FJRF008: Cam Chain Tensioner Survey

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A – the model year of your FJR - 2008

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent - 56K

C – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage - Had dealer replace it at 73K

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise - Yes

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics - I first noticed the noise at an oil change. I always wear earplugs and helmet and bike warm-up is done with gear in place and I'm off. The only time I have needed to run the motor for warm-up purposes other than to leave for a ride is at oil changes. I warmed the bike up and as it idled down to normal RPMs, after 4 min. +/-, I immediately noticed a clicking sound not heard before.

 

I ran by the dealer that performs my maintenance and ask for their opinion. The asst. service manager at Renton Motorcycle Company, in Renton, WA came out and listened and suggested it was the CCT making the noise. He indicated that it was not common to have to replace the CCT on a Gen 2 FJR with so few miles and felt it was not serious enough to install a new one at that time. He did indicate that when a new CCT is installed it would be with a newer version as there had been a design update. (Here's a bit of added input. - It seemed to me after I first heard the clicking at 56K, I didn't hear it under normal operation, meaning at stop lights or short term setting at idle even though I was more sensitive to it. But again, earplugs and helmet.)

 

The service manager also indicated that if I hear the same noise start to develop at at a higher RPM, which I never have, it should be attended to by making the switch.

 

Coincidentally, while at the PNW Tech Day on Oct.1, there was a CCT change performed (at about 30K) and a bit of discussion about it being more of a preventative maintenance issue than a failure problem. With that bit of info, I asked an attendee to listen to my motor and upon the final RPM drop to 1100 rpm, the noise occurred right on schedule. George (escapefjrtist) felt the prudent thing to do would be to get it switched out ASAP. I was now at 73K on the clock.

 

Enough said and when the dealer opened on Tue. I contacted the asst. service manage and asked if he could get the switch completed by that Fri. as I had a long scheduled ride planned for the week-end. He said he would get the parts, (CCT and gasket) shipped in and make the switch on Friday. Took the bike in on Wed. and the next day I was informed the part had arrived. I spoke to the Tech who has done all the work on my FJR and he indicated that he had performed very few CCT replacements on FJR's with this low mileage but that after hearing mine upon start-up Friday morning, he also agreed to was a good idea to go ahead and install the newer unit. I picked up the bike Fri. afternoon and was charged $35.00 Labor and $89.00 for the parts. RMC was having a 20% off parts and accessories promotion through Oct.

 

The Tech didn't show major concern about the CCT noise, in terms of a real urgency to replace it, but again, was in agreement that it would be the responsible thing to do at this time, given the major consequences of a failure.

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement - N/A

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days - Two days to get the part and an hour to R/R.

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S - Out of pocket expense.

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements - No

J – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal - Randomly

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design - Confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient.

 
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I just replaced the CCT on my 2007 at 53k during a valve check. No noise, just preventive and did the change out myself. The latest version definitely had more spring tension, so glad I did the change out.

 
A – the model year of your FJR - 2006

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent - 28K

C – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage - repalced myself at 28K

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise - No noise, did it as preventitive maintenance

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics - See D above.

 

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement - N/A

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days - N/A

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S - Out of pocket expense $80 in parts.

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements - No

J – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal - No noise - just preventitive maintenance

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design - Confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient.

 

Note: There was a significant difference in the strength of the original CCT and the replacement CCT. I did the change as part of the valve check.

 
A – the model year of your FJR - 2005

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent - 50k

C – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage - ignored until it became louder and had it replaced when the 52k valve check was performed

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise - Yes

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics - Yes. Dealer noticed the rattling noise and found it to be sticking.

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement - No

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days - 5 days (performed alongside 52k valve check)

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S - ~150 or so.

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements - No

J – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal - Began randomly. Wanted to make sure I wasnt paranoid as we all remember the 'tickers' so I gave it some more time and it gradually grew louder. When I could start hearing it through my helmet it was time to park it and get it in for the work.

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design - Confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient.

 
A – the model year of your FJR - 2007

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent - 35k

C – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage - repalced myself at 43k

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise - Yes it did.

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics - Attempted to have dealer diagnose and replace under YES but they didn't hear anything. I replaced it myself because I could hear it and knew it was a problem.

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement - N/A

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days - N/A

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S - Out of pocket expense $80 in parts.

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements - No

J – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal - Started after valve adjustment.

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design - Confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient.

 
– the model year of your FJR - 2006

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent - N/A

C – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage - replaced myself at 34K

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise - YES, very slight noise, did it as preventitive maintenance, I really noticed how much quieter it was after I replaced it

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics - See D above.

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement - N/A

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days - N/A

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S - Out of pocket expense $80 in parts.

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements - No

J – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal - slight noise - just preventitive maintenance when I checked my valves

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design - Confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient.

 
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the model year of your FJR - 2008

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent - N/A, preventative replacement

C – what action did you take: replaced myself at 22K

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem: N/A

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics - N/A

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement - N/A

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days - N/A

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S - Out of pocket expense $80 in parts.

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements - No

J – did the chain noise begin randomly just preventitive maintenance when I checked my valves

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design - Confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient.

 
A – the model year of your FJR: 2005

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent: Intermittant - not really a problem yet at 27,100

C – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage: Replaced it myself

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise: Yes

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics: Never serviced by dealer

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement: no

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days: NA

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S No

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements : First timer

J – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal:: Replaced at first valve adjustment as preventative

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design: The collective has spoken, and it is good

 
A- 2006 AE

B- 35000

C-DEALER REPLACED WITH A.P.E BUT DID NOT ADJUST THE TENSIONER PROPERLY

D- I THINK SO

E-DIAGNOSED BY ME, DEALER NEVER HAD A CLUE

F-NO I THINK I CAUGHT IT IN TIME

G-2 DAYS

H-YES WARRANTY RAN OUT JUST IN TIME

I-FIRST TIME REPLACEMENT

J-BEGAN TICKING AND AFTER READING THE FORUM I TOOK NO CHANCES

K-MANUAL ONLY. YAMAHA LOST THEIR CHANCE TO PLEASE ME.

 
A – 2006

B – ~45K miles

C – replaced the CCT myself

D – yes

E – no

F – no

G – n/a

H – out of warranty

I – no

J – randomly

K - no data to support it, but I'm hoping the blue dot CCT will resolve the issue

 
What a great thread on replacing the cct but does anyone know a typical cost of having a shop replace the cct. I realize it depends on my geographic location which is Ohio. But I just wondered. It appears the part is around $75.00.

Thanks

Al

 
Tackled this job as part of the Big Winter Maintenance project (valves, oil/filter, TBS, PAIR removal, coolant, plugs, final drive oil), all made posible by the info on this great forum.

A – 2005

B – Started noticing some noise at ~23k.

C – Noise gradually became more noticeable. At 26k I decided to change it when I did the valves. Changed it myself at 26,600 miles.

D – Yes, bike is much quieter now.

E – No

F – No. After reading the horror stories on here I decided to park it until I fixed it.

G – N/A

H – Nope

I – Nope

J – Randomly

K - After comparing the old and new spring tension I am confident that the new design is up to the job.

Thanks Howie!

 
A – the model year of your FJR: 2006

 

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent: 35K, bike is new to me, so who knows

 

C – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage: Replaced it myself

 

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise: YES!!!!

 

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics: N/A

 

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement: No

 

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days: N/A

 

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S No

 

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements : First time

 

J – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal: Became more apparent after TBS..

 

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design: Will see

 

Thanks to all for all the info on this forum!

 
A – the model year of your FJR.

2003

B – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent

The bike has 63,000 mile and there wasn't any noise. Just a preventative measure

C – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage

Replaced myself @ 63,000 miles

D – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise

NA

E – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics

NA

F – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement

No

G – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days

NA

H – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S

NA

I – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements

No

J – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal

No noise

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design

Fairly confident

 
A the model year of your FJR - ------ 2008

B the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent ----- 35k

C what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage ----- had dealer replace it during valve check at 50k

D did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise ----- definitely quieter!!!

E was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics ------- no, but mechanic there is now considering checking his own after seeing mine.

F were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement ------- no damage- but tech did say it was a good catch. Could have been an issue in the future.

G if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days. -------- actual work time was about 2 days. Parts were ordered ahead of time when I made the appointment.

H paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S ---------- don't have warranty - C.O.D.

I have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements ------ first time

-

J did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal ------------------- gradual starting at 35k

K - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design ------------- Yamaha parts ok.

The tech is becoming a believer in the Forum after this issue. I did mention this thread when I dropped off the bike. He now understands that there is a lot of mental thought and analysis that goes on here when an questionable issue becomes apparent.

 
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2007 – the model year of your FJR

65450 – the number of miles on your FJR when the cam chain noise became apparent

Minor ticking on cold start; ignored it as it went away when hot (big mistake) – what action did you take, i.e., replace the CCT yourself, have the dealer do the work, ignore the noise, etc., and at what mileage

Not replaced at intial observation – did replacing the CCT eliminate the problem, i.e., the chain noise

The problem was diagnosed by self after chain tensioner failed following valve adjustment, and on initial start up. Yes, the CCT was installed and released properly. Prior to installation it was checked for freedom of release and spring tension. – was the problem diagnosed by a dealer and if so, dealer name and specifics

16 bent valves, minor witness mark of valve/piston contact. New cylinder head was purchased and built up by Metric Motorcycles of HOuston TX. – were there any problems related to the CCT failure, i.e., cylinder head damage/engine replacement

I pulled the engine and head. Head work was done as above. I built up the engine and re-installed. Head was turned around in two weeks. – if the repair/replacement was performed by a dealer, how many days

Mileage way beyond that. – paid for by Yamaha or not/under conventional warranty or Y.E.S

CCT never replaced prior – have you replaced your CCT more than once, including how many times, mileage at replacements

Following valve adjustment – did the chain noise begin randomly, or did it begin following valve adjustment, where the CCT needed to be de-tensioned to facilitate cam removal

Installed aftermarket unit. - if you are needing to change your CCT are you confident Yamaha's redesign is sufficient or are you considering replacement with a manual aftermarket design

DON'T IGNORE THE NOISE.

 
Shit, sorry to hear of the CCT disaster, Jetrep. I know personally how much it hurts (and costs!) to frag your Feej.

Some interesting notes as I researched some things in this thread...out of 116 posts in this thread, 81 of those posts are actually responses to the survey - folks who have replaced their CCTs -- and out of those 81, 42% are Gen II bikes...6 2008s, 12 2007s, 13 2006s.

No indications from this thread that CCT failures have affected 2009 and up models.

Maybe the part number change, which we can assume was instituted in manufacturing, has quieted down this problem. But, on the other hand, the 09s are only 3 years old. Time will tell.

Thanks everybody, for your participation in this survey.

'Howie

 
OUCH!

Jetrep, sorry to hear about your painful experence. Are you back on the road? Since you have the aftermarket unit - I assume it is the APE manual unit - be sure it isn't adjusted too tight.

Howie, do you still have yours? How many adjustments so far? I put mine on my replacement AE last summer and it hasn't needed to be adjusted yet - about 20k best guestimate without looking it up.

Brodie

 
OUCH!

Jetrep, sorry to hear about your painful experence. Are you back on the road? Since you have the aftermarket unit - I assume it is the APE manual unit - be sure it isn't adjusted too tight.

Howie, do you still have yours? How many adjustments so far? I put mine on my replacement AE last summer and it hasn't needed to be adjusted yet - about 20k best guestimate without looking it up.

Brodie
Hey Brodie!!!

27,000 miles...no adjustment necessary. The APE is Da Shizzle!

 
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