1500 engine noise
Brancher and ALL,
I also bought a 02 Nomad with 13,000 miles on it and had the same noise problem. Since you didn't say how many miles this may not be it, but keep the info for future reference.
There are 2 automatic cam chain tighteners which are located at the lower section of each jug. They look like a dome with a bolt in the end. What happens is that the tensioner adjuster extends as far as it will go and the cam chains keep getting looser. The only way you can know if the tensioners are fully extended is to remove them. I suggest that you purchase a Clymer Kawasaki Vulcan Classic repair manual. The 1500 Classic and Nomad have the same engine and many other parts that make this book useful for the Nomad owner.
To fix this, Kawasaki makes a cam chain tensioner "extension". Unfortunately, these extensions are (or at least were 2 months ago) only available through Canadian Kawa dealers. F---, I don't know why and it makes no sense, but that's what I found at the time.
You might do a search through this site for Canadian dealers or ask about it on the VROC.org forums ( http://www.vroc.org/forums/index.php?t=thread&frm_id=2&rid=&S=c4ef5132d6c3a87fe80db50edbe0141d )
A member there provided me with who to contact and a phone number but, per usual, I can't locate it now.
Another person has posted the step by step instructions on how to do this modification which I have copied here (http://www.vroc.org/mailarchive/varchive/msg09487.html).
The parts are not expensive and it is not to hard of a job if you have some mechanical ability and metric wrenches. No special tools are needed. The dealer here in Indy had NO idea what was wrong so it was the same explination you got. They also had NO idea this part existed either. Really gives me confidence if anything does go wrong.
Ron Wade
[email protected]
Brancher and ALL,
I also bought a 02 Nomad with 13,000 miles on it and had the same noise problem. Since you didn't say how many miles this may not be it, but keep the info for future reference.
There are 2 automatic cam chain tighteners which are located at the lower section of each jug. They look like a dome with a bolt in the end. What happens is that the tensioner adjuster extends as far as it will go and the cam chains keep getting looser. The only way you can know if the tensioners are fully extended is to remove them. I suggest that you purchase a Clymer Kawasaki Vulcan Classic repair manual. The 1500 Classic and Nomad have the same engine and many other parts that make this book useful for the Nomad owner.
To fix this, Kawasaki makes a cam chain tensioner "extension". Unfortunately, these extensions are (or at least were 2 months ago) only available through Canadian Kawa dealers. F---, I don't know why and it makes no sense, but that's what I found at the time.
You might do a search through this site for Canadian dealers or ask about it on the VROC.org forums ( http://www.vroc.org/forums/index.php?t=thread&frm_id=2&rid=&S=c4ef5132d6c3a87fe80db50edbe0141d )
A member there provided me with who to contact and a phone number but, per usual, I can't locate it now.
Another person has posted the step by step instructions on how to do this modification which I have copied here (http://www.vroc.org/mailarchive/varchive/msg09487.html).
The parts are not expensive and it is not to hard of a job if you have some mechanical ability and metric wrenches. No special tools are needed. The dealer here in Indy had NO idea what was wrong so it was the same explination you got. They also had NO idea this part existed either. Really gives me confidence if anything does go wrong.
Ron Wade
[email protected]
