How do I get the cam chain adjusted correctly?

Posted by 83seebee on May 08, 2012; 2:12am
URL: http://vintage-and-classic-hondas.81.s1.nabble.com/How-do-I-get-the-cam-chain-adjusted-correctly-tp3970193.html

So... my bike (83 cb750sc) had a horrible rattle that got really bad at certain rpms and turned into engine vibrations at 5k and a really loud rattle at 7k.  i loosened the cam adjuster nut a bit and tightened it back down and all these problems went away, along with the throttle hang and it has at least twice as much power between 1 and 3k.  Its feels like a brand new bike now.  the only problem is I have no idea how the adjuster works and i noticed a couple new, much less noticeable rattles at different rpms.  the manual says to let it idle, back off nut half turn, tighten, and repeat for rear adjuster.  Is it better to do it with the bike off, cranking it manually?  and can anybody explain how to do it properly?  How do you know when to stop tightening the nut down?  I would like to get this thing dialed in to perfection.  any help much appreciated!