Hendo Posted August 31, 2010 Report Share Posted August 31, 2010 My Step-dad was out on his 1998 Firestorm on Sunday when the engine started making an almighty racket. He limped it the 40miles home, and it sounds very much like the front cylinder camchain tensioner has gone. I know these are a common fault. Its done just shy of 15,000miles. The engine is running fine otherwise, and he says although he took it easy, the engine is still pulling spot on. The noise is horrendous though, I actually thought an end can had fell off when he pulled up at home, its that loud. Has he got away with it? Is it just a case of putting a new tensioner on it? (both cylinders?) Is there an uprated/better one to fit? Cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendo Posted August 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2010 Have a look here and here Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted August 31, 2010 Report Share Posted August 31, 2010 In fairness, if the bike still runs OK I'd doubt there'd be any bent valves at all. If any of you remember my mates blue firestorm at anglesey 18 months back, the one that kept needing bumpstarting, that had a duff tensioner on the front too, and made a bit of a noise on tickover and the over-run, but quietened under a hard throttle (which was good as that's how it spent 99% of the day). The quick way to tell, as Zak says, is to stick a new tansioner in there and see what the compression's like and generally how it runs. The compression bit may not be that necessary so long as you take it out gentley and then keep a very close eye on the oil. Certainly if it's actually had a valve hit the piston you'd know about it in short order, I'd be quite suprised if even the gentlest of rides back for 40 miles would stop a bent valve from making itself very known. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendo Posted August 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2010 He said it was in a 30 zone when the noise came from nowhere and he had my mother as pillion aswell so I doubt he was flogging it. It seems to be runnoing fine and with no noticable change in power either, so hopefully go lucky. I just cant believe the noise of it! Will tell him to get a tensioner sorted and we'll see how it goes. Cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendo Posted September 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2010 It was actually the rear tensioner. New one put in and all is well again. (my Step-Dad the tight git wouldn't replace both) Bike seems to be going fine, so hopefully no lasting damage. Cheers for the help Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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