Honda RFVC Top End Noise Fix - XL600R, XR600R, XR650L Cam Chain Tensioner Replacement

My 1986 Honda XL600R was making top end noise. Here's what i found to be the problem.
*FYI, this is not a specific "how to" video. Just showing you the essential info for this repair. Also, I forgot to mention in the video to recheck your valve clearance after installing the valve cover. Intake: .002" and Exhaust: .004"
Honda Part #'s I used:
*TENSIONER 14512-MG3-000
*SPRING 14514-MG3-000
*O-RING: 91303-MG2-792 `
~~~~~Help Support the Channel Below~~~~~
~Subscribe Here: kzbin.info...
~Follow on Instagram: / nononsenseknowhow
~Donate via Paypal: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
~Shop on Amazon from this Link: amzn.to/2uDE6eT
~My Gear/Tools on Amazon: amzn.to/36S6J6s
*I get a small commission on any purchases made through the Amazon affiliate links on this page. Doesn't cost you any extra and helps me to continue producing content. Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other AWESOME Channels You Should Check Out:
~South Main Auto Repair LLC: / @southmainauto
~BleepinJeep: / bleepinjeep
~Project Farm: / @projectfarm
~Chris Fix: / @chrisfix
~Andrew Camarata: / @andrewcamarata
~Humble Mechanic: / humblemechanic
~Essential Craftsman: / @essentialcraftsman
~EricTheCarGuy: / ericthecarguy
~Sailing Doodles: / @sailingdoodles

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Honda Part #'s I used: *TENSIONER 14512-MG3-000 *SPRING 14514-MG3-000 *O-RING: 91303-MG2-792

[@RomainDILLARD2014]

Hey, my bike is making the same noise. I'm going to ride 2,000 miles and will fix it after. Do you think it is ok to ride with the same issue ?

[@BlueWafer]

@@RomainDILLARD2014 i've done more than 5000km with this noise, you'll be fine

[@ramondelacruz6157]

Hi the plastic tank is from xr Honda 650 l

[@ramondelacruz6157]

I have xl Honda 600 r. And I want to putting disc brake

[@user-go4mc1iw6q]

عه‍هننننننمممممخخ ١ضظﻈظظ. زثظضزززززظظضنطنننننطنننههضط۾طحت نننصنننننهعهههطعطعطعط7منننننمنטּخنننטּنضططضثثشطش ضد ١ ضد زززز ز . دطننممخخم١1

[@phill6159]

First I thought, he's going to do all this work in his gravel driveway, then bam! He's in a decked out super clean garage!! With a bike lift too!!

[@xnova5]

this is how more videos should be. straight to the point with clear instructions.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

That's what I shoot for. Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it

[@Deontjie]

He could have added a nice wheelie at the end.

[@nocomment2944]

@@Deontjie I liked his improvised offroad course , slipping between lorries .

[@TheLaserblick]

Had the same problem on my XR 600 and fixed it. Recognized it after watching a video. KZbin saves bikes.

[@DFWAuto_Hack]

Same process??

[@paulhaines5755]

I did it! Replaced mine. Bike sounds A LOT quieter. Well worth the effort. Thanks for this vid it helped a lot.

[@paulhaines5755]

I also discovered there is absolutely NO way to do this without removing the engine on a 1984 XR500R. I thought I'd post this info for others who might be researching this job.

[@NvrGiveIn]

RE @ 12+58; Just my opinion only, but you did NOT waste your time painting your bike! Sweet machine and your meticulous situational awareness and "attention to 'motor sound' detail" mad skills are a tribute to your expertise and technical prowess. Indeed, a true nostalgic throwback to my '80's XR200R and XL350R kid days along Utah's Wasatch Front. Thank you for taking the time to document and post your fantastic restoration journey!

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks man I appreciate your encouraging words. Hopefully this video will help others with the Honda rfvc for years to come. I used to have an XR 200 as well. Great bike!

[@chrisiollich4890]

Very good info I waited to log and I broke a timing chain guide and made a mess out of the top end ,after 50,000 miles. Now I'm rebuilding my" XR650L " today. THANK'S FROM NOR-CAL!!!!!

[@yacobyacuvitch2768]

I just got a 1984 xl600r and I'm using you for all the repairs I have I've already watched the clutch videos you have 3 or 4 times now to get a good understanding of how to do it

[@timhampshire3930]

I just tried this drilling a hole in the head , for a bolt to act as a mechanical tensioner you show at 6min30sec. It seems to have worked so far for me on a Honda NX650 Dominator 1999 (almost same engine) . Thanks for the idea!

[@marklloyd3513]

Old school but a beast Honda XR range was awesome machines

[@ps.adv.9851]

Thanks for sharing. I love bike rebuild videos. Had an XR650 myself. Awesome bikes. These pigs are the best bikes ever made

[@bradrussell624]

All-in-all helpful, detailed and clear explanation, you're great at stepping through the process, thanks for sharing :)

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks Brad I appreciate the feedback

[@wesrichards6168]

Can’t say thank you enough for taking the time to make these videos, excellent help!

[@sammyd3759]

Chris, I really enjoyed your Honda XL 600 video. It was informative and interesting with content that is extremely helpful to anyone who has a Honda dual purpose from the 80's. Also enjoyed the railroad bridge crossing at the end, helps to give it the old 1%er flare.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks Sammy! Really appreciate the comment and feedback!

[@petercrutchley7757]

thanks for taking the time to show this , great straight to the point info .ive got an nx650 (dominator uk ) to do, been putting it off for ages youve inspired me to crack on with it now thanks again

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

No prob and awesome to hear the video has inspired you. Let me know how ya make out! Thanks!

[@tommac215]

Finally a guy that makes things so easy to understand, thanks very much for the video I learnt a lot.

[@17brpeterson1]

Thanks man, great video. My XR is making the same noise and now I know where to start.

[@Patmclean232]

Awesome video! Mine isn’t making noise, the tensioner shaft is leaking... now I know how to fix it! Great video awesome machine! Mines a 94 650L still runs strong!

[@earlbarger3071]

Nice work! The xl600r will always be a favorite. I owned an 1983 back in 1996. I did a complete rebuild with a high compression piston. The cam chain tensioner was the worst to deal with.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks. Yeah they are great bikes for sure!

[@kennyrichard2971]

Wow thank you thank you after rebuilding my XL 600 struggling with that spring getting the bike running and have it run so badly I gave up 17 years ago after seeing you explain it I think I will tear back into it this winter

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

No problem! And yeah that spring is real stubborn

[@andrewwoodward6560]

Im a Honda guy, loved the video, thanks ! 👍

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Awesome!

[@norcal8718]

Bro I watch your videos fixing the cars and stuff but I had no idea you were into XL's and XR'S. Always good finding like-minded people, right on for the tip, I got a 94 XR650 wheelie machine 🤘🏻 Keep the vids rolling!!

[@texastyrannyresponseteam794]

looks nice.. great work as usual.. i've had several xl/xr 600s/650s over the years.. when i see one that's a deal i pick them up.. i've replaced the tensioner on several of them.. the good news is, th never changed them much.. parts are still readily available.. no reason why we won't have them around for a long time.

[@jasonwakefield764]

Great info. I am tearing down my XL600 this week if I can get the boys bike done. Unfortunately I have to go deeper to fix the smoke and I think my tensioner failed completely and jumped time.

[@AlphaKllL]

I have the same problem on a '87 XL350R and your video is very useful about that, thanks!

[@chrislollich525]

Just rebuilt my xr650l and the zip tie trick worked perfectly. Thank 's from NOR-CAL!!!!

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Awesome! Glad it worked for you as well

[@brandonhart6055]

Thankyou for the video. I currently have the top end apart on my 85 xl600 to do rings and valve seals. I ordered a new tensioner after watching this.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

No problem!

[@bluejack644]

As tuff as this bike looks I'm taken aback that the video only has 1K likes. Especially considering it has been posted for 1 year. I've been seeing lots of videos lately featuring fully restored Honda XR's & XL's. As well as some pristine originals, (Kaplan Cycles). And don't get me wrong, I'd love to have one, as would we all. But this bike here looks rugged and ready. It's off road experience shows. It's been there and back many times. Counted many coup. Lived many lives. I like it, it's got sand. Character. It has a marvelous persona. Not to say that it looks beat up, neglected or abused. Because it doesn't. It looks slick. But it also looks like it was used as it should have been. Loved, but used, and not in a bad way.

[@paulhaines5755]

Great vid! My XR500R sounds EXACTLY the same. You can actually see the pin (the part you have sealed with right stuff) oscillating on mine to match the noise. If I put a crescent wrench on it I can rotate it and the sound gets a little less. I rebuilt the engine on mine a couple years ago but failed to replace these parts. I wish I would have! Too bad the engine's gotta come out... I ordered the parts and I'm gonna tackle this soon. I hate to pull the motor but it's not that big of a deal I guess + I can clean it well. Thanks again for the great video!

[@doctordapp]

On my xbr500 from 1987 I can just lift the valve cover when I pull of my fuel tank... Don't need to remove the complete engine, maybe it's the same with yours, with some luck...

[@paulhaines5755]

Just finished this job on my 1984 XR500. The engine has to come out I found out. There are two long valve cover bolts on the top that will not clear the frame with engine in bike. Well worth the effort, though! It's sounds like a new bike, now. Tight... Really awesome improvement. Now I just gotta figure out why it burns off some oil when you start it after it's sat for a while. Do you have advice? Is it a leaky check valve on the oil pump?

[@timspence4118]

Too good well presented l have been adjusting my valve clearance thinking they weren’t right .

[@petrakkel5894]

Thank you man, i couldn't figure out what was making the sound

[@Ztron35]

Excellent video! This may help a friend that has been fighting the same issue.

[@bradfelger9109]

Great job and great video. My '86 XR200 and I thank you.

[@paulhaines5755]

Oops - I replied to this vid two years ago then just did again with kinda the same comments! I think I'm losing it... Well, I finally ordered the parts and I'm gonna do this and I'm going to try to fish the valve cover off the top of the engine with the engine still in the bike like you show on one of your other vids. Thanks again. Paul

[@kenspomer8494]

thank you for the idea, I used a right angle attachement for my drill and within about 5 minutes i had a manual chain tensioner that completely solved my issue! I just used your drilled hole as a reference

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Wow! I'm so happy to hear that worked for you. I haven't actually used the manual adjustment mod yet. I just put it there for future use. But you just made my day. Thanks for the confirmation that the idea will work! Did you run a tap to thread the hole? It didn't seem to me that there would be enough meat there for it to hold long-term. I feel like it would eventually work loose

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Would you happen to be able to take a picture of what you did? And send it to my email? My email is in the about section on my KZbin page

[@leoratcliff2679]

Beautiful bike man restoring 2 of them rn video has been very helpful

[@davesgarage3099]

omg chris ,..been watchin your videos for awhile ..didnt know u had an xl600...thier an awesome bike and i had one for a year or so when they first came out 83..84ish...i remember i had RFVC tatoo`d on my leg as we were dumb and rode around in shorts ....i realy wanna get my hands on another one and there hard to find up here in east coast canada. i know this is an old video for ya ..keep em coming im a mechanic as well and enjoy watchin you and jen rescue old cars and whatever u find :)

[@CPthetooladdict]

Man I miss my 650 now thanks lol great vid

[@MrAddison79]

Nice man! Thanks for sharing, especially the before and after noise

[@samking4179]

Just found your channel. Amazing info and great editing! Thanks!

[@troyrosenbaugh9935]

Cool to see ya wrenching on a monster, love them myself. I always seem to have a few of em in my shop to fix at any given time. The XR 650 is my favorite. Have an RM 500 I play with now and then out there to. Just cause I run my own local OHV repair shop, don't mean I don't get to play now and then, after all I have to QC them before I give them back to their owners.

[@earlgray1710]

Nice job looks good I have a Honda XR 650 L.

[@bdayo4406]

Good work, Thanks for walking us through this!

[@sercio994]

I don't even own an XR but your video is so entertaining haha, nice job mate

[@armandopatane5343]

As always very very smart man Chris = this is currently my work also is what I’m working on

[@theanarchist2746]

Great video! My father and I are going to use this to do the exact same job on my 1990 NX 650 Dominator.

[@gorgon9786]

Great Job!.. Thanks so much for a well done video!.. Stuffed with great information.! That XL came out great! 👌

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks man. I feel like it was a little rushed but thats generally my style. I appreciate the feedback

[@1bad62baja]

i bought an 83 xl600r in 83 at tulare Honda sold it, then missed it and traded for an 84 ,got out of the navy sold it ,missed it ,my wife said no till kids are 18 ,and at kids being 20 bought another 83 and my son an xr500r still have it fun bike to ride thanks

[@krisjato]

Great video, man, thanks for sharing! I had a 1986 Honda XR 600R, I loved that motorcycle! Have fun and stay safe!

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks Kris! Yeah they are really great bikes

[@franzjimenez1]

That was a neat job you did. Thanks for the vid. I have a 86 xr600 and the noise goes off when it gets hot.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks man. Mine actually got hotter when it was hot

[@TheBlackwizzards]

i have xr 600r and similar noise-goes almost off when it gets hot.Was it tensioner?

[@joemalcom7029]

Good video. Love my 86 XR 600. Thanks for the awesome information that I can use.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks man. I actually used to have an xr600r as well for short period of time. Great bikes

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@NoNonsenseKnowHow I’m looking at an 87’ XL600, they are legendary

[@andyvanherwynen4866]

Good stuff, thanks. I have an 83 XL600R that is my project retro-motard. Great engine, should make a fun rip around town bike. I have 18" rims for it front and rear that I'll lace to the hub, run some flat-track style tires.

[@cadecarp11]

My tensioner is starting to go bad and I want to do a manual tensioner just like you did. But I am going to use those aluminum brazing rods to build it up a bit thicker first.

[@doctordapp]

I've had a cracked head, I've repaired this with these brazing rods. Works fine for 1500km now...

[@PRL1290]

That's a pretty clever cam chain tensioner design.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Yeah I agree

[@iancampbell582]

Beautiful looking bike with nice patina of being used.Fantastic.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Finally, somebody else that sees the beauty of bumps and bruises! There were quite a few comments on my other xl600r videos about how junky my bike looks. lol

[@hicktown00]

Great video! I'm going to be doing this on my 1985 XL600R soon.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks buddy. Good luck on it!

[@andrewm2199]

Great video! Great explanation on how to reinstall cam chain tensioner and great manual tensioner mod!

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks man

[@DonT762]

Thank u for the zip tie trick! this helps me out so much

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

No problem! Glad it helped out

[@cb400fhonda6]

Since gb500 is a cousin So watching your video was Gr8 experience Hope I can get on Thanks

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Yeah should be pretty much the same. I never rode one of those but they look like a pretty cool bike!

[@cb400fhonda6]

@@NoNonsenseKnowHow Thanks

[@Baldybrew]

"Just punched a hole in my engine, let me know if anyone else has done that too" fuckin LOL

[@phill6159]

There's an F9 vid where he kills a KLR by smashing a hole in the case bottom. I think he got out by using beer can and JB weld patch. On a later episode he rebuilds the entire engine.

[@carfactorycustoms422]

no but my xl250r just ran out of oil LOL didnt seize

[@Baldybrew]

@@carfactorycustoms422 I ran my XR650L down to less than half a quart of oil. I roasted the top end but it never seized. I was towing a friend's motorcycle (with him on it) and riding freeway speeds in the middle of summer during all that, too. They're indestructible.

[@donniebunkerboi9975]

@@Baldybrew 650 is newer, i don't think they sell big parts for 600 anymore

[@Baldybrew]

@@donniebunkerboi9975 it's basically the same engine as the 600.

[@inmaculadavargascolas2421]

Great video mate, man of your trade. No bullshit, straight into it.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks buddy. Yeah I usually try to jump right into the point of the video the best I can. Appreciate you dropping by

[@jessesalcido2562]

Zip ties are life savers aren't they . LOL!!!!

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

heck yea! Always

[@erikeggenbakstad]

Good job! It is purring now. Now I have to find a 600, hehe.. Thanks for the upload 😁👍

[@williamrizzo1285]

Nice work, I love that SS exhaust.

[@arthurconrod9825]

It sounds great...good job,cheers from the uk

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks Arthur. Cheers from the US

[@Enrique2k52]

Good Job!! Very good video thank you!!

[@troyrosenbaugh9935]

Live in Cortez Co, spend lots of time in Moab. Great riding, love jeering there to. Great vid Bro.

[@jakecowes7627]

It looks mint!! Sounds sweet!! great vid

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

She's not horrible for an 86. Love this bike. And thanks!

[@teamtoyota9048]

Such a great sorce of information. Thank you so much man I learned a lot. I guess most of this info will help me on my 82 500X&R. .❤

[@rogercarrico4975]

Very nice work! Enjoyed watching! Can you teach me how to keep my work shop as Clean as your! 😆

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks Roger. And I can assure you it's not always this clean! I made sure to tidy up before turning the camera on! lol. But yeah overall I keep it pretty organized. Unless I'm knee-deep in a project and it gets bad

[@paulallerton3353]

Thankyou informative had xl,600 20yrs ago 1700$ now have 99xr400 to high xl suited better

[@frost1183]

That’s what’s happening to mine!!! I’m so gald I found this

[@James-qq2vq]

Good job and thanks for the video!

[@SuperLaplander]

Good solid info, thanks!

[@delldavis9803]

Great video very helpful I have a 1985 XL 600 making the same noise. I’m gonna go ahead and replace the tensioner in the spring but instead of pulling the engine out just going to remove the head and do it in the bike.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Awesome to hear you found it helpful. Let me know how you make out

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

If I remember right you can't pull the valve cover when this engine is in the frame. Let me know what you find

[@delldavis9803]

@@NoNonsenseKnowHow I had a 1983 Honda XL 600 and I did the top in and timing chain with the engine still in the frame.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Okay cool, good to know. I never actually tried doing mine with it in the frame. Next time I'll give that a go

[@delldavis9803]

@@NoNonsenseKnowHow it turned out that the valves were loose that’s why I was making so much noise. But I have adjusted the valves and now it’s hard starting was wondering if maybe I got them too tight? But the filler gauge slides in an out with just a little drag. I’ve heard that on the XL 600s that the exhaust should be a little looser than what the manual says. If there’s something you think I should check I would appreciate any help thank you

[@joshualuk]

I enjoyed your video, very informative 👍 thanks

[@johngarrity6942]

Excellent, thanks.

[@jayfromtexas6718]

Great video bud!

[@overbuiltautomotive1299]

if it ant wore it ant broken ..spring tension be my thoughts if sprags grip thet be fine its not like they move even one full time like in an automatic transmission sprags do so with out watching all or seeing it spring is basicly only thing that can break in this system ..good job never over think it God bless

[@marktromans2945]

Cool thankyou bud, well explained

[@jamiecleeves7921]

Brilliant

[@edfell66]

I have a Honda NX350 Sahara and the engine is a RFVC too. I had the same problemas with the time chain tensioner. This kind of system is not so effiecient after long time. External tensioners are much pratical and easy to deal with. Nice video bro

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Awesome, I've never seen a nx350. Yeah these are definitely prone to failure. But still an awesome engine none the less. External hydraulic assist tensioner is the best for sure. Easy to swap. And thanks man

[@edfell66]

NoNonsenseKnowHow the NX350 was made just for Brazil (where I live) and some other countries from South America. It's basically the same engine you havec but smaller. Thanks for the video, I'm going to save it here, so I can replace this part on my own next time

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

@@edfell66 oh okay awesome! Yeah we had the XL350r here. Sounds like it's probably the same as that. Happy to hear you found the video useful and I appreciate the feedback. Thank you!

[@edfell66]

NoNonsenseKnowHow yeah, it's the same engine, but the NX350 have the eletric start and "Dakar" looking fairings

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Oh got you. Sweet!

[@johngimble8420]

Nice old Honda, had one just like it back in the day rode the hell out of it !

[@prevotfrancis8933]

Good job ! a nice bike.

[@rk22cc]

Great Chris

[@ghostlight69420]

Dude that think came out looking great.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks man. Honestly it looks great from ten feet away but the paint job is not so good up close

[@ghostlight69420]

@@NoNonsenseKnowHow That's the way it is sometimes. Fortunately I have access to a sandblasting cabinet at work and let me tell you, painting something that has been sandblasted is almost cheating. Definitely on my wish list to buy one day. But heck man, its a dirt bike, it has killer personality and character you can't buy. Who cares if it ain't perfect. Just keep that thing on the road!

[@chrisscoleri2341]

With that motor out I would have changed the cam bearings and timing chain too unless it's a very low-hours bike. That bike looks like it has some time on it Would have also checked the valve spring pressure and ran a compression check. Proactive is much better than a reactive, fix it when it breaks, response. As OCD as I can be, I would have gone through the carb and clutch and repainted or powder coated the engine the factory color; but that's just me. It's a gasket or RTV, but not both. If it leaks, it's warped.

[@jables2845]

So jealous, wish I had wrenching skills like this. I picked up an 83 XL 600 with a siezed piston. I need a buddy like this

[@anderspan1226]

This dude is awesome xD

[@vanchua2007]

tnx bro' it helps a lot 🤙

[@Aluminata]

Great bike!

[@denniscoughlin7437]

Very cool bike.

[@allistairneil8968]

Love the manual override option.

[@mamroberts1639]

It's good to see I want one

[@clarkpitts5393]

A++ great video!

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks buddy

[@themcringlebrothers4628]

Thank you 👌

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

No problem!

[@paulouttury1778]

Hondas love Hondas especially these old models that run and run and run and keep on running ! . 👍‍ .

[@davidscott3292]

Great video, really clear and helpful. Couple of questions: 1. Was there any obvious sign the the old spring had weakened significantly?; 2. Any idea why the adjuster needs a clutch device within it?

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

Thanks David I'm glad the video was helpful. No I didn't see any sign of the spring being weakened and I'm sure it could have been reused. but thermal Cycles generally take a toll on Springs over time so I figured for how cheap it is, certainly a good idea to replace it. And yes, the Bronze bushings on the tensioner clutch had visible wear and I believe inside components also had wear if you were to compare them to factory especially under a microscope. It did not grip the shaft as reliably as the new one. Hopefully that helps answer your questions. I wish I still had it, I would go back and maybe take it apart to check out the inner workings.

[@AndrewBrowner]

i could be wrong but i think the sprag clutch stops the tensioner from backing off after its applied tension, it can only advance it cant back off, if it was just the spring pushing on the cam chain it could possibly push that spring and get enough slack to jump a tooth

[@blautens]

Great bike.

[@AlexGarcia-ew2fv]

Topend noise on those old honda is usually..cam tensioner and or valve adjusting..rarely is it the piston.rings or sleeve. I've seen them Burn Oil n smoke like a Mack truck n still run Great