TOPIC:

I recently purchased a ZZR1100 cam chain tensioner to replace the stock unit on my '79 KZ1300 and then promptly chopped 10mm off the spring.
However, today I went to install it and, well. . .



It's totally the wrong unit and won't fit.

Is there a part number for which I should look, as I evidently bodged this one?

on a '79 there are two tensioners, one for cam chain the other is for the timing chain, you have taken out the timing chain one, the cam chain one is the one with the arrow in the photo below, you'll notice that one is also a 1100 one, also notice the little tab, that's the way it goes in, cheers Pete.

The item at the top is a camshaft chain tensioner. The item at the bottom is a timing chain tensioner. It seems you are trying to replace the timing chain tensioner with the camshaft chain tensioner.

globemaster wrote: The item at the top is a camshaft chain tensioner. The item at the bottom is a timing chain tensioner. It seems you are trying to replace the timing chain tensioner with the camshaft chain tensioner.

You've got it backwards Globemaster. The bottom one, which is also in the middle of the engine is the camshaft chain tensioner. The smaller one on the left side of the engine and slightly higher up on the engine is the timing chain /water pump drive shaft chain tensioner.

I see the issue.

So now the question is, what do I replace, and with what part numbers?

brandonsmash wrote: I see the issue.

So now the question is, what do I replace, and with what part numbers?

The bottom one is the culprit. and the ZZR tensioner should fit just fine. There's been no reports thus far on issues with the timing /water pump drive chain tensioner and that's probably because there's a constant load on that chain most of the time, where as the camshaft chain is constantly being loaded and unloaded due to the cams as they pass over the valve buckets, so that chain is experiencing a lot of back and forth forces which the tensioning system has to accommodate. I would just check the shaft on that timing/water pump tensioner and make sure there's no dimples in it from the check balls and if it looks good just reinstall it.