VF1000F 84 Cam chain tensioner Removal

Hi everyone, i am a noobie and don’t know too much about mc mechanics (or how the forum works) my VF a new purchase (a fatal mistake of test riding with a warm motor) the day after i bought it i started it and oh shit!! a terrible ticking from the rear cylinder top, (when warm the motor is perfect) after taking off the cam cover (cams have no visible damage or wear) we cranked over the motor by hand and found the cam chain was slapping up and hitting the overhead chain guide, so from what i have heard, it is the tensioner, so because there are no available new tensioners i have to do a mod on it (found someone at the local bike workshop that will mod it for me) the question i have is, do both EX & IN cams have to come out to remove the tensioner? I have also understood that many of the VF1000F 84 manuals are incorrect on timing positions, and me being a noobie i wonder if anyone in simple terms (very simple terms) can explain the positioning of the cams for removal, a lot more simple if it’s only the EX cam that needs to come out, i would be extremely greatful for any advice on this!! ;D thank you for any forthcoming help.

hi, welcome to the forum,
If i was you i wouldnt automatically jump to the conclusion that it must be the cam chain tensioner its self, you can also get the same symptons if the slipper blade has not been located into the slot at the bottom of the engine, or even if the piece of slotted steel that it fits into has been bent or even snapped off,
Has anyone had the engine apart before you bought it ?
At T1-3 on the altinator, all the lines on the cam wheels front and rear should align with the cylinder head, and all the all the cam identifications (IR) inlet rear, (ER) exhaust rear, (IF) inlet front and (EF) exhaust front should either face up or down,
I think by the time you have removed the rear exhaust cam and all the oil pipes ect you may as well pull the inlet cam out as well to give your self a little more room, the exhaust cam is a little fiddly to get out because you cant fully remove the cam caps because the long bolt that hold them down hits the frame, so you have to pull them up as far as possible then slide the cam out from underneath them,

there is a load of information in a posting
http://honda.vf1000.com/forum/index.php/topic,844.0.html

Hi Pete! thank you for your answer, after all the reading of posts i have done lately i understand that it can be slipper blade problems, so i will have to just take it out and have a look at both tensioner and blade and hopefully be able to look down and see where the blade slots in, the cams have been changed and looking at the cylinder head bolts the head has been off too, will try my best to just get the rear cam out (the less to come out the less to go in) hence less chance of problems, we are both noobies at this so it seems the best way, after looking i see that the tensioner is almost resting on the head, which according to you in the post you gave me, it is more than likely the slipper blade not in it’s slot, hopefully the slot still there and it will slot right back in if it is not damaged … thanks again for your answer and you will probably hear from me again, but on a seriously funny note, i will first have to get the top of my finger out of the cam chain and sprocket wich i left there on Monday during a senior moment, for reals!! i have a pic of it of it just sitting there :-/ OUCH!

Hi Pete!! i have the fly wheel at the 1-3 crankcase mark (does it matter if i have turned it clock/counterclockwise?) the in/outlet id’s are facing upwards and camcog marks more or less flush with the head, cylinder 3’s rocker arm has som slack (valve closed) but cylinder 1’s rocker is tight (no give, with oil hole just off center) is this correct? arent both supposed to have give in them at 1-3 mark, or do i have to back off cylinder 1’s valve rocker screws to give it some slack before removing the rear cam?