Hi Sasha,
If you were still seeing slack in the chain before putting the cam cover on, I'd definitely be pulling it again before tilting the engine back up.
Not quite sure exactly which of the two cam chains you are referring to when you say '...and the front one was loose, with lots of slack.' and am struggling to think how cam chain tension could change just by sitting if set correctly with this procedure.
When you say 'front', are you referring to the long run of cam chain at the front of the motor that goes down to the crankshaft?
So let's clarify terms so we are on the same page. (and apologies if you know all this stuff already, but this may make it clearer)
The long cam chain coming from the crankshaft all the way up to the exhaust camshaft is the 'A' chain. Adjustment on this chain is ONLY done by loosening off the 10mm chrome dome nut located on the BACK of the cylinders/barrels below the float bowls of carbs 3 & 4. You can see the round top of the tensioner for this cam chain just below and slightly forward of the inlet camshaft (more on that later).
The short cam chain at the top of the motor running between the exhaust and inlet camshafts is the 'B' chain. Adjustment of this chain is ONLY done by loosening off the lock nut and pinch bolt on the FRONT of the cylinder head.
So when you refer to 'the front one', which chain are you referring to? A or B?
If you are referring to the 'A' chain, then twiddling about with the lock nut and the pinch bolt at the front of the cylinder head (ie; the adjustment for the B chain) will have no effect at all (because it has absolutely nothing to do with the A chain). You will need to adjust this A chain by undoing the 10mm dome nut on the back of the cylinders/barrels.
NOTE: There is a long solid slipper blade located in front of the front run of the A cam chain and there is always a gap between it and the front surface of the chain. (Its a design flaw IMHO, but that's a whole other story). Is it possible it is that gap between the slipper blade and the A cam chain that you are referring to? If so, that is normal and there is nothing wrong.
Now when you gently rotate the crankshaft backwards and forward a few degrees, you should see slack in the A chain transferring between the front and back runs of the A cam chain. While holding the slack on BACK run of the A chain (by putting slight forward (clockwise) rotational pressure on crankshaft with your 17mm spanner), undo the dome nut and the A cam chain tensioner SHOULD spring out to take up the slack.
If this isn't happening, is quite possible your A cam chain tensioner is gummed up / stuck and is no longer able to automatically 'spring' outwards (ie; towards the front of the motor) to take up the slack when the dome nut is undone. I have seen this occur on quite a few engines.
The A cam chain tensioner at the back of the engine can usually be 'un-stuck' by first loosening off the dome nut. Then, while holding that forward rotational pressure on the crank (to put all the A chain slack to the rear), push down VERY firmly on the TOP of the A cam chain tensioner (it is the large round black part just below and slightly in front of the inlet camshaft. You may need to push firmly down on top of the tensioner (in direction of the red arrow in the image below) as you tighten the dome nut to hold the tensioner firmly against the back run of the cam chain. This cutaway image clearly shows the relationship between the A cam chain and its tensioner.
CBX A Cam Chain 3.JPG
If you look carefully at this image you will see the long tensioner spring inside a black rubber tube. This spring pulls the two parts of the tensioner together so as to make the flexible blade on the front of the tensioner 'bow' outwards towards back surface of the A cam chain to take up the slack. Also, in this image, you can see we've temporarily replaced the 10mm dome nut on the back of the cylinders/barrels with a normal 10mm nut.
Now the B cam chain tensioner can also become stuck. Back off the lock nut and pinch bolt. Then, while still keeping that forward rotational pressure on the crank (to put all the slack on the bottom run of the B cam chain), push down hard on the BOTTOM run of the B chain that runs between the inlet and exhaust camshaft. Push it down firmly as far as it will go and release. Do this vigorously a few times and you will observe the shaft on the front of the B cam chain tensioner sliding in and out of the hole just inside the front of the cylinder head.
Keeping that forward pressure on the crank, remove your hand from the chain to let it 'relax' fully. This will then allow the B tensioner to 'do its thing' and bow upwards to take all up the slack in the bottom run of B cam chain. Then do up the pinch bolt (just nipped up firmly remember, it's only a pinch bolt that just pushes up and locks against the underside of the B cam chain tensioner shaft) and then do up the lock nut, again only nipped up.
You should then be good to go Sasha. Let us know how you get on.
Cheers...Tony
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