Lessons Learned on changing the CCT

[wheatonFJR]

Wow...when they say you need to move the engine to get to the middle gear seals, they weren't kidding! :dribble:

 

[yamafitter]

Nice job, Bill.

A couple of notes to possibly include in your procedure:...

Thanks for the suggestions Fred. All good points that will help.

I have gone back into the original post and added your suggestions.

 

[wheatonFJR]

This is a great write-up!!!

EDIT: How much time should normally be allowed for an average or below average garage mechanic to perform the CCT swap??

 

[yamafitter]

This is a great write-up!!!

EDIT: How much time should normally be allowed for an average or below average garage mechanic to perform the CCT swap??

I have 34 years of tinkering around stuff like instrumentation for nuclear reactors and it took me maybe two hours from rolling the bike into the garage to restarting the bike. Depending on how many beers are consumed, your time may vary. I would say if all the tools are handy it can easily be done in less than 3 hours by the average shady tree mechanic.

 

[wheatonFJR]

This is a great write-up!!!

EDIT: How much time should normally be allowed for an average or below average garage mechanic to perform the CCT swap??

I have 34 years of tinkering around stuff like instrumentation for nuclear reactors and it took me maybe two hours from rolling the bike into the garage to restarting the bike. Depending on how many beers are consumed, your time may vary. I would say if all the tools are handy it can easily be done in less than 3 hours by the average shady tree mechanic.

Thanks. :clapping:

(Marking down a full 8 hours for me)

 

[RaYzerman19]

Nice job, Bill.

A couple of notes to possibly include in your procedure:

On my new CCT, after I played with it on the workbench to confirm the tension would be increased as compared to the old one, it would not stay latched in the extracted position like the old one would, without re-installing the keeper. I assumed that all the new ones were that way, but it seems yours would. Not a big deal as it was easy to pull out the keeper with some needle-nose pliers after installing the new CCT.

After installing the new CCT, and before cutting the ty-wrap, after releasing the new CCT, put the screwdriver in the adjuster and exercise the tensioner a few times to confirm that the plunger is in fact hitting the chain guide. Now you can feel more comfortable releasing that ty-wrap.

After cutting the ty-wrap and before buttoning things up, manually turn the engine through at least two complete crankshaft revolutions (crank turns CW from the right side) while observing the timing chain . If you are going to skip (or have already skipped) a tooth on a sprocket you want to discover that before thumbing the starter button. Obviously do not force it if you feel any obstruction.

Your post will be a good resource for folks needing to do this. And I would say that anyone that has >30k miles and/or is out of warranty on their FJR that hasn't already done so, needs to do this.

All good points, Fred. Interestingly, when we changed BikerGeek's CCT last fall, we found the same as you, it would not stay retracted without the keeper. I think Bill's new one did (surprise), and when we did the Geek's valve clearances this time, it stayed retracted as well. It's a little tricky as there is a "trigger point" or click that is a bit hit or miss, so you might have to do it a couple of times.

If you are just replacing the CCT, as we did last fall, we did not have the valve cover off, and we were very careful to tie wrap the cam chain down by the crank sprocket and even more careful to verify the CCT had fully extended (triple checked) as it can partially hang up.

 

[zed88]

Dumb question but what indicates a need to change the cct? Is this just a gen 1 item at low mileage or is this nessassary on all model years? Is there an upgraded model that lasts longer?

 

[FJRBluesman]

Great job! I like that mod to the bolt.

 

[yamafitter]

Dumb question but what indicates a need to change the cct? Is this just a gen 1 item at low mileage or is this nessassary on all model years? Is there an upgraded model that lasts longer?

For the '08 model year Yamaha redesigned the CCT with a stronger spring and a few other changes. It is referred by many as the 'blue dot' CCT. The older design allowed for some chain slap over time and very few have experienced a CCT failure leading to very expensive valve damage. While I was not experiencing any cam chain noise on my '06 AE I changed mine out to the redesigned model as a preventative measure.

I see from your profile that you ride a '06 Gen II. I'm assuming you bought it used so the next time you have the tank off take a flashlight and check the top of the CCT for a blue dot. If you can't find the dot then you should consider changing it IMHO.

To have a shop do this is expensive mostly due to the time it takes dealing with the original bolts. The parts are worth roughly $100.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Why doesn't MamaYama recall all FJRs and retrofit the 'blue dot' tensioner?

FYI, Kawasaki sent recall letters to C-10 owners for free, dealer, installation of new-style cam-chain tensioners.

(certainly not an isolated case of a manufacturer initiated preventative measure...)

 

[FJRMGM]

man, glad I didn't see this write-up before I changed my CCT last fall.

All I did was remove the three bolts holding the old one in place and remove it and plug in the new one and bolt it up!!

I think it took me 35 minutes from start to finish and because I'm older that included having to stop to take a leak..

 

[yamafitter]

man, glad I didn't see this write-up before I changed my CCT last fall.

All I did was remove the three bolts holding the old one in place and remove it and plug in the new one and bolt it up!!

I think it took me 35 minutes from start to finish and because I'm older that included having to stop to take a leak..

You probably have girly man hands with tiny fingers.

I think your start and stop place in the procedure is a little different also. If you can remove the tank and all the plastic, perform the CCT change and then put the all the plastic back on in 35 minutes you should be working for one of the pit crews in NASCAR.

Also if you did nothing about ensuring that the cam chain stayed tight you are lucky that the chain did not slip and you didn't blow the bike up.

 

[FJRMGM]

man, glad I didn't see this write-up before I changed my CCT last fall.

All I did was remove the three bolts holding the old one in place and remove it and plug in the new one and bolt it up!!

I think it took me 35 minutes from start to finish and because I'm older that included having to stop to take a leak..

You probably have girly man hands with tiny fingers.

I think your start and stop place in the procedure is a little different also. If you can remove the tank and all the plastic, perform the CCT change and then put the all the plastic back on in 35 minutes you should be working for one of the pit crews in NASCAR.

Also if you did nothing about ensuring that the cam chain stayed tight you are lucky that the chain did not slip and you didn't blow the bike up.

you are right about the small hands - I have them and sometimes they are useful. Like his job and replacing headlight bulbs.

As for "remove all the plastic" - all that has to be removed is the two small side panels on the right side of the tank and one panel on the left. Crap if one is really slow that takes five minutes. Remove the seat and the two bolts on the front of the tank and loosen the back bolt on it and up it comes.

I followed the instructions someone else posted on this forum on how to make this repair and all worked fine. I guess The Force was with me on this one.

As for being on a NASCAR team - no, I am not but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

YMMV.

 

[Bustanut joker]

35 minutes? :huh:

Being it's Friday,this could get good

 

[beemerdons]

35 minutes? :huh:

Being it's Friday,this could get good

Hey Bust, it sounds like a "sword fight" is brewing! Right up dj bill's alley!

 

[RaYzerman19]

man, glad I didn't see this write-up before I changed my CCT last fall.

All I did was remove the three bolts holding the old one in place and remove it and plug in the new one and bolt it up!!

I think it took me 35 minutes from start to finish and because I'm older that included having to stop to take a leak..

You probably have girly man hands with tiny fingers.

I think your start and stop place in the procedure is a little different also. If you can remove the tank and all the plastic, perform the CCT change and then put the all the plastic back on in 35 minutes you should be working for one of the pit crews in NASCAR.

Also if you did nothing about ensuring that the cam chain stayed tight you are lucky that the chain did not slip and you didn't blow the bike up.

It's OK, Bill, he's got one of those inferior Gen 1's that doesn't need the T-bar taken out, insulation pad removed, and probably has no frame sliders preventing his right fairing from coming off..... not to mention, we have arthritic knees and when we get down to undo those screws, we need a beer to lubricate the knees when we get back up. Even so, no way in 35 minutes.... unless he switched his watch to Daylight Savings time afterwards.

 

[yamafitter]

Small hands are a definite plus for this job. I'm still not buying into the 35 minutes though. This sounds too much like the 10 minutes jobs my supervisor used to hand me at the nuke plant.

Three days later we would finally get the authorization to look at it to see if the job was even possible, seven days to get stores to release the parts from the warehouse, an hour getting suited up, checking in at the access desk and going through the air lock. 10 minutes to install the part, two hours to decontaminate the old parts & tools and then wait ten days for the operators to get around to perform the final testing before returning the system to service.

At 35 minutes to do a CCT I'm thinking your using one of those new fangled metric clocks...

Now that I've done a couple of CCT's, with all the plastic out of the way, the cam chain secured and Bustanut hasn't 'borrowed' my tools, we can change one out in 10 minutes, 5 minutes if we use your watch.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I've located the part numbers for the CCT and the CCT gasket, but don't know what the part number for the gasket on the cover is.

CCT - TENSIONER ASSY, CAM (5JW-12210-10-00)

CCT GASKET - GASKET, TENSIONER CA (5JW-12213-00-00)

Anyone got a part number for the cover gasket?

Thanks.

 

[Fred W]

Should be item #29 on the parts fische under "crankcase cover 1"

GASKET, OIL PUMP COV

5JW-15456-00-00

I bought one, but did not need to use it. YMMV

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Should be item #29 on the parts fische under "crankcase cover 1"

GASKET, OIL PUMP COV

5JW-15456-00-00

I bought one, but did not need to use it. YMMV

Thanks Fred. For $3.78 from Ron Ayers, i'm throwing one in the cart. Better to be safe than sorry!

A suggestion for Bill: Add the part #'s to the origional post to make it easier for anyone that is looking for them.