CAM CHAIN ADJUSTMENT

Hi all,advice please tried to adjust my cam chain today as per service book,firstly the usual way to do it did not work,still a little noisy,so as the manual states i tried by removing the sealing bolt at the left bottom side of the crankcase and then screwed in the tensioner screw,but how far do i screw it in ? i must have turned the screw at least 3 full turns, the noise has reduced but it is fully screwed in tight, is this right ? or should it be loose? will this cause any damage left tightend in ?
cheers Arn.

Too loose = bad performance, risk of damage on piston and valves.
Too tightened = very fast wear of sprockets (oil pump drive, crank drive,...)

The right way to set the tension correctly is to start your engine before changing the tension.
Make sure the timing is set correctly.
Loosen the tensioner untill you hear a loud 'zooming'.
Fasten it again untill the point where the zooming of the chain just stopped.

If it still isn't tightened enough with the bolt completely screwed in, the rubber cap of the tensioner and/or the sprockets are worn out and should be replaced.
To manually check the tension of the chain remove the cover over the cam sprocket.
With a screwdriver you should be able to easily push the chain one teeth further down on the sprocket (at the right side of the sprocket).
But the first method is more reliable.

ok cheers again Waynus !!
PS any ideal why my front light bulb keeps blowing?? using 6v 15w . 3 have blown in less than an hours use??

Were you a honda st70 engineer in your former life

You should check the regulator (selenium rectifier) and replace it with a modern style (silicon) version.
The orange plates are far from reliable.

I'm not an engineer, I'm an enthousiast with a good pair of ears and eyes.