HOW TO: Change your CCTL with PICS!!!!
 

I have been needing to do this for some time now and I finally decided to sit down and get it done and I figured I'd do everyone else a favor and document it as I went. Since to my knowledge the only other one with pics is the one that shows the manual cctl, I figured this would help fill in some gaps.

Let me start by saying I am by no means an expert with motorcycles. This is my first bike and the first time I have actually worked on it. I grew up with atv's and have done lots of work on them, so the knowledge kinda transfers over. Now to mention this was a super easy thing to change.

If anyone sees something I left out or something I did wrong please let me know and i'll change the how to since I'm assuming lots of people in the future will be using this.

The bike in question is an 03 CBR F4I. The directions might vary slightly on the banana seat models, but should still be super easy to figure out. Also, disregard the fact that my bike is rashed and dirty. Just deal with it, i do.

NOTE: I'm not responsible if any mistakes are made or if you damage something in/on your bike, always consult with your dealership if you are not sure about something.

Important: Have the bike in Neutral when performing this and do not move the chain or wheel.

Also, the total install time took me two hours from the time I walked out in the garage until the time I took my test ride.(It was rainy, but i didn't care. I had to know. lol) The difference was night and day. Went from being all rattly and noisy to whisper quiet. So amazing. Now I can ride around town without having to try and keep it between certain rpm's for fear of humiliation.

That being said, here goes.

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Step 1 - Remove the right lower cowl. It is attached with 6 screws shown in picture (5mm), 2 screws behind the front tire(phillips), and 3 trim clips, two on bottom of bike and one behind the front tire up high.(phillips screwdriver will take these out, mine kinda fell out, lol)

Attachment 53305

Step 2 - Remove the right air duct cover. It is attached with 2 screws shown in picture (5mm). A tip here is to be careful not to lose any of the screws or any of the rubber grommets that the screws screw into down in the motor, it'll be a pain in the butt to find it and get it back out.

Attachment 53306

Step 3 - Remove your seat. It is held by two bolts on each side of the back under the foam. Just pull it back some and you'll see it.

Attachment 53307

Step 4 - Get the tank out of the way. Start by taking out the two bolts in the back that were under your seat. (I used a t40 torq bit, but a allen wrench or equal size would work)

Attachment 53308

There are two more bolts up front under the bars that need to come out also.

Attachment 53309

Finally, take the 5mm screw out of the left air duct cover and the tank will be free.

Attachment 53310

Step 5 - Set your tank off to the back left of the bike and then lift up the rubber flap and tuck it under the tank to get it out of the way. I used rags on the back of the tank and up by the bars to keep it from rubbing on the paint.

Attachment 53311

Step 6 - Unplug this harness and push it back out of the way.

Attachment 53312

Your CCTL is now visible.

Attachment 53313

Step 7 - Start loosening the top and bottom bolts holding on the CCTL. The top one can be accessed with a 3/8 or 1/4 ratchet, extension, angle attachment, and 5mm allen socket. Go in through the top as shown in pic.

Attachment 53314

The bottom one is a bit trickier. Use the same setup and go in through the access hole as shown in pic. Note that you must use the 1/4 attachment here to be able to make the angle. I couldn't get the 3/8 extension to work. BE PATIENT!!!!

Attachment 53315

You can stick your hand through the gap above the cctl and kind of guide the tool into the screw head. Luckily mine weren't very tight and came our pretty easy. The CCTL will come out through this gap as well.

Attachment 53316

Here is a pic of where the CCTL was. Make sure the old gasket came off completely.

Attachment 53317

Here is a pic of the old and new CCTL's. Note the old one has one blue dot and the new one has two blue dots.

Attachment 53318

Step 8 - Take the two screws and washers out of your old one and put them in your new one. Don't forget your new gasket! Reinstall the new one the same way you took the old one out and tighten down the mounting screws.

Step 9 - Remove the retainer clip. Just take some needle nose pliers and reach down there and pull on it. It slides straight out. At this point you'll hear it "snap" into place.

Attachment 53319

Here is a pic of what the clip looks like removed.

Attachment 53320

Step 10 - Don't forget to take the old screw and washer out of the end of your old one and put it in the new one where the clip previously was.

Attachment 53321

That's it, your done!! You can now start to put the bike back together in reverse of how you took it apart.

Don't forget to plug your harness back in!!!!

If I missed anything or left questions, let me know and i'll edit the post.

There are no adjustments to be made? The old one looks like it was extended farther than the new one or is that just due to the retaining clip?

BTW, great how to on this. I'd say the extra time it took you was because of the picture taking. :-)

no adjustments, it's an oem automatic tensioner. it does all the work. and yep, it is shorter due to the clip still holding it in.

yeah, pictures took a few extra minutes, and i even had to take a break in the middle to go inside and put my kids to bed. :icon_razz:

Nice job man. Great write up.

I've replaced mine with a APE manual but I wish i had this thread when I did it.

Great write up.

I replaced mine with an APE manual. Easy to do. But you need some patience. Good job.

The shop manual states that you must remove the throttle body in order to remove this...glad I saw this thread before I attempted it! Ordered my OEM cctl today, should have it by the end of the week...the guy at the dealer said there are some sealing washers to be replaced as well (which I didn't order)...Ever see or hear of those?

there were only three washers, two on the screws that hold it on and one on the screw out on the end of it. I didn't replace any of them. They looked like flat washers to me.

Just finished doing this tonight. I followed these instructions for the most part. The only thing I would add is to be sure you hook your fuel tank vent lines back up when you go to put the tank back down. I have an '06, so I'm not really sure if there's a difference between the bike shown in these pics and mine. I also found an extendible magnet very helpful :)

no need to hook them back up if you don't disconnect them to begin with:icon_doh:

there is no need to unhook them, they have enough slack to be able to move the tank to the side.

also, yes, an extendable magnet would've shaved 10 minutes off my time as i struggled with one finger to get a screw out from on top of the motor. lol

x2 on using the magnet multiple times during install. Pretty easy process just need small hands for sure. AND DONT PULL THE PIN WHEN YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE PACKAGING.. i made that mistake lol

Mine didn't have enough slack to be able to keep them connected. Also a life-saver tool is the springy-grabby-finger tool...also called an 'abortion tool' by my old coworkers haha :icon_teeth:

lol, i have one of these and for the life of me i couldn't find it when i lost that screw down in there.

great post. i love this place. really guys you contribute so much knowledge on the basic upkeep of your bike.

on a side note - This is a bit more complex than on the f3, i find that interesting since it was such a fail point on those bikes, you would think maybe they would put it in an easier access location. Yet at the end of the day its only a couple bolts anyways so it doesn't really matter...

great write up i need to replace mine soon on my 03f4i this has been very helpful thanks

cost
 

Excellent writeup. How much can I expect this part will set me back when I purchase it from the dealer ?

pm'd got the tensioner and gasket for sale. HydroPrelude85 feel free to message me if your interested also.

Great write up! jus picked up the tensioner and gasket today from the dealer and will be replacing it tomm.

not sure about the dealer, but you can find them online for around $52. I'm sure the dealer would be a bit more. Make sure you buy the gasket also!

Thanks for taking the time do do this write-up. I have been contemplating doing this myself vs. bringing it to a shop.

great write up. But how do you know if this needs replacing my 01 f4i vibarates if i rev it to around 4 5k and if im ridding and let off theres a bad vibration it seems like its coming from where the cam chain is. COuld this be whats wrong?

https://cbrforum.com/forum/f4i-main-forum-11/cctl-thread-78155/


read through this thread entirely. should answer any questions you may have.

im about to do this for my f4i, its way past due.
question is, i read on the linked thread on the above post that it would best to buy the APE tensioner because the OEM will fail (like all the original ones) but do the newer OEM ones not fail like the other ones?

i've had no problems with mine so far. My main reason for going with the oem over the ape is just so i don't have to worry about adjusting it all the time. I'd rather stick it on and forget about it. And for $60 if it goes out after a year i wouldnt' care one bit. It was a cinch to change and i'd go with the oem again and again.

So... you'd rather pay $60 and replace the CCTL every year than adjust a MCCT once every six months???

I can't imagine adjusting an MCCT being that hard or having to constantly adjust it...

You must have more time and more money than I... LOL; I'd rather spend that hour+ riding than raplacing my CCT.

to each his own i guess. that's why we have options in life, not everyone has the same likes and dislikes. either way your bike will be fine.

Agreed... Regardless, I will be using your write-up when I install my MCCT that was delivered today! :)

How would I kno if I need a new CCTL?

You would know! There's a heavy rattling sound, a lot of guys relate it to a bee's nest.


If it aint broke! Don't fix it :)

sounds like a bunch of BBs rattling around in a can at around 4500 rpms, coming from the right side, behind the fairing

I did mine when I did a full workover in the 2009 and 2010 season. I had the tank and airbox off and could reach the CCT with my hand made for an easy job .. Good write up

this write up is a life saver no doubt

Well I just wanted to say thanks to this thread I accomplished changing my CCT with a lot less headache. I have a 99 F4 and so there were some things different but nothing to stop me from completing my task. Which I owe it all to this thread. Thanks and look forward to doing more.

Boy I had the funnest TWO DAYS doing this! I could not find a 5mm Allen with a 1/4 drive. Bought extensions, joint adapters, drive adapters, flexible extensions, and Allen bits, lol! I think I had less trouble doing my spark plugs!

Can you guys please tell me where I can purchase a 5mm allen with a 1/4 drive? I have it in 3/8 and it seems like it won't fit from what I read on the forums.

Your local hardware store should carry it. Or just buy the 3/8 to 1/4 adapter to go in between

I never found a 1/4 drive 5mm socket and i webt to 4 hardware stores, and a 3/8 socket won't work because its too wide. You'll end up going in at an angle and could strip the screw. I bought a 5mm Allen bit and plugged it into a long thin 1/4 drive 1/4 socket as an extension, followed by a 1/4 elbow adapter and an extension to come out to the side of the frame.

I just changed my CCTL yesterday. This guide helped me a bunch.

Patience is key!

Thanks for the write up, just changed mine also.

Thanks for the writeup! I need to do this in the spring.

My question is what is the difference between an OEM one and a "manual" one.

What is manual about it? And will both of them stop that damn annoying rattle better than the other?

Its just a personal preference, they'll both work.