This posting is from the zx14ninja.com forum. It was made by bugsey on 9/7/2007.

This from Phil....I'll let him answer the questions, if any.

Remove tensioner and disassemble.

Use a punch to drive out check fitting in plunger.

Reinstall check fitting in plunger without the retaining cap. Use some grease to hold it in place.

Drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the tensioner body.

Use a punch to drive out the check fitting.

Final drill the hole to 17/64" and tap hole 8 mm x 1.25 mm.

Use an 8 mm x 70 mm full thread bolt and 8 mm flange nut for the adjuster assy.

Grind down the last 1/4" of the end of the bolt until it will fit inside the plunger and seats against the check fitting.

Screw the nut on the bolt with the flange facing away from the head of the bolt.

Use grease on the threads and slip on 7 1/4" x 1/16" O rings on the threads. These will seal the tensioner bolt when sandwiched between the flange nut and the housing.

Reinstall the two spring retainers in the housing, install the plunger and push into the housing until it locks in place flush with the housing.

Screw the bolt into the housing until it bottoms against the plunger.

Reinstall tensioner and adjust the bolt to add tension to the chain. Look at the pic, you should be fairly close to the final adjust point before you start the engine. You will feel some resistance from the O rings as they slip over the threads of the bolt. But since you don't want to put excessive pressure on the cam chain, at no time in this step should you use a wrench to tighten the tensioner bolt. A nut driver works perfectly for this step but if one isn't available use an open end wrench held parallel to the bolt.

Start the engine and adjust the bolt in until the cam chain noise just stops. Hold the bolt and lock down the nut.

All done, enjoy the quiet start up's!

* Last updated by: bgordon on 2/8/2009 @ 1:40 PM *

I'm glad you saved that!!! The hard drive I had it on crashed and I was afraid it was gone forever.

I'm glad you saved that!!! The hard drive I had it on crashed and I was afraid it was gone forever.

Happy to help.

I think I found most of the interesting HOW-TOs -- at least the ones that there seemed to be lots of interest in. -bg

is there a trick on how to put the original tensioner back in the bike unmodified, I pulled the tensioner out to get some measurements and now it feels like the tensioner does not want to go back in, it does not want to go in the last 1/4" inch do I have a problem

* Last updated by: b00fa on 4/15/2009 @ 6:42 PM *

You have to preload the tensioner, then finish it off with the the valve cover off to gain access to snap the push pin so the plunger flies out. Do this. See like the horseshoe side of the machined out body? Or say, you remembered to mark the upright position of installation? Well, this is it. So this is where all the work is done also to remove that 1/4" gap.

Look at the U or the horseshoe cutout about midway or find in the middle where you can pinch both sides of that 'stopper' area you should be looking at. You want to push that like one way so you can push the plunger over the teeth of that stopper. Study it a little to see what I mean.

Because you need to meet that little arm again so as to use a flat blade or minus blade that is thin and long enough to push the little guy up to make it push the plunger back out again. This is where you have to remove the top valve cover to set the screwdriver in place. No 1/4" is going to make it without all this simple procedure.

And here is the critical part is not to move the crank as you know. But you do want to take the slack out of the back for the ratchet to move the plunger out to the lowest point of the chain slack. So, you will need to ever so slightly move the crank by placing it in 1st gear, because you can't start it to chase 6th gear out of safety lock. Sure it would make it easier and the price of a gasket to replacement is a waste is all you need is 1st gear to move the crank a little.

As you push the ratchet up to move the plunger out, you want to kick the back wheel so the front part of the cam chain is taught at the front so you have a full throw at the lowest point of the chain. Think like looking at the back wheel in 1st. So move the wheel either direction, notice the taught side, notice the slack side of the chain. You want to create this scenario so you have full slack...

The thing is, you might want to replace the valve cover gasket and buttons because of the memory crush is wearing out so as to leak if reused. So, to make it easy, you could remove the crank cover (right side) so you can feel that tensioner is tight as you move the crank either way [after the tensioner is set first like the drive chain slack/taught suggestion].

Because technically, you can just snap it and forget it. You will hear it ratchet out and be on your way. I am more tricking the slipper bar in the static. The engine is going to make noise until the oil is pressured up. I find a few false start-up and stops is more to bleed the system like I do with an oil/filter change is to stop and go starting till I hear the tensioner loaded and quiet sounding at the chain slap.

I was able to modify the stock tensioner today and have it installed and running but I found out something that is not mentioned in your how-to. The m8x1.5 thread for the tensioner bolt is not in the centre of the tensioner body it should be shifted downwards 1.5 mm of centre, on my tensioner if you look at the other end of the tensioner "the plunger end" you can see the offset, just thought I would mention it. Thanks for your help.