What Is Average Cct Life? (6th Gen?)

So what is the average CCT life for people that have replaced it and successfully stopped the noise that was produced? I'm on the verge of checking my CCT's one at a time to see if I can do Tightwad's CCT removal w/o throttle body removal. If that doesn't do it then I just gotta buy the parts which I'm not happy to do, but if it needs it then it needs it.

:beer:

front CCT gone at 18,500 miles, babied, oil changed often, is a bad Honda design pure & simple. :angry:
to clarify, this was the original and not a replacement.

[image: View Post]DougFromIndy, on Jan 25 2009, 03:40 AM, said:

front CCT gone at 18,500 miles, babied, oil changed often, is a bad Honda design pure & simple. :angry:
to clarify, this was the original and not a replacement.
Honda just cannot seem to figure out how t design a CCT.
I still remember all my dad's Honda bikes (I-4s of different displacements and even his CX500) back in the 70's and 80's pretty much all developing noisy cam chains real quick, just within a year of ownership because of CCTs going bad. Even as a kid back then, I knew something did not sound right with his bikes. Maybe someone should make a business out of replacing Honda CCTs with a properly designed aftermarket part once and for all??

Beck
95 VFR

[image: View Post]vfrqqq, on Jan 24 2009, 08:30 PM, said:

So what is the average CCT life for people that have replaced it and successfully stopped the noise that was produced? I'm on the verge of checking my CCT's one at a time to see if I can do Tightwad's CCT removal w/o throttle body removal. If that doesn't do it then I just gotta buy the parts which I'm not happy to do, but if it needs it then it needs it.

:beer:

just switch to lighter weight oil(much easier to try). The first 20,000 mile I ran rotella 5w40, and amsoil 15w40, no noise. around that time I started running other oils, and started getting klacking from the front tensioner intermittantly, at 30,000 mile I tried a few tricks, but eventually replaced the tensioner. 7,000 mile later the newtensioner started klacking again .

I happend to be chaep on the oil and stuck some 10w40 valvoline car oil in and instantily had no noise, this was about 10,000 mile ago. Next change I went to valve 20w50 and within 1000 mile klack was back. I then went back to 10w40 but this time EXXON 10w40 car oil, and this stuff is my choice, no klacking and shifts better than the valvoline , but any of the lighter weight mc oils should work too IMO. There just a tiny oil port and that front tentioner sits near vertical, the more difficult it is for oil to get in there it makes it vibrate. But I know the Exxon car oil really works well

Honda also is recommending 10w30 oil, not saying the tensioner wont fix you atleast temporaily, but want a permanent fix, use a lighter weight oil that provides no Klack.

Being my bike has 53,000 mile and I dealt with klacking front tentioner for 20,000 mile, I tried about everything including replacement and this was my conclusion to the issue and a permanent fix.

Ignore or try, my 2 cents, I wasted the money on a new tentenioner, there was nothing wrong with it.

I'm using 15W50 Mobile One full synthetic and it started getting noisy around 25k and is constant now at ~30k.

[image: View Post]spud786, on Jan 25 2009, 02:51 AM, said:

[image: View Post]vfrqqq, on Jan 24 2009, 08:30 PM, said:

So what is the average CCT life for people that have replaced it and successfully stopped the noise that was produced? I'm on the verge of checking my CCT's one at a time to see if I can do Tightwad's CCT removal w/o throttle body removal. If that doesn't do it then I just gotta buy the parts which I'm not happy to do, but if it needs it then it needs it.

:beer:

just switch to lighter weight oil(much easier to try). The first 20,000 mile I ran rotella 5w40, and amsoil 15w40, no noise. around that time I started running other oils, and started getting klacking from the front tensioner intermittantly, at 30,000 mile I tried a few tricks, but eventually replaced the tensioner. 7,000 mile later the newtensioner started klacking again .

I happend to be chaep on the oil and stuck some 10w40 valvoline car oil in and instantily had no noise, this was about 10,000 mile ago. Next change I went to valve 20w50 and within 1000 mile klack was back. I then went back to 10w40 but this time EXXON 10w40 car oil, and this stuff is my choice, no klacking and shifts better than the valvoline , but any of the lighter weight mc oils should work too IMO. There just a tiny oil port and that front tentioner sits near vertical, the more difficult it is for oil to get in there it makes it vibrate. But I know the Exxon car oil really works well

Honda also is recommending 10w30 oil, not saying the tensioner wont fix you atleast temporaily, but want a permanent fix, use a lighter weight oil that provides no Klack.

Hope that "car" oil you are using is non energy conserving. Not good for wet clutch systems.

MY rear CCT started making some noise at 28,000 miles. Have not changed it yet. From what I understand, once they begin being noisy they are still good for a few thousand miles before they get to the point of having to be replaced.

Being my bike has 53,000 mile and I dealt with klacking front tentioner for 20,000 mile, I tried about everything including replacement and this was my conclusion to the issue and a permanent fix.

Ignore or try, my 2 cents, I wasted the money on a new tentenioner, there was nothing wrong with it.

[image: View Post]vfrqqq, on Jan 24 2009, 08:56 PM, said:

I'm using 15W50 Mobile One full synthetic and it started getting noisy around 25k and is constant now at ~30k.


yep mobile one 20w50 and 15w50, and alot of the 15w40' diesils will klack too

Energy efficiant oil is MB rated fluid, slicker than MA. Motorcycle need the MA type to provide good clutch friction


I've yet to see a 10w40 auto oil with energy efficiency starburst symbol,

However with 10w30 car oils, I agree they are energy efficient MB rated fluids, and I wouldnt run that. If you really want a 10w30, I'd run a MC specific one.

But through my analaysis, the vfr normally dilutes a 10w40 to a high end 30 weight in about 1000/1500 mile


I started running Full and Real MC synthetics in 2003, cant say its been well spent money , but lots of stuff works just as well. If you keep it changed out, the best benefit to long engine life.

I hope Spud is right and that the tensioners are not failing to tension the chain but just internally rattling and that using 10W40 dino as Honda designed it keeps it from rattling. This is an interesting theory. I have 75k miles of using Castrol 10W40 with no rattling. I hope that keeps working.

I would at least try 10W40 for a while if I were you.

[image: View Post]vfrqqq, on Jan 25 2009, 03:56 AM, said:

I'm using 15W50 Mobile One full synthetic and it started getting noisy around 25k and is constant now at ~30k.
+1 on all accounts had them replaced at 32k

I use honda 20-50 oil and have 44k miles.

NO NOISE YET.

I use honda oil and change it every2-3k miles.

I hope this didnt jinx me.

[image: View Post]Beck, on Jan 24 2009, 09:50 PM, said:

[image: View Post]DougFromIndy, on Jan 25 2009, 03:40 AM, said:

front CCT gone at 18,500 miles, babied, oil changed often, is a bad Honda design pure & simple. :angry:
to clarify, this was the original and not a replacement.
Honda just cannot seem to figure out how t design a CCT.
I still remember all my dad's Honda bikes (I-4s of different displacements and even his CX500) back in the 70's and 80's pretty much all developing noisy cam chains real quick, just within a year of ownership because of CCTs going bad. Even as a kid back then, I knew something did not sound right with his bikes. Maybe someone should make a business out of replacing Honda CCTs with a properly designed aftermarket part once and for all??

Beck
95 VFR



But did he manualy adjust it every 2-3k miles? I have an 81 gl with no problems as long as I keep it adjusted. The book say to do it every 7.5k miles. We have learned over the years to adjust it evrey 1k miles.


The little v-twin needs a cam chain adjustment and valve adjustment more often thean it needs an oil change. It is silly.

I mostly used Mobil 1 and got 32k out of the first set of CTT's, now at 66k miles I have no sign of the problem as of yet.

Well, I suppose I'll change over to 10w40 then and see what happens.

Around 12,000, on my first set, with 20-50, dino oil.

50K, no sign of any problems, and was using Motul semi-syn and now using Repsol semi-syn, 10W-40.

I guess I'll find this out soon enough after I do an oil change, but if you CCT is already making noise will changing the oil weight eliminate the noise or is it necessary to replace/attempt to repair the CCT? I understand there are some that believe it is myth that CCTs actually go "bad" per say, rather that they don't have enough tension on the spring loading mechanism or something like that.

33,000, 15-50 Mobil syn,,,, no noise,,,,, yet

14,000 miles. Run HONDA 20w50 in summer and HONDA 10w40 in winter per dealer recommendations. No noise. The parts guy at the dealer has an 06' VFR with 40,000 miles, he's been advising other v-4 owners to change oil weight per seasonal change, has yet to have anyone approach him with CCT complaint.

[image: View Post]vfrqqq, on Jan 25 2009, 12:20 PM, said:

I guess I'll find this out soon enough after I do an oil change, but if you CCT is already making noise will changing the oil weight eliminate the noise or is it necessary to replace/attempt to repair the CCT? I understand there are some that believe it is myth that CCTs actually go "bad" per say, rather that they don't have enough tension on the spring loading mechanism or something like that.

Im on my second front tensioner at 53,000 mile , last one installed around 30,000 mile, around 38,000 it too was klaking . The rear tensioner has never had issue, it sits more at the bottom and is soaked with oil. I tried to allow the front tensioner to seperate from the block 2mm, the tensioner immediately spins and takes up the slack then retighten to the block, it does not move or loosen afterwards, I monitored exactly where it was. This did not cure the issue, this told me the actual chain tension was not the real reason for the klack, its because the tensioner itself is vibrating and making the noise.

You can continue to throw new tentioners in there and see if you get one that doesnt end up klacking again at $70 a pop and major hassle to replace.

But as far as I'm concerned I found the main reason the (front) tensioners are subseptible to klacking and its called oil flow.

They stand at top of motor in a vertical position, its harder for oil flow to get in there , oil has to actually shoot though a small oil port and there's no pressure for it to do so, its a sling effect.

But , yes if you have klacking tensioner, stick some Exxon superflow 10w40 in there and watch it go away. or try some light weight
5w/10w40 mc oil , if your afraid of car oil.


Oil flow serves no purpose as far as tension, it just keeps their mechanical multipart construction from vibrating and klacking

I bought my VTECker with 35,000 km. I assume the previous (original) owner used Honda oil as he had all work done at the Honda Workshop. I opted for BelRay 15W50 Synergy Super Multigrade. The technical description specifies it as valid for all injection motors, multiple valves, diesel or gasoline, with or without a Catalytic Converter. In terms of the standards it meets: API SL/CF � ACEA A3/B3 � MB 229.1 � VW 501.01, 505.00

At 60,000 km I have started to notice a very slight CCT noise when blipping the throttle, more specifically during deceleration and usually only if I blip it several times and with "gusto". I'm hoping it won't become a permanent thing for some time yet...

BTW, what's the worst thing that can happen if it starts to fail rapidly? Can it break and cause major engine damage (not to mention the rider)? Will you notice the noise, either constantly or intermitently but extra-loud a decent time before anything worrying might happen? What I mean is, will I have ample warning? Are they capable of tolerating quite a bit before becoming dangerous, if it actually becomes dangerous??

[image: View Post]Auspa�ol, on Feb 1 2009, 02:17 PM, said:

I bought my VTECker with 35,000 km. I assume the previous (original) owner used Honda oil as he had all work done at the Honda Workshop. I opted for BelRay 15W50 Synergy Super Multigrade. The technical description specifies it as valid for all injection motors, multiple valves, diesel or gasoline, with or without a Catalytic Converter. In terms of the standards it meets: API SL/CF � ACEA A3/B3 � MB 229.1 � VW 501.01, 505.00

At 60,000 km I have started to notice a very slight CCT noise when blipping the throttle, more specifically during deceleration and usually only if I blip it several times and with "gusto". I'm hoping it won't become a permanent thing for some time yet...

BTW, what's the worst thing that can happen if it starts to fail rapidly? Can it break and cause major engine damage (not to mention the rider)? Will you notice the noise, either constantly or intermitently but extra-loud a decent time before anything worrying might happen? What I mean is, will I have ample warning? Are they capable of tolerating quite a bit before becoming dangerous, if it actually becomes dangerous??

cct occillation is normally heard at idle or low rpm, so may not be your issue or may . unless the spring actually breaks, and the screw set up turns backwards. I've not heard of one on the vfr breaking, but thats not normally the issue on the VFR, just the front one will ocsilate and make noise.

Does belray have a lighter oil weight to see if it goes away, I had kronic issue, exxon10w40 car oil, no more noise at all I ride all the time , there is no season down here

My first thought was what's a CCT and is mine going bad? Then I had to remind myself that will never happen to me because I bought a CCT protection plan when I bought my VFR. The CCT PP is working very well for me. 4th gen gears, baby! :wheel:
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.
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My bike cracked 32k and its not noisy. I think its had Honda oil its entire life.. I used the semi synthetic last change.

[image: View Post]soichiro, on Jan 25 2009, 02:54 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Beck, on Jan 24 2009, 09:50 PM, said:

[image: View Post]DougFromIndy, on Jan 25 2009, 03:40 AM, said:

front CCT gone at 18,500 miles, babied, oil changed often, is a bad Honda design pure & simple. :angry:
to clarify, this was the original and not a replacement.
Honda just cannot seem to figure out how t design a CCT.
I still remember all my dad's Honda bikes (I-4s of different displacements and even his CX500) back in the 70's and 80's pretty much all developing noisy cam chains real quick, just within a year of ownership because of CCTs going bad. Even as a kid back then, I knew something did not sound right with his bikes. Maybe someone should make a business out of replacing Honda CCTs with a properly designed aftermarket part once and for all??

Beck
95 VFR



But did he manualy adjust it every 2-3k miles? I have an 81 gl with no problems as long as I keep it adjusted. The book say to do it every 7.5k miles. We have learned over the years to adjust it evrey 1k miles.


The little v-twin needs a cam chain adjustment and valve adjustment more often thean it needs an oil change. It is silly.

He did have them adjusted by his mechanic then, but they seem to start making noises way before any service intervals, and after adjustment, got noisy again after a few miles. The bikes still had that "new" smell when most of them started getting noisy on him (I remember that the metal to metal noises from the cam chains sounded so painful to hear that I thought they were sawing themselves out of the engine already). I also remember he went through a couple of warranty repairs on the CX500 too, to get its CCT fixed.

Beck
95 VFR

They arent really adjustable, all they can do is try to turn them out counter clockwse and see if there's any play, it doesnt work because chain tension pressure is not the issue on occilation of the front tentioner.

the issue is the mechanical parts of the tensioner occilating, a new tenstioner will correct most cases atleast temporaily , but the real issue is oil flow to the front tentioner. FIX that and even klacking tensioners will be no more

[image: View Post]GGray, on Feb 2 2009, 11:59 AM, said:

My bike cracked 32k and its not noisy. I think its had Honda oil its entire life.. I used the semi synthetic last change.

I've seen several who are running the standard 10w40 Honda oil say the same thing, I dont know which oil company makes it, but it seems to provide no klack tentioners.

I have approx 50k on my '03. Been running 20w50, and no noise yet. At least I don't think so. What does a bad CCT sound like?