Fitting the camchain

Hello,
I fitted a new camchain yesterday by myself and thought I would share.
My 2005 FE650 had only 2 clicks left at 105hrs.
Thanks to Taffy for the IWIS 70 link camchain.
So I used the ziptie method of finding TDC as I always have by putting it down the spark plug hole.
Bike in 6th gear and rotating the wheel to carefully find the TDC
I've used this way for years setting valves and has always worked fine. Maybe I will be sorry someday.
Anyway TDC and removed chain tensioner, and rocker cover.
Lobes at 5 and 7 and camwheel with mark on top.
Removed breather also and covered the top of the motor well with a rag and taped it tight before
I grinded 2 pins off the old chain and popped the link off.
Since I only had one new link clip with the new chain and didn't want to clip it twice I then tie wired
the new chain to the old very carefully at the exact distance to ride on the cam wheel teeth.
I twisted a few times and trimmed the wire so it wasn't protruding.
Then I also wired up the old chain temporarily to the handlebar so I could work it out of the motor without
getting in the way.
Then carefully I rolled the rear wheel inch by inch as I fed the new chain in the motor and in turn also took up slack with the tie wire on the old chain. Little by little move the wheel, feed the chain, take up slack.
I didn't want the old chain falling in the back and jamming if it would.
It took a little while feeding the new chain in a couple links at a time but I got it around to near the top, not dead top because it was more convenient to be at around the 1oclock position when I grinded pins to access it.
So then with motor covered again as I uncovered it to rotate the motor, I cut the wire off and fitted the link and
clip. I then installed the tensioner again.
Done deal.
I cleaned very well the rocker cover and motor area to be sealed again. Some with a razor blade and a brass wire
brush to not mar the surface. I then finished with DX 330 wax and grease remover.
I skimmed the surface of both the cover and motor side with Komatsu gasket maker 515 #140437H1
Recommended from a mechanic at work. The 3 bond 1211 is also good but the 515 is easy to work with because it only drys with the absence of oxygen which gives you plenty of work time.
I put it together and torqued it down evenly in stages. I got just a little 515 squish out of the sides which was good.
Then I let it sit for 24 hours.
Came in today and set the tappets again to make sure they were right.
Put the rest back together and started up.

Runs great :cheers:

pollo

Of one more interesting note. There was a little mess up that didn't seem to make a difference.
I need to make a correction from my original post
When I actually pulled off the cover I had not yet set TDC so before I cut the chain off I put it there but by mistake
put the lobes on top at that point meaning it was on the wrong stroke.
Pulled the tensioner at that point and then cut the chain.
Rolled the motor and fed the new chain, clipped it on.
At that point of course I realized It needed TDC so set it correctly with my method and put the tensioner
in correctly noticing it sounding as though it pushed a couple clicks as some here say it does.
The clip at that point is just coming out of the motor a few links from where I clipped it.
Setting the tappets the next day revealed they didn't move from the original position much, maybe just a
12th or so on a few.
The motor sounds good and I will test hopefully next week.

pollo