8 replies to this topic

[Ben01]

Up until a couple days ago I thought the timing chain guide issue was for 2007 and older. Now I'm finding machines with around 4,000 miles are having issues with guides wearing and the plastic plugging the oil pickup tube.
Mine has around 3,700 miles. I'm a putzy slow trail rider. Hardly get over 25 mph. Don't play in the mud much. I'm going to pull the valve cover off to try and see what the guides look like.
Should I be worried? I can replace the guides myself, don't really want to. But I'd rather fix it now.

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[ozymax]

There's only one way to find out. Take the covers off and have a look.

I worked a 2010 machine that had a broken link in the front timing chain and that really messed things up.

Rotate the chains a full turn and very carefully inspect them for anything abnormal.

[Ben01]

That's what I've read. Will it be pretty obvious if the guides have wear?
Other things I've read is the tensioner will have a certain number of threads showing, does that make sense?

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[ozymax]

It will be fairly obvious that the guide/chain is worn.

Looking at the exposed threads of the tensioner will confirm the damage also.

See if you can take a close up pic of the tensioner threads and post it up.

Look very carefully for broken links of the chains. If broken, they can rotate and look like a shark fin on the chain.

If they do that, they rip a gouge into the guide and shred the plastic.

 

This topic has some good pics of damaged guides etc. Post #13-14 shows how the chain cuts through the top edge of the guide and into the tensioner plunger.

[Ben01]

Thank you so much. This is really good info.

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[Ben01]

It will be fairly obvious that the guide/chain is worn.
Looking at the exposed threads of the tensioner will confirm the damage also.
See if you can take a close up pic of the tensioner threads and post it up.
Look very carefully for broken links of the chains. If broken, they can rotate and look like a shark fin on the chain.
If they do that, they rip a gouge into the guide and shred the plastic.
 
This topic has some good pics of damaged guides etc. Post #13-14 shows how the chain cuts through the top edge of the guide and into the tensioner plunger.

Took the valve cover off today. Here what mine looks like.

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[7shortmag]

INMO you are borderline that they need replaced or not.

If they are the original guides, I would def. plan on replacing them. The early guides wore out and plugged the return hole, as you stated above. 

this happened to my '06 and it cost me a bottom end.

[ozymax]

I think I'd just "watch and observe" at this stage.

You only have approx 4 threads showing on the tensioners, which is fine. When I zoom your pics up to 100%, I can't really see anything obvious.

Just for example, this is what a really bad timing chain guide will look like.

 

 

Notice how the chain cuts through the top edge of the guide and then it will start on the plunger.

Yours don't appear to have any wear across the top edge of the guide from what I can see.

 

No-one has a crystal ball unfortunately.

 

[Skioutty]

I think I'd just "watch and observe" at this stage.

You only have approx 4 threads showing on the tensioners, which is fine. When I zoom your pics up to 100%, I can't really see anything obvious.

Just for example, this is what a really bad timing chain guide will look like.

 

post-8161-0-80948200-1420040924.jpg

 

Notice how the chain cuts through the top edge of the guide and then it will start on the plunger.

Yours don't appear to have any wear across the top edge of the guide from what I can see.

 

No-one has a crystal ball unfortunately.

 

 

On the bold...... I completely agree.