Chain too tight?

mcwtrainer · 05-30-2008, 08:37 PM

My chain from when I bought it last June has not loosened up at all and I'm afraid it might actually be too tight. Should there be any slack at all in the chain? I can push down on the chain and it doesn't go anywhere...

Whatcha think? Do I need to buy a bigger chain even though the one I have on is stock and not even a year old?

ZZRrocket · 05-30-2008, 09:00 PM

10-4 Final Drive (Service Manual Part No.99924-1254-04)

Chain Slack
Standard: 30-35mm(1.18 - 1.38 in.)

Liquelo · 05-30-2008, 09:12 PM

Maybe you've discovered the chain's tight spot, there should be one place on the chain that is tighter than anywhere else you check provided you are pushing at the right spot. Are you putting pressure on the chain where the book recommends? How many miles on the clock? There should always be SOME play!

mcwtrainer · 05-30-2008, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liquelo

Maybe you've discovered the chain's tight spot, there should be one place on the chain that is tighter than anywhere else you check provided you are pushing at the right spot. Are you putting pressure on the chain where the book recommends? How many miles on the clock? There should always be SOME play!

There is only like 1500 miles on it. There's literally no play no matter where I push on it. I just find it odd that the chain didn't loosen up at all since I've had it.

brandon2286 · 05-30-2008, 11:42 PM

well loosen it up and get it into spec and see what happens? i check and lube mine every 4-500 miles

Liquelo · 05-30-2008, 11:52 PM

Yeah man, I have never seen a chain do that. Set up too tight at the factory? I don't know but a little loose is always better than way too tight which sounds to be the case with your chain. For sure adjust it.

lecchilo · 05-31-2008, 07:43 AM

+1 to what they said... as a very very general guideline for you, if you look go low on the ground and look at the chain directly from the side, and look directly at where the swingarm meets the front of the rear wheel (in your view not actually touching it of course) you should be able with pretty little force push up on the chain at that point and touch the swingarm... again, this is very general, but if you can't push up on the chain and touch the swingarm from that point, or another point on the swingarm moving toward the front of the bike, the chain is way too damn tight... hope that helps

mcwtrainer · 05-31-2008, 10:08 AM

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm still new to this... How do I loosen the chain?

Liquelo · 05-31-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcwtrainer

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm still new to this... How do I loosen the chain?

down load the manual from the sticky on top. Find someone who has done motorcycle chain (aka final drive) adjustments to help.

adamp961 · 05-31-2008, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcwtrainer

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm still new to this... How do I loosen the chain?

Drive over to my house and i will help you!!! See you in a couple of days

Liquelo · 05-31-2008, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamp961

Drive over to my house and i will help you!!! See you in a couple of days

NO! Not while your chain is still that tight!

mcwtrainer · 05-31-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamp961

Drive over to my house and i will help you!!! See you in a couple of days

Wish I lived closer...

lecchilo · 05-31-2008, 03:06 PM

mcwtrainer... you'll need to start with the right tools...

go to your local car shop and buy (if you don't own it obviously):

1. 1/2" 10-150 (or something close to those numbers) torque wrench
2. 1/2" breaker bar (long bar with the ratchet tip to go into the socket)
3. 1/2" 32mm socket
4. screwdriver (for little screws on chain cover and also to push chain up when measuring)
5. 12mm (I think, but might be 11mm, damn it I should know I just adjusted my chain haha) small wrench for the adjusting bolts/nuts
6. a few cotter pins (buy either from dealer, online store, or just find similar ones at your local hardware store)
7. and you'll need some regular tools like pliers, etc. just to bend the cotter pin, pull it out, re-bend it later when putting in the new one, etc..

I think I covered everything

To adjust the chain:

1. take out old cotter pin
2. loosen the axle bolt (just enough so you can pull the wheel back and forth, not completely)
3. loosen the adjuster bolt nuts on both sides (the nuts that are tight against the swingarm, away from the axle)
4. turn in both adjusting bolts and push the wheel in(towards the front of the bike) so that the little plates around the axle are pushed up against the adjusting bolts
5. make sure the marks on the swingarm and those plates line up pretty evenly on both sides
6. tighten the adjusting bolt nuts then re-check the markings after you push the wheel again
7. tighten the axle nut pretty well (so wheel cannot move) while pushing the wheel forward so the adjusting plates are pushed up against the adjusting bolts
8. stand up, pull the bike up straight, then bounce it a bit to move suspension and also push it forward, while in gear, to seat the chain/wheel properly (simply push the bike so it stops due to it being in gear)
9. check your chain slack... I like to check mine about the point I mentioned above (right where the front of back wheel meets the swingarm when looking from the side) because there when I push the chain up and it's the right slack it doesn't hit the swingarm too much towards the front... I might be making this complicated... basically I do it here because, if you can imagine, when I push the chain up anywhere towards the front of the bike from this point, the chain hits the swingarm, so you should do it towards the back to get the chain to fully stretch.
10. repeat steps 2-9 until chain is at right slack (every time I adjust mine I try to do it to about 33-35mm, which is kinda the minimum allowed, just so I don't have to adjust it for a while, but you do what you want)
11. once it's the correct slack, and all the alignment marks on swingarm and adjusting plates are pretty much lined up, tighten the axle nut to 90-95ft-lb, insert new cotter pin (put longer side away from the bike, then bend into the bolt hole, and bend the smaller side that's toward the bike simply back against the bolt side)
12. RIDEEE

lecchilo · 05-31-2008, 03:09 PM

Forgot to mention... when I see my chain needs adjusting, I always clean it off with Kerosene before hand, adjust it while the Kerosene completely dries off, then when I'm done adjusting spray it with Maxima chain wax... 2 birds 1 stone I guess

adamp961 · 05-31-2008, 03:22 PM

speaking of 1/2" torque wrench

I bought one at harbor freight a couple of weeks ago for 12.99

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

and when i got back to work, we torqued something with our high dollar Snap on torque wrench then the harbor freight wrench

suprising the cheaper harbor freight wrnech was spot on and it looks to be very well built