Kawasaki Concours Forum
Marketplace => Industry Merchants => Topic started by: markk53 on November 27, 2011, 09:41:54 AM
-
I was on the roster of the other Concours group. I am Mark Krieger and I make Krieger cam chain tensioners with some engineering to make them for what I feel is a fair price, significantly less than the cost from others.
I got involved in cam chain tensioners when I had two ratchet style tensioners fail in my KLX in less than 15,000 miles. The ratchet style is the "new improved" OEM tensioners some mention. I made the original tensioner a manual unit. Then when I bought a Zephyr 550 it had a junk tensioner to begin with. Someone tried to "fix" it and it was totally trashed. No one made a manual unit, so with some prodding from a few on the Zephyr Zone, I made my own and four extra. They sold and others asked for them both for the Zephyrs and then the KLX. That was two and a half years and about 600 tensioners ago. Since that time I had a Concours rider pick up one of my tensioners - quite literally, he stopped by the house and got one. That started its use in the Concours. There are several riders here who probably have them in their bikes.
I wanted to present the part I make as a viable option to a failing tensioner set up that is either damaged beyond dealing with or requires being taken apart at intervals to clean and rework... not my definition of automatic. I've had people present solutions or say "all you have to do is take it out, take it apart, clean it, and reset it. Again, not automatic. Fact is a manual tensioner can be installed and not removed for the life of the engine and adjustments, with the exception of when installed with new a new cam chain, require less attention than the valves do. Since a loose cam drive is detectable by ticking noise, essentially the engine "tells you" when it needs adjustment.
The new "improved" tensioner may, for design reasons, kick the ratchet rack back inder the pawl. I saw it on my KLX's second tensioner. I bought an 05 ZX6 tensioner off ebay to use as a pattern for a new tensioner and there it was - the same kick back pattern and tooth damage. Here is a shot of the damage as best I could photograph it. It is clearly apparent with magnification and the human eye, but a smart phone camera just doesn't quite do it justice. One tooth is chipped and the pattern shows a wear pattern over four teeth. Because of my sense of ethics and fairness, this tensioner will stay on a shelf in the garage in spite of my original hopes of reselling it to get my money back. It wouldn't be right to sell it knowing what I know.
(http://p1.bikepics.com/2011/11/27/bikepics-2308238-full.jpg)
The replacement part I make is shown below:
(http://p1.bikepics.com/2010/07/15/bikepics-2019437-full.jpg)
The installation is non-invasive and only takes about a half hour to do it. The kit has the new fasteners, gasket, and instructions. As of November 2011, including shipping, it sells for $35.20 in the U.S, $41.95 to Canada/Mexico, and $43.95 to the rest of the world.
To date over 500 Krieger Cam Chain Tensioners are in motorcycles in over 40 U.S. states, most Canadian provinces, and a total of over 25 countries around the globe.
My web site is in need of updating, but still here is the address. www.kriegercamchaintensioners.com (http://www.kriegercamchaintensioners.com) and I can be reached at mkrieger002@columbus.rr.com if you have questions or would like to pick up a tensioner kit.
-
Is this only for the C10?
-
According to his web site its for the C10 only. I was thinking of getting an APE but this looks just as good and less expensive.
-
Is this only for the C10?
He makes them for several other models, check out the list on his website, I saw atleast 35+ models listed
-
I only care about 2 models....C10 and C14 on this forum. That's nice that he has others as well.
-
Is this only for the C10?
I do a variety of tensioners and know I can do the 14, but there is one issue. The one thing I am not certain of on the C14 is how the hydraulics work. I do not know if there is some oil passage that would need blocked if a tensioner of this design was fitted. I know that there is some oil passage there, but I don't know what need be done to it to fit a manual tensioner. With the flat backside I use, it is important that I would need to know if the oil passage needs plugged or if it can just freeflow.
One thing I've been playing with is a 4 piston calper adapter set up for my 550 Zephyr, which would also fit the C10. Not quite there yet.
Feel free to email me with any questions about tensioners. I believe I can be emailed from the forum here.
-
Yes, there is an oil port that must be blocked by the cam chain tensioner. There is a very close fitting diameter on the CCT that fits into a bored hole in the cylinder block; the original has a cross drilled hole in each one that will align when the CCT is installed while yours could be blank (not cross drilled) and simply serve as a block for the oil passage. If that oil hole is left open in the engine it will not leak or cause any obvious problems but it will leak enough oil to lower the overall oil pressure in the engine's lube galleys. At low engine speeds, such as idle, it may even eliminate any oil pressure- either way it is not good.
The projected diameter and the cross drilled hole in it (oil passage) can be seen here:
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/BDF08012008/Autotensionerexplodedview.jpg)
Brian
I do a variety of tensioners and know I can do the 14, but there is one issue. The one thing I am not certain of on the C14 is how the hydraulics work. I do not know if there is some oil passage that would need blocked if a tensioner of this design was fitted. I know that there is some oil passage there, but I don't know what need be done to it to fit a manual tensioner. With the flat backside I use, it is important that I would need to know if the oil passage needs plugged or if it can just freeflow.
One thing I've been playing with is a 4 piston calper adapter set up for my 550 Zephyr, which would also fit the C10. Not quite there yet.
Feel free to email me with any questions about tensioners. I believe I can be emailed from the forum here.
-
Thanks.
-
I doubt I can do the C14 then at any savings over anyone else's design, so I'll probably not have anything for the 14s yet.