The application of a continuous wavelet transform for diagnosing damage to the timing Chain tensioner in a motorcycle engine

Timing chain tensioners are the elements whose damage may lead to serious failure of an engine. In addition, damage to the tensioner in a motorcycle engine may cause uncontrolled coming of the engine to a standstill, thereby putting the motorcyclist’s life or health at risk, should the timing chain break. The paper discusses the possibility of diagnosing damage to the timing chain tensioner in a motorcycle engine by means of the measurement, processing and analysis of vibration signals. The vibration generated by an engine equipped with a new, used and damaged tensioner was measured. By applying vibration signal processing by means of a continuous wavelet transform, the ranges of the rotational speed and the frequency scale were identified, for which monitoring of the condition of the timing chain tensioner should be conducted. Based on the tests performed, the quantitative and qualitative vibration symptoms of damage to the timing chain tensioner were identified.