Pinned ZXR cam chain mod

Heres my cam chain modification to save taking out the motor and splitting cases, Things to remove, side fairings,nose piece, radiator,oil, clutch cable/clutch cover then your ready to go . First I set everthing to tdc 1/4 then started taking aIl the timing gear and tensioners off this I is how I had to hold the timing wheel to crack the nut, I don't recommend it but at least I made sure it was in the stronger part of the case now you can clearly see theres only a millimeter and maybe 2mms at the bottom from stopping the chain from coming free. Time to remove the cams cam cover removed with the 16 numbered bolts,loosened In reverse 16-1 tilt both cams to loosen the chain slack then remove the cams, careful not to mix them up the ends of the cams are slightly different, wrong way around would crack the cam cover when re-tightening Next step is to remove the chain sliders, i always wondered what this hex bolt was for, it holds the top chain slider in place both sliders were removed from the top now with everything out the way its time to cut the chain, i used a grinder with a thin 1mm disc, covered the cylinder head with a plastic bag and towell and wore most of the sparks in my direction The timing wheel was put back on temporarily to wind off the old chain,set to tdc1/4 again then removed.Now it was time to take off just enough of the caseing so the chain could now freely slip over the timing sprocket. I placed paper towelling over the clutch basket, chain tunnel and everywhere except where i was cutting.The tool of choice for me very carefully and patiently was a DremeI and cutting tip, I ended up taking a fraction more than needed in the end, i then carefully brushed all the debris off and gave it a blow with the air compressor, removed the paper towelling & gave an oil bath with a syringe, especially around the timing sprocket Here you can see how much i took off compared to an earlier photo Next i sanded and rounded the back area smooth and WALLAH fitted the chain in, why bike manufacturers make things to work this way i dont know for the sake of a MM or 2. The timing gear was then installed with the chain sliders and tensioner arm first, make sure to put the timing wheel on the right way also.Now for the cams to be fitted making sure there on the right sides of the motor, place the cams on the head at tdc checking the INlet & EXhaust markers are level with the case, there should be 29 pins (as shown in photo) between the IN & EX markers Install the chain tensioner, a new one would be the best bet to compliment your new chain & your done. Crank it over by hand to check for any catching or chain dramas. CONCLUSION- old chain was tight but had 1 very loose spot on the loop which is where it usually hits the rocker cover, the chain also had tight little spots throughout and had worn every pin ever so slightly making it rattley. New chain is a massive improvement in stiffness without that loose spot

 

Yes cut the old chain, the cams should already be removed which will give you some slack so your not cutting directly over the head. To remove the chain you will still need to wind it off the timing sprocket,to do this put the gold timing wheel & pointer back on momentarily at tdc 1/4 and turn the timing wheel (14mm) clockwise until the old chain is off, most importantly make sure the timing is tdc 1/4 again before removing the timing wheel to put your new cam chain on