Hey is there any way to look at a primary chain still in place and tell if it should be replaced? I'm putting on a new Rotor/Stater & cleaning my clutch plates so I'm right there but I don't really feel like pulling the gear/clutch basket. My chain "looks" good, the adjuster is not anywhere near even the 1/2 way mark through it's travel. No visable wear that I can see. Has any one had one break or is this something I can do when the hub bearing eventualy needs replacing? Thanks.
Primary chain life expectancy???
- Thread starter gtsun
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I think it would be very helpful if you would state approximately how many miles you think are on your chain.
I know that before I switched to a belt primary, my chain was replaced at around 15,000 miles and I remember it
showing little metal pieces of the rollers gathering in the bottom of the primary upon periodic inspection.
I know that before I switched to a belt primary, my chain was replaced at around 15,000 miles and I remember it
showing little metal pieces of the rollers gathering in the bottom of the primary upon periodic inspection.
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gtsun said:
Stretched or broken is how you tell. They will last a long time.
Those triplex chains can run just fine with a few missing links. :mrgreen:
Sorry 1up3down, If I knew I would have stated the age. I bought this bike from a well known Norton fanatic & he was selling it for the 1st owner who lives in Asia now. The bike had close to 65,000 on the clock & has allways shown that it was maintained well. Top end was new when I got it and it pulls like a train, I'm sure this is the second or third chain on this bike & for all I know it could have been fairly new when I got it. The bike had been well gone through. I'm just wondering for those who have had failures, were they near the end of the adjustment leangth? This one clearly is not according to how much room for adjustment it has.
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Chain wear is best checked by trying to lift links out valleys on back side of sprockets. New chain will not lift out its valley and as much as used one does - that's where the teeth are baring the wear loads. Chain tension has NO Effect on this measure. I feel guilty when chain lifts ~1/3 up teeth. Primary sprocket teeth are many and tough so can take a lot of chain slack till chain link innards crack up.
If in doubt spend more time and money, again.
If in doubt spend more time and money, again.
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when ever i buy a bike, unless its new or i have very accurate records, i always replace the primary chain - always- they are fairly cheap and easy to do. Having one break and shattering the primary (and i have this occur before this practice) or the engine case (!) from trying to get a few more miles out of it is not my idea of "stretching" a few bucks :shock:
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Well, there goes my chain. This is what I found hiding in the ATF today during a routine fluid change. Original chain. I've put 5,000 miles on it but I think it had about 14,000 previously.
I'm still riding it with two missing rollers. I didn't see any broken teeth. Is this a stupid thing to do?
I'm still riding it with two missing rollers. I didn't see any broken teeth. Is this a stupid thing to do?
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Anglophile said:Well, there goes my chain. This is what I found hiding in the ATF today during a routine fluid change. Original chain. I've put 5,000 miles on it but I think it had about 14,000 previously.
I'm still riding it with two missing rollers. I didn't see any broken teeth. Is this a stupid thing to do?
Once you have a broken roller more will follow soon. No problem until it comes apart but then you will have a big problem.
I can say that for sure as I had one break on the dyno one time. I am very glad I was standing on the other side of the bike. Jim
concours
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Anglophile said:Well, there goes my chain. This is what I found hiding in the ATF today during a routine fluid change. Original chain. I've put 5,000 miles on it but I think it had about 14,000 previously.
I'm still riding it with two missing rollers. I didn't see any broken teeth. Is this a stupid thing to do?
You already know the answer to that... If I had the choice between WALKING or talking a chance with a failing chain, I'd choose the latter. Unless you're stranded, why chance it?
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My bike had a new Renold on it when I bought it and it eventually dropped a few rollers like in the photo above (not unusual on newer Renold primary chains from what I've read here) so I recently replaced it with a Japanese chain I got from Steadfast, so far so good. So far as wear goes the service manual spec is to replace when elongation reaches 2%....since the pitch is 3/8" 16 links are in 6 inches and 2% more is about 6 1/8" (or 32 links in 12", service limit about 12 1/4")....personally on bicycles I replace chains when elongation reaches about 1% (24 1/2" links measure 12.125") and get long cog life that way. I checked my old Renold chain and could not measure appreciable elongation...
The original Renold was a bloody good chain but the newer ones not so.
Look at the side plates, "UK" or "England" stamped in then good.
With the triplex chain not being used in industry as much the quality has
been, in my view, reduced. Some quality companies such as iwis have even
stopped making it and others get it made to a price by outside companies.
Roller failure is common and not good. That is why I am advising owners to go
to the iwis Merc diesel cam chain. Too much boring stuff for on here but many
good reasons to use it even though it is duplex. I have sold several now for Commandos
with good reports and Laverdas have been running them for years.
In the main owners do not know what they are buying and what is available with
many main dealers buying soley on price but selling on quality.
Andy
Look at the side plates, "UK" or "England" stamped in then good.
With the triplex chain not being used in industry as much the quality has
been, in my view, reduced. Some quality companies such as iwis have even
stopped making it and others get it made to a price by outside companies.
Roller failure is common and not good. That is why I am advising owners to go
to the iwis Merc diesel cam chain. Too much boring stuff for on here but many
good reasons to use it even though it is duplex. I have sold several now for Commandos
with good reports and Laverdas have been running them for years.
In the main owners do not know what they are buying and what is available with
many main dealers buying soley on price but selling on quality.
Andy
swooshdave said:
A chain running in an oil bath can indeed last a long time, much longer than the secondary chain, however there is one Norton where the drive chain will last 100,000 miles but it was running in a oil bath, on a police spec Rotary :!:
:shock:- Status
