Some 250ES timing chain replacement advice??

[dougspcs]

So I got another clunker to play with..this one I found on the side of the road(literally) with a for sale sign on.

Got it for a decent price so I figured it would do for a clunker to keep at my folks farm. It's not pretty so for the time being no pics!!

Anyway..major timing chain noise!!

My question is, has anyone attempted to replace the chain by removing the valve cover and disconnecting the master link then connect the new chain to the old and slowly rotate the motor to feed the chain thru?

In theory it should be simple and it could help avoid disassembling the side of the motor..

Thoughts???

[Ghostv2]

In theory it should work. I dont see why not.
Very clever idea. Let us know how it goes.

Whats the worst that could happen? You end up taking that side off anyways like your suppose to.

[dougspcs]

I see the flaw in my theory..timing chains are continuous and without removable link.

So back to the old fashion method..

[kb0nly]

Yep one piece chain have to tear into it, sucks... I thought the same thing as you when i did my first one.

[dougspcs]

I was considering this to stop the rattle..I know it's McGyver but if it keeps the chain from rattling then it solves the problem.

The rig is just a clunker to keep at Dad's farm..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-ATC-25...73fc2f&vxp=mtr

Might give me a bit more tension and stop the rattle at least.

[briano]

It's worth a shot. They talk about needing it for performance riding. Just imagine how fast you can rip around the farm now. Lol

[tri again]

Try the search key for timing chain tensioner or just tensioner.

"we" looked into that extensively.

Pull your tensioner out snd see if it's all the way out.
There is NO service limit specs on them so I'd personally
pull a good working tensioner and measure the wear / oil stain marks.

Seems that if the tensioner is out all the way and chain is at the end of it's service life,
that ebay tensioner would push the chain just a hair past the bottom sprocket
and make it wear fast.

I had a Hideous sounding 250es, made me sick chain slap nightmares but a valve adjust made it perfect.
Odd, I know, but someone adjusted the valves without being at tdc.
WHY it sounded like chain slap, I'll never know.

[dougspcs]

Try the search key for timing chain tensioner or just tensioner.

"we" looked into that extensively.

Pull your tensioner out snd see if it's all the way out.
There is NO service limit specs on them so I'd personally
pull a good working tensioner and measure the wear / oil stain marks.

Seems that if the tensioner is out all the way and chain is at the end of it's service life,
that ebay tensioner would push the chain just a hair past the bottom sprocket
and make it wear fast.

I had a Hideous sounding 250es, made me sick chain slap nightmares but a valve adjust made it perfect.
Odd, I know, but someone adjusted the valves without being at tdc.
WHY it sounded like chain slap, I'll never know.

Good advice..

I asked the PO if he had attempted to adjust the valves and he said be hadn't..I'll try that and while I'm at it I have a low hour parts engine I can rob the tensioner from to swap into the beater.

Might as well try these relatively minor items 1st..maybe I'll get lucky too!

[atc007]

They aren't too bad to do Doug. Pul the cam cover off, clutch cover,and a good magnet will do the rest. No need to pull the head. Just a little patience

[dougspcs]

They aren't too bad to do Doug. Pul the cam cover off, clutch cover,and a good magnet will do the rest. No need to pull the head. Just a little patience

I know, I usually am the advocate for 'just do it right'!! But quite literally this thing is going to my dad's farm for the rest of it's life..if it gets run once a month I will be surprised.

I'm not inclined to do any more to this thing than is neccessary!!

[tri again]

In retrospect, I pulled the tensioner and saw that it popped out
and would sit, say, 1/4 inch off the engine case, which told me that it had another 1/4" to go.
I think a small screwdriver unloads the tensioner spring so it can go back in and sit flush with the engine case and then spring back out to press on the chain rails.

I have an sx engine apart and can try to get out there and see how the tensioner 'stand off' relates to the chain and bottom cam chain wheel.

I guess if the tensioner is all the way out, aka, in the full extended position it doesn't touch the chain guides, in other words, tensioner is all the way out and chain is still sloppy.
That ebay tensioner may just get you a few hundred hours if it's not run hard or someone decides to race across the field.

I have the same situation with a bunch o' sx and es's.
I ride sidesaddle most of the time to hook and unhook trailers etc and rarely get out of 2nd gear.
My trikes should last 100 years at this rate, and then, out of the blkue, some jackas&^* will jump on one and rev the daylights out of them, because they are 'automatic' so they wind 'em to float the valves in 1st gear.

A jumped chain is apparently all the way bad.
007 says it's not that hard t do and the people 'we' reviewed that tensioner with a year or so ago wound up swapping the chain anyway.

Oh, with the tensioner out, you can see in there and also push on the timing chain guide rail and see if it slaps the chain.
I'll try to get a pic of the sx, tensioner and how close the chain is to wrapping aroundthe bottom chainwheel...big storm this weekend so will have to wait since it's outside.

[swampthang]

I just did a timing chain on a 300 fourtrax which is pretty similar. 1st one I ever did not super hard but challenging and a good learning experience. I had to use a electric impact to get the nuts off of the clutches. Centrifical clutch was reverse threads. If the kick start assembly is like the 300 watch the washer that goes behind the kickstart shaft/gear. Mine fell inside the case and the only way to get it out was to fish it over with a coat hanger to a oil port opening that leads into the clutch cover side and enlarge the hole in the case with a file to fit the washer threw. After fixing mine I think I'm confident I can do a bottom end rebuild if I needed to. Like I said good learning experience.

[Larry T Moore]

if the tensioner is alla way out then the noise youre hearing is the chain beating itself to death off the inside of the head....makes a nice groove and little metal sprinkles....I tried all that goofy crap and nothing worked...if its that far gone do it right and replace it...its not too bad a job