Timing Belt adjustment

imported post

If my cam belt tensioners need replacing, is it ok to find a decent set of used ones, or do i have to buy new?

imported post

mag wrote:

If my cam belt tensioners need replacing, is it ok to find a decent set of used ones, or do i have to buy new?

Click to expand...

Kinda depends on your courage. I'd want to go with new, but they run around $80 a pop. Does anyone know what the difference between the tensioners on the various models? The 1200 and 1500 use the same ones but I don't have any info on earlier models. Pretty likely they are all the same. I have a pair from my 1500, I just changed them because they had 90,000 miles on them but they didn't seem any looser than the new ones I put in, sounded the same when spun too. If someone wants to take a chance or needs them but doesn't have the cash handy, you are welcome to these for the cost of mailing.

imported post

exavid wrote:

You got it right mag, except the tensioners (adjusters) aren't quite spring loaded since both ends of the mounting brackets of the tensioners and bolted down. I'm not all that sure what the purpose of the springs are since by themselves they don't provide the tension called for in the Honda or Clymer manual. If you just let the tensioners set the belt tension by themselves at least on my 1200 and my 1500 the belts end up a bit too loose.

Click to expand...

Exavid, if you loosen the holding bolts the pulleys will travel freely up and down (pivoting at one end) and have spring tension on them. The manual says proper tension is accomplished using just the spring, no further effort is required and if you do pry on the tensioner you will end up with worn pulleys/belts (maybe even broken) and tensioners. :waving:

imported post

Harrystoy wrote:

Exavid, if you loosen the holding bolts the pulleys will travel freely up and down (pivoting at one end) and have spring tension on them. The manual says proper tension is accomplished using just the spring, no further effort is required and if you do pry on the tensioner you will end up with worn pulleys/belts (maybe even broken) and tensioners. :waving:

Click to expand...

On my 1200 and my 1500 when I allowed the springs to set the tension it left the belts too loose. To get anywhere near the slack called for in the manual it was necessary to increase the tension on the belts by tightening the bolts slightly and gently prying up (and down) the tensioners. I've since had an opportunity to recheck the tension on my 1500's belts and it's just about the 1/4" slack with 4.4lbs pressure.

imported post

Ok, i totally figured out what was wrong with my bike. First of all, big thanks to Exavid for the used cam pulleys...Very simple error by the previous owner(s). They put the left side tensioner pulley on with the washer on the wrong side of the fastening bolts, IE, not on the spring loaded side with the adjustment groove. So, too much play on that side, hence the tensioner pulley's bearings were shot. The right side were worn but not to the same degree.Now i've put on good pulleys, new belts, and rotated the engine 360º by hand and it lines up PERFECTLY! This bike is almost 100% back to stock.

imported post

Between my shop manual and your posts ontiming belts I was able to change the belts with ease.

Thank You.

But I have some conflicting information. My manual discusses slightly rotating each cam in the opposite direction to allow slack in the belts where the spring adjusters take up the extra slack. My question is do I hold the cam and then tighten the adjusters; or do I release the cam and then tighten the adjusters? I did the first, and now I'm second guessing my action.Should Ihave released the pressure and allowed the belt tension to return totheir own position before tighting the adjuster bolts? The bike is back together and running but Im worried the belts will be too tight and cause damage and excessive wear! Is there a way to measure the required tension in the belts?

Thanks

imported post

Wrangler90 wrote:

.....My manual discusses slightly rotating each cam in the opposite direction to allow slack in the belts where the spring adjusters take up the extra slack. My question is do I hold the cam and then tighten the adjusters; or do I release the cam and then tighten the adjusters? I did the first, and now I'm second guessing my action.....

Click to expand...

YOu did it the way I did and I believe this is correct. To allow the cam to pull in the other direction will do two things... (1) give belts that are loose and (2) give belts that are different tension on each side (The cam tends to rotate more on the1/3 side at T1). There are other ways to check, but it sounds like yours should be okay... SDB/Jim

imported post

Actually, if your tensioner springs are new, they should adjust the belt tension properly as long as both tensioner bolts are loose enough to let the pulley move up and down.
On the other hand, if they have been on the bike for thousands of miles, then the springs have stretched and lost much of their pulling power. Short of buying new springs, you would have to manually move the tensioner a bit to get the tension right.
Springs are cheap, I would opt for new springs and save your engine.

imported post

Greetings Exodus,

You do realize the last post before yours was 3 years ago...:ssshh:

But, thanks anyway for taking the time to post.:waving:

Hobie