Kawasaki Vulcan 1500/1600 Camchain Tensioner Extender Install

This mod was written up by Snake(RIP) and put on Gadget's site a long time ago. The official manuals' explanations for how to reset camchain tensioners are extremely lacking. Without Snakes explanation, I doubt I would have been able to do the job at all the first time and I generally have to read about 3 times every time I do it. That being said, I wanted to re-do the write-up with more and larger pictures, videos and just a bit more of any explanation. When we nearly lost Gadget's site for Vulcan stuff a few weeks back, it really impressed upon me the need for another version of how to do this job.

First off, buy extenders from Chuckster's Customs.

Here is the basic diagram parts of the camchain tensioners on a 1500/1600 Classic/Nomad. The diagram is a bit misleading, the O-ring is large enough to fit over the threaded portion of the tensioner body and the bearing is small enough to fit inside the threaded portion of the tensioner body.  Another interesting thing is that all of the repair manuals do not show the inner spring. I'm not sure if there are other versions, but my old 2003, current 2002 model, and Snake's write-up show this spring. I kind of don't think it would work without it. I got this from a "microfiche" of the parts manual for a 2003 model.




DO NOT START OR TURN THE MOTOR WITHOUT THE TENSIONERS FULLY INSTALLED.

I'm showing this write-up on a front camchain extender. This is the easiest to illustrate, but if you have a stock air box you're going to have to dig your way this deep first.The rear tensioner is basically a repeat of the steps for the front.

Loosen the lock bolt.


Break torque on the cap.


Loosen and remove the cap by hand, otherwise you get the ratcheting wrench stuck between the cap and rear cylinder.(Ooops.) The stuff inside is spring loaded, but not super spring loaded, so be cautious not to lose anything.


Cap and bearing retainer.


Springs and bearing.


Pull those out.


You can inspect and see if there is any travel left in the rod, but seriously, just go ahead and do the job. The extenders can safely be put into an engine with brand new camchains.


Two socket(allen) head bolts hold the body to the cylinder.


Time to remove the stock end rings from the rods. The rings are press fit onto the rod. I'm sure there's other ways, but this was my choice with the tools I had on hand.


Carefully use a dremel and cut off wheel. Don't cut into the rod.


I made two cuts.


The ring should break off.


Easy, peasy.


Clean the ends of the rods with brake cleaner.


The extenders I had were a loose fit on the rods I had. If I recall the last time the extenders fit my rods very tight and didn't need loctite. The goal of the loctite is to hold the extenders to the rods during installation. Once the tensioners are deployed, the extenders are captured.


Let the loctite set up for about 10 minutes.


Shake the tensioners to verify the loctite is holding things together.


Retract the tensioner.


Keep the lock bolt loose.


Install outer spring.


Lay bearing in place.


Push bearing all the way down into the body.


Fully tighten lock bolt.


Bearing should be held behind the lock bolt.



The following steps and video are a bench build for reference only. If you do not want to mess with this go to steps directly after the video to complete the installation.

BENCH BUILD ONLY: Place retainer into the body.





BENCH BUILD ONLY: Install inner spring.


BENCH BUILD ONLY: Install cap.


BENCH BUILD ONLY:


REAL INSTALL:
With rod fully retracted and the lock bolt holding the bearing and inner spring in place, install tensioner body onto cylinder with the socket head bolts. Fully tighten socket head bolts.


Drop retainer into the body.


Drop inner spring into the body.


Install cap onto the body while depressing inner spring. The rod will deploy and click some during this step.


Fully tighten cap.


Loosen lock bolt until a louder click is heard. Then fully tighten lock bolt.

Shovelfest VIII Sunday Wrap-up

So the run home was hard and fast, 800 miles in a day. I didn't take pictures, but I do have a story with multiple back stories.

I like to take cheap trips on a cash only budget. I have a debit card and more money in the bank, if I really get into a bind. I don't do credit cards at all. Pay at the pump with a debit card on a bike is a bad idea. For every $12 tank they preauthorize and hold $75 of your money. An eight stop day is $600 held when you only spent like $80.  So I have just enough cash to get there and back and eat and drink and buy a round or meal for someone else along the way.

I was trying to make time with only gas stops when I had to. So there I was, needing gas in West Memphis. I knew this was supposed to be a rough town, but I needed gas and there was a huge Pilot so that seemed safe enough. I stopped. Sure enough, someone approached me with an offer. "I need five dollars for gas to get home and I'll give you this new pack of smokes."

Sure as you're born, he has an unopened pack of Newports or something menthol in a green pack. I would have loved to help him, but I really didn't want to pull my wallet out. He wasn't particularly scary. I didn't want cigarettes. I didn't want to show him where my money was either. I have studied a fair amount of marital arts, but still didn't want to kick someone's ass over a hundred bucks in my pocket or get my ass kicked by one or more guys over a hundred bucks either. I especially didn't want to not have any means to get home either. I politely declined the offer to buy the cigarettes. I really wished I could have helped a person in need though. I don't even really care about how a person got to the point in life where they had a nicer vehicle than me and cigarettes but no money for gas. We have all made bad choices for sure.

Anyway, if I had a do over, I would have and should have gone into the gas station and prepaid for 10 or 20 bucks worth of gas for the gentleman. That would have been a lower risk way to help someone. Live and learn.

Shovelfest VIII Sunday Part 1

Not a lot to post about Sunday morning. I had to get up and gone for sure. Trent had already left to get home a day earlier to take care of some stuff. I think he has a roadside repair and law enforcement encounter stories to tell though.

Dean had rolled in from South Dakota late Saturday night and I talked with him ever so briefly. I figured I would get some pics of his crazy machine that he rode in on.

Shovelfest VIII Saturday Part 6

Tennessee sunset.


The line for Jeff's Bar-B-Que.


Marv and others work to get Kelly's bike back to operational.


The thank you's, announcements, and raffle. The camera was not cooperating at all in these lighting conditions.

Shovelfest VIII Saturday Part 5

Man, I am going to have to spend more than a 100 bucks on a camera. I can't figure out why some shots are perfect, and some are blurry. It could be the operator though, too.







Group picture time.
















Oh man, I totally need some of this for my pegboard. Anyone that has some probably thinks they are chopper gold though.


It almost wasn't official and then HDLiz did show up. :D :D