Timing Chain Noise CBR600 F4i How to Fix It.

[tescoireland1234]

Would this be the same on a 2004 cbr 954 rr fireblade?

[briansmobile1]

@tescoireland1234 No, but close enough.

[tescoireland1234]

@briansmobile1 Cheer's man i'll give it a go over the weekend. Love your video's thanks



[bigginM4C]

Thanks a lot mate! Best information out there everyone is saying put a manual tensioner on or you'll just have to put a Honda one on every few thousand miles. I did this last night as mine had minor chain noise but I wanted to get on top of it. Took a bit over an hour start to finish as I dropped that 8mm bolt and washer. I only turned it about 1/4 of a turn counter clockwise but can report that the noise is completely gone!

[briansmobile1]

@bigginM4C You're welcome- way to go!

[jayfbee]

great video man...that tensioner looks identical to the fireblades too.

[greenmarine5]

Only thing I had to do was pull the fairings on the clutch side and take off the tool box. It's right next to the frame covered by some type of black plastic cover that just folds out of the way. It was pretty easy but on the RRs the frame is very close and there is no room to put a small screw driver in it without taking the tensioner off. If the spring is still good you have to hold it in place while you put it back on. Royal pain in the butt. End result was worth it not paying a shop $200

[briansmobile1]

@greenmarine5 Cool.  Way to go man!

[greenmarine5]

Brian just went threw my Timing chain tensioner on my 05 cbr600rr. Mine was stuck, after I took it off and used the screw driver it worked fine. LOL I put it back in fully extending bike wouldn't stay running. So I had to take it back off retract the spring/shaft hold it there and put it back on and let the shaft spring onto the tensioner pad inside. Bike runs great now with no noise..Thanks a Million man I'd buy a ya beer if we were close. You are a huge help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[greenmarine5]

I agree Honda should have a recall..This issue is not only with the F4Is it's with the RRs as well..My 2005 RR just started making the noise, doesn't start till about 7000 RPMs when it first starts it's going to sound like something is vibrating when you pull in the clutch it goes away, it will gradually get worse. I had a manual tensioner put on at the suggestion of my buddy that does what you do.

Most dealers around here have now idea they just want to sell bikes. Excellent video TY

[briansmobile1]

@greenmarine5 It's a lot easier to make money selling the bikes than it is fixing them. You can make a thousand dollars in an hour vs. Maybe hundred in an hour.

[WOTGTP98]

so do i still need to buy a new tensioner for mine? im pretty sure this is the noise. i didnt think you could fix it just by twisting it back?

[briansmobile1]

@WOTGTP98 Twisting it back will buy you a few thousand miles or so. Sometimes longer.

[B16Ridda]

bro u just saved me a whole lot of worrying my bike is making that distinct noise from what ive been lookin through on here i did it and it cleared the noise right up thanks to youu!!

[briansmobile1]

@B16Ridda Sounds like you feel all empowered- MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. YOU the man!

[TheGrayman1984]

1.

I tried to folow your steps in the video link but i can't twist the screw inside the screw hole, something wrong with my new one?( I pull out a little plate on new one , then the tensioner stick jump out, after that i can't find out how to make it retract.

Any help would be grateful ! many thanks !

[briansmobile1]

@TheGrayman1984 There's a small 8mm head bolt straight in line with the tensioner that unscrews to reveal an access hole for a small screw driver. Twist the screw in the hole clock wise to retract the rod and counter clockwise to tighten the chain by distending the rod.

[TheGrayman1984]

My god, i found here too late cuz i have already bought a new one!

[mrsloppyryan]

hey i have this exact problem it's not at idle its just at certain rpms in all gears..i tried tightening the tensioner to all that it allows me, is it possible i need a new tensioner? or perhaps a new "sled" that the chain guides through? i really don't want to have to do a timing chain on this thing... any help brian would be much appreciated. thanks

[briansmobile1]

@mrsloppyryan Your tensioner slide may be void of Teflon and need to be replaced. One side can be done from above without pulling the motor.

[mrsloppyryan]

how often do the chain guides go? i hope that's not it..REALLY don't wanna take the engine apart

[briansmobile1]

@mrsloppyryan About 50K miles. 

[mrsloppyryan]

@briansmobile1 is it possible that tensioners sometimes can't be adjusted with the method you used in the video? does a new tensioner sometimes do the trick? I'm probably gonna try a new one first before i have to rip the valve cover off :(

[briansmobile1]

@mrsloppyryan YES. And that's a wonderful idea to try first.  If you find that it's not a tensioning issue it could be piston slap. I've seen that on these too.

[Metalunique]

I heard Yamahas and Hondas are notorious for bad tensioners.

[briansmobile1]

@Metalunique The bullet bikes are.

[Metalunique]

My 98 R1 was making a nasty knocking sound too when idling. Couldn't hear it when going fast though. I installed an APE tensioner and now she's runnin' like a sewing machine, smooth!

[cody168]

Hi Brian, this is a great! Thank you! Please don't ever remove this video.

[country221155]

Thanks got that now another problem come up it is over loading with fuel and blowing it out the exhaust . So I call a shop and the mech. said it sounded like when I pulled the tensioner out and put back in it slipped one tooth or something like that and the timing is off now from what I was told I don't know about a bike bc I never work on them I can handle hot rods and 4*4 trucks but bikes are new to me thanks for any advice

[country221155]

The tensioner trick worked for my bike thanks but now I have a new problem of it is dumping too much fuel and it is blowing it out the exhaust and it has never run that rich before and I have no idea what caused it unless I tightened the timing chain to much or what any ideas I would like to know you can email me at country221155@yahoo.com and thanks for any help

[briansmobile1]

@country221155 Sounds like it's either got a vacuum leak (hose undone) or the engine coolant temp sensor is undone. OR maybe the intake air temp sensor.

[jimboselecta1971]

Great post, my bike sounds like a bucket of spanners. What an easy fix.

[csaurabh81]

Hey dude, thanks for this info., I have the same model of cbr and i know how hard it is to work on. Just one question, do i need to pull it out, or can i just turn the screw in anti clockwise direction to fix it?

[briansmobile1]

@csaurabh81 Just turn the screw counter clockwise and you're good.

[cadedash85]

brillant

[platko5920]

is their a certain type of tensioner i should get. I looked on ebay and i found a manual one and a stock one.  Any insight on which one i should go with. Thanks for the help

[briansmobile1]

@platko5920 Use an updated one from the dealer is best. I just do mine once a year. I don't even take it out of the bike. I just pull of the 8mm bolt in the middle rear of it and turn it with a screw driver. Done and done!

[platko5920]

Hey buddy, great post. I have the same exact bike with 11,600 miles on it. I knew the person very well that i bought it from and it was a babied machine. After i purchased it i noticed a rattle coming from the engine in every gear at pretty much exactly 5,000rpms. I have no idea what it could be. Its not super loud but its there and i don't want to drive it and cause more damage. Any ideas??? thanxs for the help.

[briansmobile1]

@platko5920 That is EXACTLY what the loose timing chain noise is. Tension up the chain and it will clear it all up.

[cristidb23]

I have the same problem with a 2001 CBR F4i. I have done some research and it seems that the first F4i's had the worst tensioners.

Some people observed that because the spring does not have enough tension, the adjusting screw moves 1/4 turn in when the engine is in the engine gets to 3000-5000rpm and the spring returns it to the normal position at idle. That's why the noise is present only at some rpms.

How long was the engine silent after adjusting the tensioner?

[cristidb23]

The solutions were to replace it with a new one (It seems the new ones are a bit better), to disassemble and tension te spring a few turns more before assembling, this way the spring creates more torque, or to convert it to a manual tensioner puting a long screw through it.

I think I'll try the second option.