Roll the timing chain by hand on the crank with spark plugs out to let you do it. Any slack will roll out unless you let the chain slack to bunch up under crank and if you do that badly enough so that the chain wedged in on itself you WILL be splitting cases as that will not resolve without doing so. Force will only break chain or crank gear or chain damage to blow chain up when motor is run. Once chain is rolled out enough you are sure there is no slack at bottom take a weight and wire it to chain at top and droop weight down front of engine to always keep chain tight while working on engine. The chain tensioner MUST be sprung in and lightly tightened to remove it out of the way enough to get head on. Even with all the slack you must carefully work cam chain back over gear and gear on cam carefully as it will seem too tight but it WILL go, or you never had it on to begin with, er, impossible.

 

CB650

The SOHC/4 Technical Documentation Library is a service of the SOHC/4 Owners Club.

manuals.sohc4.net

Service manuals there, all years '79-'82 basically close to same, engine has different carbs in '79.

 

Thanks, I can get slack and see the chain drop on the front side but thought maybe I could see if I could roll the chain over the cam sprocket but haven’t had much luck. I can spin the engine trying to work it out

 

You generally put the chain on the crooked sprocket first before you pilot the sprocket onto the cam. If sprocket is already piloted and straight on cam you will not likely get the chain on without damage.

 

Yes, sorry i meant roll the chain over the crank gear to maybe get out slack if I had any.