Do you tool or no tool?

I have been wanting to check my cam chain but have put it off because I really wanted to use the tool to support the shaft by making one from a thrashed timing cover or by buying one from RGM ( or anyone if there is one for sale.) all of the sudden money is tight so I asked several "Norton friends" & to my huge surprize none of them have one & many said they don't bother! My question is how many of you forum member Norton freaks check / adjust your Cam chains without using the tool to support the shaft?? I need to be good to this bike cuz it'll be a while before I can afford any major engine work.

gtsun said:

I have been wanting to check my cam chain but have put it off because I really wanted to use the tool to support the shaft by making one from a thrashed timing cover or by buying one from RGM ( or anyone if there is one for sale.) all of the sudden money is tight so I asked several "Norton friends" & to my huge surprize none of them have one & many said they don't bother! My question is how many of you forum member Norton freaks check / adjust your Cam chains without using the tool to support the shaft?? I need to be good to this bike cuz it'll be a while before I can afford any major engine work.

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If the shaft is still a press fit in the engine case you can probably do it without the tool. If the shaft has gotten loose in the case then there is no way to do it without supporting the outer end. Jim

The point here is that the idler spinal is sort of hung out there without the support of the timing cover to keep it in place. I am sorry if the is redundant info, but it bears repeating.

My old crankcase spindle hole was trashed and wowed out. Adjusting the cam chain took many measurement and a delicate procedure. The sacrificial tool remedied this
I have since replaced my crankcases and have a MKIII timing cover with the access hole and a rather useless built in check valve. Even though I have the proper seal and seal holder I still will loose oil to the crankcase.
I digress.

Cam chain adjustment is done by most without the tool. The trick is to make sure the bore that holds the spindle is good and that the spindle does not wobble in any manner. It should fit tight with the oil hole pointing down, if you happen to pull it out. If it does wobble or is easy to slip in and out of the bore a tool is almost a necessity.

Do not over tighten. 3/16 total movement checked at many point in the rotation to validate its looses position.

.

!+ Peter, as never was nor will be enough Atlas or Commando spare covers to go around. Condition of the shaft retaining is the decision maker to escalate to shop level security tool. I send mine off now and then.

Adjusting the chain without a cutaway slave cover is, as has been mentioned, quite possible if the spindle is still a good fit. Where the cover comes into its own is in loosening or tightening the cam sprocket nut.

If you put a lot of leverage on the nut (or worse still, resort to hammering) with an unsupported spindle then it will tend to pull the spindle out of the housing and damage the casing on the way.

If you can't get a cover to cut away, it should be quite possible to fabricate a support that picks up on three or four of the mounting holes and holds the spindle in place.

I did my 850 without a tool, being very careful. My buddy's 750 has known issues with the pressed in spindle and we fab'ed a tool from a beatup timing cover. Beaters can be had off eBay pretty cheaply - I'd rather have one become a fixture than go in the trash.

I couldn't set my cam-chain tension comfortably without borrowing my friends cut cover. Maybe somebody with better touch and judgement could make the case for doing it without, but I was only 100-percent confident when I had the sprockets located firmly.

I fitted an auto tensioner when I rebuilt the motor, a bit of grinding to fit , but it has worked well.

If you lever on the sucker with a 1 foot pry bar , with the cover off , youll likely misalign / oval the spindle hole in the case .

IF the spindle hole was tight , No Slack .And the Timing Chain isnt unevenly worn , adjusting is not going to harm it . ITS THE
putting LOAD on the chain or cam nut that pulls the intermediate wotsit cog on the spindle on the case . A R R G H . :shock: :?

' One ' could forseeably knock up a bit of steel to span three + case bolts ( Timing cover screws ) with a wobble in it , and a hole
for the spindle , say 4 mm plate .With a bit off thought and ingenuity / application . & a drill and a big file or two & a vice , .

Its the freaking cam chain drive for gosh sakes its not that delicate unless some damage to the pinon shaft in case, so just nip up while watching the shaft and if a sense its moving some then wait for a cover brace tool, if not then close up, oil up and start up.