81 185s rebuild/timing issue... need help :-(

[sammittrue]

so my friend brought me his 185s. it was smoking realy bad but ran strong so we decided to bore the piston and all new gaskets including valve stem seals etc. Started putting it back together but cant seam to get enough slack from the tensioner to get the sprocket on the cam. i down loaded the manuel and followed the steps but seams like something just isnt rite. its not even close. the sprocket rests on the shaft. it needs to come up at least 3/8 to get the bolts started. i loosened the tensioner pushed it down with a small screw driver and locked it in place. i can feel the tensioner compress when pushed on and feel it rbound when pressure releived but the amount of slack when compressed is faintly noticable. I can rotate the crank with out it binding could it be a bad tensioner? any ideas or insight very appreciated thanks ffor your time!!

[dougspcs]

chain may have jumped off the bottom sprocket..happens all the time when you let it slack as you are working. slowly spin the flywheel by hand while holding tension on the chain..

it can go really easy or really tough..pulling the head and cylinder may be in order depending on how caught up you are on the bottom. sure you don't have the guide in upside down?

did you replace guides and chain or are they original?

[sammittrue]

Original chain and tensioner/guides they looked fine actually for the year. I tried both with the top tensioner bolt out and in. didnt seam to make a diferance in slack the plastic guid just dropped a bit. Guides are in the same direction i took them out it looks like they only go in one way. As far as off the lower gear thats kinda what i was thinking its just that it rotates without any noise or binding but maybe my next step is to pull the flywheel and have a look? might make more sense to pull the head and the jug and look in there?.... please excuse the stupid questions ive never done this before
Also after putting a bigger piston and aftermarket exhaust am i going to need to mess with the carb? i would assume so but if anyone has suugestions in that area that would be cool too! thanks

[sammittrue]

dont even know how i got the chain on the sprocket now cant seem to get it off. its like a rubix cube!! loads of fun over here!!

[dougspcs]

Well the usual way to get the chain on and off is to remove the cam gear and slip the chain onto it then slip the gear on the shaft..to jump the chain onto the gear directly would likely damage something!

Not sure about the Rubix Cube reference? I mean I know what a Rubix Cube is..just not how it applies!

So do we understand you are all set now?? Be a bit clearer and we can help more, perhaps a pic or two!!

[dougspcs]

In so far as the carb jetting is concerned, get it running first..do a few hours of break in ride with a clean plug then determine if carb work is needed based on running performance and plug colour reading..

[sammittrue]

I will send a couple pics asap.heading out of town for the weekend so prob early next week but thanks for the help and insight!

[Daniel86]

Welcome to the boards from middle TN!