Primary Chain Tensioner GL1200

[Mike-C]

Good Day Folks;
My son Barrie's 1200 is making a 'rumping' noise at idle that I think is a bad primary chain tensioner. Can it be changed without splitting the crankcases?
Mike Coleman
'84 Wing-Lite (ex-Aspencade)
'84 un-Terstate
'84 Standard (as yet un-named)

[CYBORG]

no

[Mike-C]

Thanks, I guess that ups the ante of the job a whole lot. Winter is coming . . .
Mike Coleman
'84 Wing-Lite (ex-Aspencade)
'84 un-Terstate
'84 Standard (as yet un-named)

[salukispeed]

Are you sure the carbs are synced close and are the carbs/cylinders all participating equally. Even with well synced carbs they can make noise if one cylinder goes off line at idle, Plugged pilot jet or mixture screw issue ( Just asking )

[Mike-C]

I have done the carbs, and least week the bike burnt its alternator stator and since we have to pull the engine to change it I figured I would check / change the tensioner while we were half way there. This will be the 3rd stator job I have done on our wings. I have done my bike twice.
Mike Coleman
'84 Wing-Lite (ex-Aspencade)
'84 un-Terstate
'84 Standard (as yet un-named)

[CYBORG]

The 1200 tensioner has a spring loaded arm that maintains the tension. Should take up slack unless the chain is badly worn. Would have to be very high mileage for that. Splitting the cases is required. Might consider it if bearings, or rings were also being changed, but a lot of work, and expense, just for a chain tensioner

[salukispeed]

Wow! That is a lot of work. Who's Stators have you been using.

[Mike-C]

Not really, I changed my son Michael's 1200 stator (I used an OE Honda stator) in 2012, then my Wing cooked its stator two years ago, (I used a Rick's stator instead of OE Honda) then I had to pull my engine out again to remove a small piece of gasket debris that has blocked the scavenge pump inlet, now Barrie's 1200 needs the job. I will use Rick's stator, good parts and half the price.
Mike Coleman
'84 Wing-Lite (ex-Aspencade)
'84 un-Terstate
'84 Standard (as yet un-named)

[jdvorchak]

3 yellow wire mod?

Seems like you've been through a lot of stators.

[Mike-C]

JD, as I said, three 1200's, three stators. Michael's failed and taught us the lesson of the three yellow wire connector. That done I re-wired my own bike but I used heavy duty crimp splices. That was a very bad idea, they melted and cooked my stator. That was stator job number two, then my clutch was acting up which turned out to be a small piece of the clutch cover gasket, about 1/8" x 1/8" that had blocked the inlet of the clutch cavity oil scavenge pump. This was not a full stator job but still required removing the engine again. Then last week my son Barrie's Wing had a wiring malfunction that fried one segment of its stator. This will be stator job number three.
Mike Coleman
'84 Wing-Lite (ex-Aspencade)
'84 un-Terstate
'84 Standard (as yet un-named)

[jdvorchak]

since you cooked at least two stators I was just making sure you were aware of the mod. You are so all is good.

[Mike-C]

Hi JD;
Thanks. I was aware of the mod and was planning to do it, but Michael's bike cooked before I could get around to doing it. It was just a matter of days. I checked his wires, the white plug and its spade connectors looked fine with no evidence of overheating and I made a note to do the fix ASAP. Less than a week later it cooked itself. He called me from the side of the road to say that it sputtered and stopped. I changed his stator and rewired my bike at the same time. As I said, I used prime quality crimp splices from work (quality aircraft parts) but they cooked, see attached.
Mike Coleman
'84 Wing-Lite (ex-Aspencade)
'84 un-Terstate
'84 Standard (as yet un-named)

[CYBORG]

They might be QUALITY but you should have soldered the wires, Takes a few minutes longer, but done right will prevent a failure of the connection

[Mike-C]

Yes, I learned a time consuming lesson. The new stator's wires have been soldered and protected with two layers of heat shrink tubing.
Mike Coleman
'84 Wing-Lite (ex-Aspencade)
'84 un-Terstate
'84 Standard (as yet un-named)