After a ride and letting bike set for a few minutes there is a noise on restart. The noise goes away. The noise sounds like a chain without tension. What is it and how what do i do to fix it

* Last updated by: cardoctor61 on 4/21/2012 @ 8:57 PM *

Interesting you would describe it as such cuz that is prolly exactly what tit is. Is it a rattle on the right side of the engine? That's where the cam chain tensioner is. It often does not keep the timing chain perfectly taught. That is a defining characteristic of a ZX-14. They all do it, some worse than others.

It is usually much better when the engine oil is fresh. It does go away, usually within 15-30 seconds of idling.

An APE manual chain tensioner will stop the rattle. Also heard that a modified ZX-12 CCT works wonders.

---

Hey Rook, why does it do it? How many have the same issue. Is it milage related? design? My 08 will do it after a hot restart. Do you have a write up on the APE or zx10 mod idea?
Dano

---

mine is also an 08 and on start up it sounded like a chain saw, fitted the A P E tensioner, all happiness and silence
B-A

Hey B.A, how often does the APe need adjustment? Is it hard to install??

Dano

---

Hey Rook, why does it do it?

Simply put, the OEM CCT is designed for safety rather than optimum tension. It runs a range of safe tensions and the looser tensions, such as that which is present at cold start, apparently allow the chain to flop about a bit. I have not seen an engine window showing exactly what it is about the cam chain that makes the noise but we all have heard it.
CCT

The cam chain tensioner is a spring loaded piston. The CCT piston pushes a pivoting glide guide against the cam chain and that is what keeps the cam chain at the proper tension. The CCT piston will always maintain a consistent outward force under the tension of its spring. In this way, it maintains proper cam chain tension as the cam chain stretches with age. There is also no doubt, some range of tension adjustment required to accommodate expansion of the parts as they heat. As you can see, the OEM tensioner adjusts cam chain tension automatically. If the chain gets loose for any reason, the CCT piston pushes forward against it to take up the slack. If the chain becomes tight again such as it may after it contracts from a cool down, the CCT piston will retract in like fashion.
This illustration was meant to show how the CCT piston is set after installed. Ignore the screwdriver and arrows but note the red glide guide, the grey CCT and the blue cam chain.

There is a built in fail safe so that the tensioner piston cannot ever retract too far, allowing the cam chain to slide off of the timing sprockets. The fail safe is that the CCT piston will press out against the cam chain as much as needed to maintain tension but it has a ratchet lock system that prevents it from being pushed back in more than a few millimeters. As the chain stretches with age the OEM CCT pops pushes forward and eventually, it will pop forward enough to lock into the next ratchet stop. Right at that ratchet stop is the ideal place for the OEM CCT to be to keep max safe tension on the cam chain. It is at this point that the cam chain rattle is at its minimum so I might suggest that those of us without cam chain rattle are right at the ratchet stop and those of us with the loudest and longest rattle are pretty much smack in the middle of ratchet stops.
The ribs on the piston you see are the ratchet stops.

Another reason for the rattle is oil breakdown. You will notice the rattle is a lot briefer and prolly not as loud right after an oil change. I believe low viscosity caused by thermal breakdown and combustion contaminants allows much of the oil to run off of the chain when the engine is not running so it is loud when it starts.

How many have the same issue.

I believe most of us do. Out of the 7-8 ZX-14 owners I have met in person, all have complained about the rattle

Is it milage related?

Could be. It will get noisier as it gets closer to the next ratchet stop and then one day, POP! into the next stop and it should be as taught and noise free as is safe. Hope it lasts since you will likely be waiting tens of thousands of miles. I do not think the cam chains really stretch all that much. Not like a drive chain.

design?

Yes, precisely. As described above.

My 08 will do it after a hot restart.

should be better after the oil has gotten circulated and worked into the cam chain. However, hot oil is less viscous. IMO, the cold starts are where the rattle can last 20-30 seconds. Usually 15 seconds and it gets pretty quiet. Hot start, I might get a couple can chain rattles and then it is just ordinary engine noise. pretty soft.

Do you have a write up on the APE or zx10 mod idea?

No, I have an APE but have yet to install. The ZX-10 CCT will NOT work with the 14, the ZX-12 CCT can be modded to work with a 14 and these modded ZX-12 CCTs can be purchased from Bill Eason who is a member here and he uses his name, billeason as his username here. I would talk to Bill to find out if the install is easy as an APE. DogoZX also has one of Bill Eason's ZX-12 CCTs on his 14 and he seems happy. Here is the link to the CCT removal.
cam chain tensioner removal
If you can do that, the APE install is easy. Pop it in and tighten torque the two mounting screws. You do then need to adjust the APE. IDK how tricky that is, never did it. Looks easy from vids I have seen on youtube. If you ever want to reinstall the OEM CCT, that is a bit of a bitch. Head cover needs to come off which is pretty major and it can be very tricky getting the CCT piston to lock in and a challenge to get it to unlock .....see the tutorial in the link above. It can be reinstalled. I did it but it requires patients and maybe a couple shots at getting it. You will prob be happy with an APE though. Don't hear any complaints about those.

how often does the APe need adjustment?

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that the APE needed to be adjusted after the initial adjustment at installation.

Is it hard to install??

2 screws. The adjustment is a long bolt and a locknut. The long bolt is basically the piston and the locknut holds the piston in place.

APE. As you can see, it is actually a tiny bit heavier than OEM which IMHO there is no excuse for but ....just a fraction of a gram

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/29/2012 @ 12:44 AM *

---

One complaint I have heard about APEs is that they may leak a bit. If you install, might be best to buy a new O-ring. Or maybe reuse the O-ring from the OEM CCT? Sorry, have not done this yet but heard a couple comments on slight leak from APEs. It's the O-ring over-tightenning the mount screws won't help at all, just strip the aluminum engine case threads.

---

Dano it's be fitted over a year about 8000 miles and I've never had to readjust it, more than happy

I think 'ideally'...Kawasaki would have made the flow hole for the oil a one way deal...apparently,they didn't.The new tensioner doesn't make any sounds...they fixed whatever it was causing it.I haven't looked at the schematic or close up design of the new one..but Kawasaki made mention of it in all their promo stuff.Nice to have a functional factory part that actually does what it's supposed to do straight out the gate.APE's made a lot of money with the earlier bike's deals.

You know...just the IDEA of having to pull the valve cover off to install something as 'simple' as a tensioner...to me....that's just WRONG.That's A LOT of work doing that.And getting it back together without that gasket leaking.Sheesh.That Valve cover gasket deal...even a qualified Certified Kawasaki mechanic is doin a crap shoot with that thing.That's one pesky bitch there.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/9/2012 @ 10:08 AM *

I did the APE CCT just because of the cold start up noise on my 2008. All I can say is good bye noise and a cheap investment.

---