Tis a great life if you don't weaken.....you really know how to live!
Tis a great life if you don't weaken.....you really know how to live!
Tis a great life if you don't weaken.
Here's an excerpt from my buildup thread: I take a fresh piece of safety wire about a foot long and tie it to both ends of the chain to make one big loop. Pull up on the loop and rotate the crank about a half a turn in both directions. Any links kinked up on the crank sprocket will pop loose and all your chain will be sticking up. Pull the chain one way or the other (keeping the loop pulled tight) until your TDC mark lines back up on the rotor.
Did you rotate the crank back and forth to ensure there's no kinks?
Thank you All for your suggestions. Jim, when I read the above I thought 'Aha! That looks like the answer.'
Wish it could have been. Today, head part-torqued down with sockets over studs, replaced the camshaft with all four bearings, hooked a long piece of wire through both ends of the chain, and followed the procedure. Rotated the crank 1/2 turn forwards and backwards with wire held up, under slight tension to remove any kinks.
Then, crank to TDC, camshaft placed correctly, chain fitted at front. Pulled rear end of chain with a small screwdriver through a pin, with leather gloves on for full purchase, standing on a stool to get optimum body position, Ever Willing Assistant - for how much longer? - preventing crank from turning with socket & tommy bar. Pulling as hard as possible then using free hand to push the camchain onto the teeth at rear of sprocket, the best chain position I can achieve is still one tooth short:
View attachment 146193
For me just now that looks like defeat. Been over & over this in what passes for my mind. Chain is correct length of 106 links including rivet link not shown in photo. Cam sprocket is correct at 36 teeth.Crank sprocket must be the correct 18 teeth or the motor would have self-destructed long ago.
Thinking of buying a new chain for two not very good reasons.
Firstly, could measure the new chain's length, run it through to replace the present chain and measure the length of that. But if anything, the 'used' chain in the bike should be longer. Surely, all DID 219 chains must start out the same length until they stretch?
Secondly, a chance to check that the present chain really is 106 links. I must be going mad . . .
When I did mine I could not pull it on by hand. That's why I used the T-Handle Allen wrench as a lever.Pulling as hard as possible
Just hook the old chain to the new and pull the new one back out. If it measures less than 106 links, there ya go. If it is 106 links, feed it back in and with the cam removed, have a good look at what's going on in the chain tunnel.Secondly, a chance to check that the present chain really is 106 links. I must be going mad . . .
OK... forgot he just shortened the original. You can still pull the original out by attaching some safety wire to the end and pull the safety wire through. It's kind of a bugger to do that way... but it can be done.He doesn't have an old chain. This is the "old" chain, the one that came in the bike, but it's obviously been replaced because he found it too long to begin with (108 links).
OK Raymond... just for reference, I measured the chain I took out of my SG. When I replaced it, I compared it to the new and it was exactly 1/2 link longer.
So, here's the old... stretched out it's 32.5" and I count 106 rollers. If my new is any indication, yours should be about 3/16" shorter (half link).
View attachment 146199
Could be the answer. I do know I have never been strong enough the stretch a metal chain without a mechanical advantage.When fitting the link I had to use a small slotted screw driver to lever the ends together by pressing the blade between a tooth and a chain link.