alarming camchain noise

[IanP]

I have this rather alarming noise that is caused by a loose camchain, the bike sounds like there is a bag of nails in there on idle and at revs up to about 4000, after that you cant hear it over the exhaust noise!, and the bike hiccups (backfires?) every 10 seconds or so and that sounds like the camchain is slapping on the crankcase somewhere, I have had the tensioner out, and checked it, and the spring snaps back promptly when wound up, but when the tensioner is fitted, it snaps to full extension and the cam chain is still loose.

I have tried putting a screwdriver through the tensioner hole and manually trying to wind it out a bit, but it seems like it is at the end of its extension, If i wind it back in a bit, the bag of nails noise gets much much worse very quickly, so i am sure i just need the tensioner to go out a bit more.

I have measured the 21 link section as directed in the haynes manual, and it is almost 2.7mm under the maximum allowed camchain wear, so i am now curious as to whether anyone else has had a similar problem, and what the fix for it is ?

And does anyone know how long the tensioner rod should be when it is fully out ?

Thanks

[GSRider]

I had my CCT (Cam chain tensioner) blow on me when I was coming back from a long ride two years ago. All of a sudden, she sounded like what you described.

I parked the bike (When i got it home) and shelled out the $40 for a new CCT.

[CanukGS500]

slightly off topic, but it is normal to have some cam chain noise, right?

Mine certainly doesn't sound like that, but I do hear what I think is some cam chain noise.

[IanP]

I had my CCT (Cam chain tensioner) blow on me when I was coming back from a long ride two years ago. All of a sudden, she sounded like what you described.

I parked the bike (When i got it home) and shelled out the $40 for a new CCT.

I'm beginning to think the tensioner could be at fault, i dont suppose you know what length the tensioner is when fully extended do you ? (or anyone else?)

But, in the UK, Tensioners are £41 which is about $90  , so i dont really want to go changing it unless i need to

Thanks

[The Buddha]

I have rewound the GS CCT's with very good results. Open and rewind away.
Cool.
Buddha.

[sledge]

But, in the UK, Tensioners are £41 which is about $90  , so i dont really want to go changing it unless i need to

Thanks

£12-15 from a breaker.