[Volunteer]

I have already replaced the stock ACCT with MCCT. Unfortunately, I used a product that was inferior, and the bolt head broke off externally. At present, it’s not a huge issue because the chains aren’t slapping. Nevertheless, it precludes the possibility of future adjustment, so I will have to replace them. Going through the forum, it seems the ones produced by TOC are preferred. I don’t see them anymore. I am looking at some on Sporttrack which I will link below. Any suggestions?

PSR Kawasaki VN750 Vulcan 85-03 Manual Cam Chain Tensioner

Purchase the PSR Kawasaki VN750 Vulcan 85-03 Manual Cam Chain Tensioner from SportbikeTrackGear.com. Get the lowest price, free shipping deal, easy exchanges and no restocking fees - Guaranteed!

www.sportbiketrackgear.com

 

[Spockster]

Don't think we've seen that one before.

Can you tell us which brand broke?

You could probably thread nuts onto the broken threads and use that to adjust.

 

[Spockster]

Looks like TOC is gone.

There's a lot of these on eBay in different colors.

Timing Cam Chain Tensioner Fit Kawasaki Vn 750 Vulcan 86-06 Manual Adjuster Blue | eBay

Description 100% Brand new Material:aluminium alloy 6063-T6 Main Color: as the picture size:as the size picture weight: 101g This manual cam chain tensioner is designed to replace the automatic and hydraulic tensioners on high performance engines. The automatic adjusters can back out when the...

www.ebay.com

 

[Spockster]

Should be able to replace the bolt on the broken mcct.

 

[Volunteer]

Looks like TOC is gone.

There's a lot of these on eBay in different colors.

Timing Cam Chain Tensioner Fit Kawasaki Vn 750 Vulcan 86-06 Manual Adjuster Blue | eBay

Description 100% Brand new Material:aluminium alloy 6063-T6 Main Color: as the picture size:as the size picture weight: 101g This manual cam chain tensioner is designed to replace the automatic and hydraulic tensioners on high performance engines. The automatic adjusters can back out when the...

www.ebay.com

That’s basically what I got. I don’t recall the brand, but they are blue. Got them for about 20 bucks on eBay.

 

[Spockster]

That’s basically what I got. I don’t recall the brand, but they are blue. Got them for about 20 bucks on eBay.

I'd just get another bolt, they aren't anything special. Must have been a defective bolt, should be able to turn those adjusters without much force.

 

[Volunteer]

Should be able to replace the bolt on the broken mcct.

I'd just get another bolt, they aren't anything special. Must have been a defective bolt, should be able to turn those adjusters without much force.

Thanks, that’s also the most cost effective solution, so I won’t argue.

 

[OleDirtyDoc]

Build your own

 

[PseudoPhil]

TOC isn't gone. An old link on this site pointed to page that isn't there anymore, but his domain is still there.

Manual Cam Chain Tensioner - TOC Manufacturing

Instructions: Removing the Existing Cam Chain Tensioners: Front: Unbolt the mounting nuts. The oil pipe bracket will need to be bent out of the way to remove the ACCT. Kawasaki recommends removing the oil pipe, however, our experience has been that this is not necessary. Rear: You need to...

tocmanufacturing.com

There's no mention of VN700/VN750 on his new site, so I called and left a VM. He VM'd me back and said everything on his site is for VN700/VN750. He just had his site rebuilt and didn't realize the new version didn't mention VN750, and that he'd look into making that clearer.

I just bought two this afternoon, since I think my ACCT's might be going bad. She's knocking at 4500rpm under load.

 

[Volunteer]

TOC isn't gone. An old link on this site pointed to page that isn't there anymore, but his domain is still there.

Manual Cam Chain Tensioner - TOC Manufacturing

Instructions: Removing the Existing Cam Chain Tensioners: Front: Unbolt the mounting nuts. The oil pipe bracket will need to be bent out of the way to remove the ACCT. Kawasaki recommends removing the oil pipe, however, our experience has been that this is not necessary. Rear: You need to...

tocmanufacturing.com

There's no mention of VN700/VN750 on his new site, so I called and left a VM. He VM'd me back and said everything on his site is for VN700/VN750. He just had his site rebuilt and didn't realize the new version didn't mention VN750, and that he'd look into making that clearer.

I just bought two this afternoon, since I think my ACCT's might be going bad. She's knocking at 4500rpm under load.

That’s good to hear. Thanks.

 

[Spockster]

TOC isn't gone. An old link on this site pointed to page that isn't there anymore, but his domain is still there.

Manual Cam Chain Tensioner - TOC Manufacturing

Instructions: Removing the Existing Cam Chain Tensioners: Front: Unbolt the mounting nuts. The oil pipe bracket will need to be bent out of the way to remove the ACCT. Kawasaki recommends removing the oil pipe, however, our experience has been that this is not necessary. Rear: You need to...

tocmanufacturing.com

There's no mention of VN700/VN750 on his new site, so I called and left a VM. He VM'd me back and said everything on his site is for VN700/VN750. He just had his site rebuilt and didn't realize the new version didn't mention VN750, and that he'd look into making that clearer.

I just bought two this afternoon, since I think my ACCT's might be going bad. She's knocking at 4500rpm under load.

Yup, good to know. I searched with Google and hit links from the search results, they kept coming up with errors.

 

[PseudoPhil]

Ordered Thursday, arrived today.

I googled it too, got the error, then realized the domain was up but the address was bad. Went to the top and clicked down to the page linked above. Google just hasn't caught up with his new site yet.

 

[taco_to_go]

You can make your own for like $2 in parts from any hardware store. I did mine a few years ago with the help of a couple of YouTube videos. I think it was 2 2" bolts, 4 nuts, and 2 little bonded washers.

 

[Green1]

I have to agree with the "do it yourself" option. I reused my original ACCT components and followed the procedure described in this forum by Wolfie (RIP). I also added some extra material around the "plunger" so it was more rigid. I wrapped strips of aluminum around the inside of the housing, where the spring was before I removed it. That limited the movement of the plunger that rides on the chain. Mine have been running longer than I can remember and have only been adjusted maybe twice. I do not really like the design of the ones shown above in this post. The flat end that rides on the chain just does not seem like a good point of contact for the moving chain. No matter how hard it is I can only see either (1) the flat end riding on the chain wearing down quickly or (2) the hardened flat end wearing the chain prematurely. The rounded end of the original ACCT seems more chain friendly.

 

[Spockster]

I have to agree with the "do it yourself" option. I reused my original ACCT components and followed the procedure described in this forum by Wolfie (RIP). I also added some extra material around the "plunger" so it was more rigid. I wrapped strips of aluminum around the inside of the housing, where the spring was before I removed it. That limited the movement of the plunger that rides on the chain. Mine have been running longer than I can remember and have only been adjusted maybe twice. I do not really like the design of the ones shown above in this post. The flat end that rides on the chain just does not seem like a good point of contact for the moving chain. No matter how hard it is I can only see either (1) the flat end riding on the chain wearing down quickly or (2) the hardened flat end wearing the chain prematurely. The rounded end of the original ACCT seems more chain friendly.

If it's an mcct the plunger shouldn't be moving.

The flat end doesn't ride on the chain, it presses on the chain guide.

 

[Green1]

Once again I demonstrate that I'm getting old, I forgot there was a guide on top of the chain. That makes the design look better LOL.

When I built my MCCT I removed the adjusting “screw” from the plunger assembly along with the spring. I then kept the sleeve and the “mushroom tip” portion of the plunger assembly. After removing the threaded bolt portion I replaced it with longer hex head bolt with a locknut to tighten it against the ACCT housing. (I also placed a nut inside the housing that was secured in place with JB Weld, as per Wolfie’s suggestion. Thus increasing the threaded portion of the housing that the locknut tightens against so that the threads do not get stripped from the now re-purposed housing) The upper portion of the bolt, protruding through the housing is quite solid.
However, the lower portion of the plunger, with the sleeve was left free to “wobble” even with tension on the plunger from the new adjustment bolt. (The original adjustment bolt threads into the mushroom tip and makes the whole assembly a bit more solid. However as the chain wears and the assembly extends further away from the housing body the lower portion of the side to side movement of the assembly does increase.) This wobble is more pronounced with just a bolt pushing the plunger’s mushroom tip onto the chain. To make the new MCCT stable I cut a strip of aluminum about ½" wide and inserted it around the inside of the housing until the sleeve was very tight in the housing. I then inserted the plunger and secured it in place with the wire spring clip. I don’t remember exactly when I first modified my ACCT but I know it was before 2016 and they are still working fine.

I'm pretty sure that I shot a email to Wolfie when I did the aluminum strip because I knew he would appreciate my cheap fix using material I already purchased. A beer can.

 

[Acadia86]

Rather than start yet another thread, I figure I can ask about this here seeing my question is about cam tensioners. Specifically it's about page 4-11 in the PDF manual we use and the correct procedure for reinstalling the OEM automatic tensioners. It mentions "resetting" the spring plunger, using a screwdriver etc. Or else bad things happen.
Oops!

Ok, so what happens if I didn't follow that advice?

I'm asking because in the course of installing my MCCTs last spring, I went back and forth on the front cylinder. I wasn't sure I liked the way the front one sounded with the MCCT at first so I put the auto back on there for a while. Recently I took it back off and reinstalled the MCCT.

It's been running fine, but since coming across this jarring bit of info in the manual, a dark cloud - indeed, one might say an "Ominous Darkness" - has eclipsed my well-being.

 

[Green1]

My guessis that your spring in the ACCT was "stuck" or perhaps even broken. Otherwise the plunger extends fully and you would have had difficulty installing it, putting alot of pressure on the timing chain. The procedure calls for pulling the plunger all the way up off of the chain, installing the ACCT housing assembly, then releasing the spring allowing the plunger to ride on the chain with the tension being set by the spring. The Gambo trick rewinds the spring and allows it to "snap" back resetting the required pressure. It won't work if the spring is shot or broken. If you are still on the road I guess no major damage was done.

 

[Spockster]

Rather than start yet another thread, I figure I can ask about this here seeing my question is about cam tensioners. Specifically it's about page 4-11 in the PDF manual we use and the correct procedure for reinstalling the OEM automatic tensioners. It mentions "resetting" the spring plunger, using a screwdriver etc. Or else bad things happen.
Oops!

Ok, so what happens if I didn't follow that advice?

I'm asking because in the course of installing my MCCTs last spring, I went back and forth on the front cylinder. I wasn't sure I liked the way the front one sounded with the MCCT at first so I put the auto back on there for a while. Recently I took it back off and reinstalled the MCCT.

It's been running fine, but since coming across this jarring bit of info in the manual, a dark cloud - indeed, one might say an "Ominous Darkness" - has eclipsed my well-being.

It's probably fine if it hasn't self destructed by now. If you're still running the acct you can still do the reset, right?

 

[Acadia86]

Well, it did take some effort to reinstall the ACCT when I did it early in the season. At the time I just figured the pressure was the result of the spring pushing against the chain guide.

So please help me understand what might have happened instead, and why it needs to be "reset". Does the spring somehow get locked in the extended position once it's removed? If so, why? What sense does that make engineering-wise?

Both of the MCCTs are installed now and have been for the past few months. I still have both of the autos in a ziplock. But I'm worried about that front cylinder because when I went to tighten the MCCT on it yesterday, I kept winding it in without effect. I kept expecting to meet more resistance; maybe even make the idle drop (which happened the first time I dialed them in) but nothing happened. I didn't dare keep going so I quit and called it a night. I still don't dare actually. But it's bugging me no end wondering if I really effed something up in there.