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Thread: 200x Cam Chain Nightmare.

  1. #1
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    200x Cam Chain Nightmare.

    This thread is purely for my own therapy after a mind bender this morning.

    At my shop I rebuild all the three wheelers because my boss knows I love them. A customer brought in an 84 200x that had sat for years because he needs a deer blind bike. I got it running right away but it filled the shop with smoke instantly and never stopped smoking, so the boss had me rebuild it.

    Good thing because both inner valve springs were broke. So I got my parts, new piston, rings, valves, springs, gaskets blah blah etc. And a brand new cam chain.

    I bored and honed the jug, lapped the valves and rebuilt the head, then assembled it, cam timing on as always, tensioner adjusted, tappets in spec. For some reason I couldn't quite get the ignition timing to line up how it always does,,,my advancer had to be way to the left to be even close. Check cam timing again, it's on. Right?

    So the bike started in 3 kicks. Sounds goodish right off the bat, no smoke, just a bit more clatter than I like to hear in a new motor. Sometimes on the 200x Cam chain tensioner you gotta stick a pick in there and pull up on it a bit to get better tension, but that did nothing to quiet it. Checked the valve lash again, good to go.

    Eric, the boss and I can all hear this Damn thing slapping in there. I have built several engines for Wayne now so he knows I did it right. Right? Ughhh.

    Since he trust my ability to assemble an engine he says to pull the flywheel again and see what the tensioner assembly looks like. Ok, pulled the flywheel.

    Released the tension on the chain, and it was so loose that a link doubled over on itself from the slack. Dat Shlt ain't right. New chain though.

    This cheap piece of $!#@in &#!$ was built so terribly that in 100 links, it was about 1/8 inch LONGER than the used chain Eric dug up to compare. Just long enough that the tensioner just couldn't quite do its job, and just long enough to also make it look like one tooth off was correct timing, which explained immediately why I couldn't get the advancer timed just right. Son of a &!'@#.

    All is well, the bike runs perfect, and no Hondas were hurt in the making of this thread.

    Moral of the story is don't always trust your brand new parts.

    Ahhh I feel so much better now, thanks for reading.

    I think some after lunch wheelies are in order, maybe I'll grab some action shots to add some excitement to the thread after work.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    What brand chain was it?Just another item to double check before assembly.That one would have been a puzzler.Used lot's of off brand chains over the years.Who would ever suspect.Thanks for posting.

  3. #3
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    Jan 2011
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    New London, Wisconsin
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    Wow good thing nothings wrecked. Never thought of lengths being off like that. I've personally bought the DID cam chain off denniskirk.com multiple times works fine. Another prime example for buying legit parts is those cheap Chinese 185S/200S carbs off eBay. Once wasted $18.95 or whatever, learned my lesson. Thanks for heads up.


    Brian

    my wheelers:
    1981 Honda 200 5-wheeler
    1982 Honda 200 Hondapotomus
    1982 Honda 185S
    1982 Honda 250R
    1984 Honda 200S
    1985 Honda 200S
    1985 Honda 200X
    1985 Honda 200 auto-X

  4. #4
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    This has happened to me many times. Mostly on cars, which sucks all the more because how deep you may have to delve back into the car to correct a poorly made new part. Just had a similar problem today. Two brand new assembled struts for a 2001 Ford Winstar mini van. TWO studs broke for the strut tower. And, no, I did not over tighten them. Now I have to swap it out on Monday to finish the job. I hate defective parts.

  5. #5
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    Apr 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by jays375 View Post
    What brand chain was it?
    Yea, what he said.
    It sucks to get old

  6. #6
    Scootertrash's Avatar
    Scootertrash is offline Just Too Addicted: Protecting Our Community The day begins with 3WW
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    Quote Originally Posted by El Camexican View Post
    Yea, what he said.
    Quote Originally Posted by fabiodriven View Post
    Trick the people into thinking they're enacting their own will and you have willing slaves.

    Liberalism suspends the intellect of its victims, while at the same time tricking them into believing that they're smarter than everyone else.


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  7. #7
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    ^^^^LMFAO.

    I don't order the parts I just install em! When somebody brings in a 30 year old 3 wheeler and says he just needs it to get him to the blind and back, naturally we will try to save a regular customer some $ if we can. It was me that talked em into a new top end, quite frankly because I wanted to play with another trike motor at work. The customer was probably leery of dishing out substantial coin for an 84 200x so I assume Wayne decided to give one of these cheap eBay chains a shot. Normally we use OEM or D.I.D., and that will be the case from here out.

  8. #8
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    Oct 2002
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    Did he buy the 2 guides as well?? Based on your post I know it's an 83-85.

    The only reason I mention that is Honda made a very crappy 86 200X oil pump drive chain. No chain tensioner, just a plate that is supposed to keep it in place.

    I used the Dennis Kirk guides and a DID chain in an 85 I built and it was very quiet; So ya, the boss must have got a cheap chain.

    There are a few items (like brake pads and chains etc etc) that we should always go OEM or the best available part.....
    All our government does is distract us while they steal from us, misspend our tax $ and ruin our country

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    I don't car what machine it is, or the budget, I will never buy a cheaply made timing chain. Some timing chains are ridiculously priced though. I just shop around to I find the best deal on it.

  10. #10
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    uggg.
    Quality control is horrible the world over from medical and prescription medications to Honda airbags blowing off for no reason.
    I remember guaranTEED Champion spark plugs to be bad out of the box.
    (am I showing my age?)

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2010
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    TTown, Alabama, United States
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    I bought a moose racing chain for my 185 now I'm rethinking it. Its the exact same length as the one I pulled off. But who knows if or when the chain had been replaced before
    Suicide Hill Survivor

    The rides:
    1981 ATC110
    1982 ATC185
    1983 ATC185s
    1984 ATC200es
    1985 ATC200x

    When the going gets tough, the tough get sideways

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    TTown, Alabama, United States
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    No need to worry about my chain, I was setting the timing today, and noticed D.I.D was stamped on every other link!
    Suicide Hill Survivor

    The rides:
    1981 ATC110
    1982 ATC185
    1983 ATC185s
    1984 ATC200es
    1985 ATC200x

    When the going gets tough, the tough get sideways

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