the part that's making all the noise is the cctl...cam chain tensioner lifter. i don't know if i want to write tons about it or what not...maybe i'll just cut and post from somewhere and sticky it...hahhaha...tooo lazy today...

the followingis all based on tahoe research and experience, with intial seed planting by Uncle_Buck from another forum. but in a nutshell and in street language, here it is...

the honda cctl is not one whole piece, or a few pieces like the APE manual tensioner but many pieces. the problem is that people start to hear this rattle after 2K, 4K, XXXK and think it's the cam chain slapping around. so they say "my cctl is failing"...
it's NOT failing...what's really happening is that since it's in so many pieces, the tolerance of those pieces get worn after awhile, and start to vibrate against other parts. frommy research and experience, it's the tip of the cctl.

Look at the pix...there are 2 spots where the tolerances can get jacked...the tip against the shaft, and the shaft against the the body of the cctl. if you take off the cctl, it will extend. on the shaft you'll see a little line across it. that's where the shaft vibrates against the top plate that holds the guts of the cctl in (we'll just call this the cctl body). you can see that the tip is held on to the shaft by just a pin...where tolerance over time gets jacked too. so my conclusion and others in uncle buck's school of thought is that the noise is from these areas and not the cam chain slapping around. why not? consider this...

1. the cctl, by design, can only get tighter, but not looser. anytime it senses additional tolerances in the cam chain, it extends out...it CAN NOT back out. only if you stick a screwdriver in the rear and turn it can it retract. also note that if you turn it the other way, it extends the tip like a manual cctl does.

2. not one F4i has had the cam chain jump while you hear this rattling...at least none that i've com across in any boards. there was an occasion where a newb came on saying that his cctl totally failed in less than 500 miles. when asked how did you find this out...he said the dealer said so...when we probed further...he didn't even know what was wrong with is bike...but only...the dealer said so. there was no noise, etc. prior to supposed failure...and as to what happened to his bike...it just didn't work...so...WHATEVER BIISHHHHHHH!!! SADDDDDDDUPPPPPPPP! SIT DOWN!!!!!!!

2. many people ride with this horrible noise for years...with no issues other than only being able to pick up on ugly girls while hot girls turn away due to the noise...similar to what a beater bike would make.

3. the only failure from stock cctl i've heard of was on an RC-51, where the cctl failed and the cam chain jumped.

4. the only failure i've heard from F4i was someone tightening the APE too much...leading to a crazy jacked up wacked engine with plastic crap melted inside, guts hanging out, etc.

so with this in hand...unlce buck decided to look further...he took out the cctl and studied it...then noticed all the loose parts. in particular, the pin holding the tip to the shaft. so he flared out this pin...and it no longer vibrated...stuck the unit back in...noise GONE! i did talk to him about the shaft part...can't really do anything about that...it's metal wearing against metal...so it's going to eventually make noise.

there have been other solutions to this...where people would take apart the cctl and add extra turns in the existing spring, making the spring tighter...to me, this is not necessary as you're adding extra tension to what the cctl was designed to put out. basically...all other solutions currently discussed by 'others' seek to add additional tension to the cam chain to solve the issue...it would be great if it was lack of tension in the cam chain causing this, but it's not..it's the increase in toleran

 

I'd like to hear your thoughts Tahoe

 

oh damn...i guess i wasn't that lazy...read on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh yea...anyone local...i can offer some help to most bike maintenance jobs...but don't get me wrong...since i don't charge...but am a busy guy...i basically tell you what to do so you can learn this stuff yourself. i will only supervise your work. i specialize in the F4i...not any other bike cause i don't have any other bike...and not the RRs...cause they are too pretty...too new and shiny (i love scratching things), and too many damn plastic snap on screws to take off just to get the fairings out! WTH?!?!??!

 

wtf testi in a cup

 

Tahoe,

You crazy *** Ma Fuka. Testi in a cup, you crack me up. I'm going to pm ya with some info I found while tearing into my cct, pretty interesting considering the fact that the one I'm replacing is an APE. I'll get back to ya.

BTW, pretty interesting **** you added here. Including the nut cup. Sickass

 

damn...i posted the wrong 'nut' file to use for my nut/bolt example....muahahahha...

APE is cool, but you just HAVE to adjust it right...or else...too much tension on it, the cam chain eats the chain guides or melts it, and the plastic shavings plug your oil feed holes, and then the motor locks up.

but if you adjust it properly shouldn't be an issue. the super long above post is just in reference to those who claim their cctls are failing.

just follow jdub's tutorial on adjusting the APE...bike on...tighten in until you can't hear the noise, back out until you just hear it, then 1/4 turn more in. then lock that bish down and use tons of loctite.