APE Manual Cam Chain Tensioner Install

A manual cam chain tensioner is intended to eliminate lash of the cam chain caused by inconsistent tension during hard use of the motor. When the motor is run under sever conditions, oil starvation to the cam chain tensioner may result in the spring loaded adjuster sticking. In turn, this could lead to the cam chain jumping teeth on the timing sprockets and consequential engine damage. This is not a problem associated with the ZX-14 however there often is inconsistent tension of the cam chain at start up. It does not result in damage but it is an unpleasant noise to listen to that many would prefer to eliminate.

A manual cam chain tensioner maintains constant tension on the cam chain regardless of how how hard the engine is run. A manual cam chain tensioner does not require lubrication. It doe not move during engine operation. It does not permit the cam chain to run loose unless the cam chain stretches from wear and becomes longer. If the cam chain should become loose from wear, the manual cam chain tensioner will need to be readjusted.

Tools:
OEM cam chain tensioner o-ring
8mm wrench
two 5/8” wrenches
dowel
pencil

1. Remove crankshaft sensor cover (See Crankshaft Sensor Cover Removal, Steps 1 and 2).

2. Find TDC of cylinders 1 and 4 (See Crankshaft Positioning). Loosely reinstall the crankshaft cover to eliminate engine contamination.

3. Remove the right foreman grill, right ram air cover and right side fairing (Fairings
Removal).

4. Remove the OEM cam chain tensioner (see Cam Chain Tensioner Removal, steps
1-4).

5. Install an OEM cam chain tensioner o-ring to the APE tensioner body below the mounting plate(best to use a new O-ring).

Back the APE tensioner bolt out all the way. Note that there is a small O-ring on the threads of the tensioner bolt. This should be rolled up high on the shank of the tensioner bolt.

6. Before proceeding to install the APE manual cam chain tensioner, note the Optional Step at the end of this tutorial.

Install the APE tensioner by pressing the body and o-ring into the cam chain tensioner hole. Tighten the cam chain tensioner mounting bolts with an 8mm wrench.

7. Adjust the cam chain tension tension by feel. Screw the tensioner bolt in with fingers until you feel it stop against the cam chain. You may feel one or two subtle points of resistance but this is only the adjuster bolt contacting the guide and the guide springing forward. You will feel a definite hard spot when the cam chain is touched. Do not tighten the adjuster bolt against the cam chain at all, just stop at the point where resistance is felt.

8. Manually rotate the motor clockwise (NEVER TURN THE MOTOR COUNTERCLOCKWISE!) (see Crankshaft Positioning, Steps 1 and 2) while using fingers to tighten the APE tensioner bolt as additional slack is felt.

I tightened the tensioner bolt 1/2 turn (180 degrees) past the initial contact at TDC.

9. Back the tensioner bolt out 1/4 turn. The adjustment by feel is completed.

10. Reinstall the Crankshaft Sensor cover (see Crankshaft Sensor Cover Removal, steps 5-7).

11. Now fine tune the cam chain tension adjustment with the motor running. Start the motor and listen for any rattle noise from the cam chain making sure the tensioner bolt does not back out. If you let it back out too much you will damage your motor. If you hear cam chain rattle, leave the bike running and tighten the tensioner slowly until the slapping or clanking goes away. You should not need to adjust the tensioner very much more. The adjustment by feel should be very close to perfect. BE SURE NOT TO OVER TIGHTEN!

When the desired adjustment is found, turn the motor off and roll the adjuster bolt o-ring against the tensioner body.

I did not hear any noise when I started the engine. I backed the bolt out to the initial setting found at TDC and it still was quiet. It started to make a little noise when I backed it out one quarter turn more. I adjusted it back in to the initial setting for TDC and left it there.

12. Use two 5/8” wrenches. Tighten the jam nut against the APE tensioner body to lock the tensioner bolt from moving out of proper adjustment.

Optional step: Use a dowel to measure the distance from the CCT mount to the contact point of the Guide and chain. Push the dowel in gently against the guide until the guide clicks forward against the cam chain. Mark the dowel with a pencil. This will represent the exact length from the mounting surface that the APE tensioner bolt should initially be adjusted. You may use this measurement to pre-adjust the tensioner in leu of step 7 of this tutorial. You may also use the dowel measurement to compare to your initial adjustment done by feel. They should be the same.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/30/2017 @ 9:56 AM *

Awesome tutorial. My 14 is quiet now. Noticed when i pulled out the stock cct that it hadnt adjusted at all.... ???

Was making a hell of a racket.

Thanks Rook!

Noticed when i pulled out the stock cct that it hadnt adjusted at all.... ???

Holy crap! You might have saved your bike. If the plunger on the OEM CCT really was at the lock position up at the tip, I'll bet Kaw neglected to spring it at the factory. Amazing that the chain never jumped time. I suppose you could have put the OEM CCT back in, removed the head cover and sprung the CCT but that would have been a huge amount of work for such a simple task. For $60, it's worth replacing with an APE instead. You'd probably have done it sooner or later anyway.

....or was the plunger all the way out? That is how it should be when you remove it.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/16/2014 @ 9:53 PM *

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* Last updated by: DarioVolpi on 9/22/2014 @ 11:47 PM *

Dario, As you know the CCT cannot jam off the chain. It is impossible to make CCT's in this way. When you need to set the CCT, you can just use the best forward crank movement and that jam's your goal for a quiet engine. And now as the technology develops with high speed rpm's, you can bluetooth your CCT, I know, it had to happen eventually. So as you can adjust your CCT with just a phone call, come into the new world odor and is going to throw you out back in the outhouse hole you bunch of groups of pee poles who need all the gray matter jammed upa yo ass.

* Last updated by: Hub on 12/4/2019 @ 9:26 AM *

it IS getting tiresome, isn't it? AT least if it was some real person coming to the forum to try to sell something worthless, we could run him off.

I suppose you could have put the OEM CCT back in, removed the head cover and sprung the CCT but that would have been a huge amount of work for such a simple task. For $60, it's worth replacing with an APE instead.

* Last updated by: davidto on 3/29/2015 @ 9:25 PM *

I am ready to do this install as I have rattling issues. I have the ape tensioner but do not have a new O-ring as recommended in this thread.

What is the part number of the o-ring? I cant find where to buy it. Is it available locally? How important is a new o-ring? I can start working on it today if I can forget about a new o-ring or if I can find one locally quick.

Not needed. See below link.

Dreaded Rattle is Back!

* Last updated by: yannih on 9/3/2015 @ 10:54 AM *

Thanks.... also is it possible to do this job without removing the main side fairing?. I removed the lower and foreman and one bolt off the main side fairing near the battery. I can see the cct

Not needed. See below link.

also is it possible to do this job without removing the main side fairing?.

If you can see the 2 mounting screws on the tensioner, you might try removing the OEM tensioner without removing the fairing. For myself, I would rather remove the fairings so I am certain no dirt falls off and goes down in the hole once the tensioner is removed. Also, adjusting the tension will be a bit tricky if you leave the side fairing on. I'd head off real hassles while the job is in progress and just take off the side fairing.

hi, thank you for the DIY. can you update the pictures please?

Sure will do right now. Just give me 15 minutes.

I do not have the fairings removal, CScover, CCT Removal tutorials updated. ...or any links from those to other tutorials (although I doubt you would need that info for the APE install).

Do you need those tutorials? If so, You'd have to give me a day or two.

The crankshaft sensor cover is just remove the bolts/wire retainer. You should not need to change the gasket. A bit of oil will run out.

Turn to TDC as described in Crankshaft Positioning. It does not matter TDC of what stroke, as long as you have the lines on the timing rotor lined up with the seam in the case, either TDC works for APE install the same.

Cam chain tensioner removal is also just remove the two bolts but do them evenly because there is spring tension pushing back on the CCT body. The hard part of the stock CCT is installing it but you won't need to do that.

LOL --doesn't look like you are riding a ZX-14 but let me know if you need these other tutorials. I'd be glad to do them but I would need a bit of time.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/30/2017 @ 9:51 AM *

You don't need to replace the gasket on the crankshaft cover but I have always used the recommended silicone sealant on the seams in the case...but I do not think you'd have a problem if you skipped the sealant...maybe a tiny bit of seepage. The Oring gasket will probably suffice.

Why do the valve train/cam chain rattle in the first place? Mine has always been quiet for 18K miles then after my last track day started hearing the rattle on start-up. Goes away immediately but wondering why the factory tensioner isn't taking up the slack? Is it at a point where it needs just a little more stretch or is it at the limit that it can adjust?
You make it look easy in the tutorial Rook, I appreciate what you have done to help all of us with working on our bikes.

Dave

Sure, Dave. Glad to share. It's a drag all the photos have gone out on forums all over the internet.

The stock CCT is a ratchet /pall setup. It advances one notch when the chain gets loose enough. If the chain is not loose enough to let the CCT mechanism advance far enough to lock into the next notch, the chain will have a little extra slack in it but it still has tension from the spring in the CCT that pushes the ratchet forward. It might take a long time before the chain gets loose enough to let the spring push to the next notch. Maybe never. Until then, you live with the spring flexing in and out a few mm and the timing chain getting thrown against the side of the tunnel it runs through. A manual tensioner is just a simple screw that pushes against the pivotting chain guide. The screw has a lock nut so it can't move in and out like the OEM tensioner can. If the timing chain ever starts to rattle, you just adjust the screw in a little farther until it gets quiet. Then it is locked in place. The chain is always at the right tension. That is why it is considered a racing accouterment. It is safer than a self adjusting tensioner that might not be tight enough all the time.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/30/2017 @ 2:44 PM *

Holy crap!
Ordered the APE tensioner from Schnitz, think it arrived the next day. Seemed like it, fast service.

Took me all of 45 minutes to install and that was because I spent 30 minutes trying to find the torque spec for the crankshaft sensor cover bolts.

Totally quieted that start up rattle.

Thanks for the How To Rook!!

Surething, David. Yeah, Schnitz has always been adamant about no free shipping on anything. Glad to hear they are fast. The crankshaft sensor cover bolts torque spec is in the tutorial...you just have to hit the link to the CSC tutorial which unfortunately doesn't have pics right now. Glad this one helped you out. It is a lot easier than pulling off the head cover to reset the OEM tensioner, isn't it? ...and after you're done, it actually works!

Hey Rook, just want to say thank you for the awesome stuff you have posted here to help us with the zx14. I have a 2008 and have been ignoring the start up rattle for years as i have read that it did not cause any real damage. I now have 16K miles on the bike but am now getting concerned and now thinking of doing what many have already done by installing the APE manual tensioner. The APE statement about the oil pressure is making me worry. I have sent them an e-mail and will post their reply.

The large O-ring is there to not allow oil to come out of the engine through the hole that the tensioner goes into but does nothing else. I am sure that the APE unit will not block that hole and make a perfect seal because metal to metal will not seal perfectly. However the original tensioner had nothing there to seal the oil passage between the engine and the tensioner anyway so it had to have had some leakage anyway. I think that the only difference (regarding oil pressure) between the original and the APE manual is that the manual has no hole for the oil. So it should be the same fit without using oil pressure for the APE.

Regarding the damage vs no damage on start up. The chain sure sounds like it is hitting something inside the engine and although it may not be a lot of damage it sure is doing something and it cant be good only bad. Getting rid of the slack at start up will prevent unnecessary wear and damage.

Just some food for thought and I am waiting for APE to reply.

Gone with these on every 14.I think my 12 also.Never had one teensy bit of oil seep out.I do think I dabbed some Hi temp silicone on my finger though and spread it around the mating surfaces.Pretty sure.Used the o-ring also.Came with the tensioner.

However the original tensioner had nothing there to seal the oil passage between the engine and the tensioner anyway so it had to have had some leakage anyway.

Regarding the damage vs no damage on start up. The chain sure sounds like it is hitting something inside the engine and although it may not be a lot of damage it sure is doing something and it cant be good only bad. Getting rid of the slack at start up will prevent unnecessary wear and damage.

When I have checked valve clearances twice and never seen any evidence of wear on there. It is probably rattling against the pivoting chain guide shoe. That's plastic, I'm told. I doubt the rattle cause any harm it's just annoying. Also, constant chain tension is safer for harsh use. Never heard of an OEM loosing tension but a manual can't do that as long as it is adjusted properly.

The APE statement about the oil pressure is making me worry. I have sent them an e-mail and will post their reply.

So what is the statement about oil pressure? Is it the reduction of oil pressure after cutting throttle at high rpm that could cause the OEM CCT to fail?

Hello Rook.

What I was referring to regarding oil pressure was from the APE website which I have copied and pasted below. I don't know why they would make such a statement and so generic because it applies to all of the tensioners regardless of model or part number. I think it may be to just cover themselves in case an install goes wrong and someone blows an engine. I will post their reply to the email I sent them.

I am very comfortable with all of the detail you and others have provided so once I get mine I will install it.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
APE MANUAL CAM CHAIN TENSIONER INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

"IMPORTANT: WHEN REPLACING ANY HYDRAULIC OEM TENSIONER WITH A MANUAL TENSIONER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OIL PASSAGE THAT SUPPLIED THE OEM TENSIONER IS BLOCKED OFF. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN A LOW OIL PRESSURE SITUATION".

Wish APE would make a Pro Series tensioner for the 2008 but they do not. The Pro Series looks like a better product but only for the 2012 and newer.