy a propane torch
65K-km (40K-miles) it wouldn't be a bad idea to check and replace the timing chain, etc. Remember to check and possibly replace the crankshaft sprocket, too. The rubber bits collected there because of the oil flow towards the screen. Not good practice. You'll need to heat the part to 300-400 deg F to loosen the Loctite. Soldering Iron won't work. Try and break the bolt loose first, then try heat. DON'T snap the bolt or round it off-- it'll be hell to pay to repair it. The taper-fit rotor needs to go on the taper oil free, even fingerprint free, inside and out. No exception. How is the enduralast rotor removed? Same "removal bolt tool" as the stock rotor?
